Most folks understand that buying a new car is — on paper at least — a poor financial decision. Buying a used car generally provides substantial long-term savings. But did you know there’s a growing number of folks who try to …
When I was younger, I carried more than $20,000 in credit card debt, and it took a long time to recover. While credit cards aren’t evil, they can be very dangerous.
As tends to happen, yesterday’s dramatic stock market decline has put some investors on edge. The other day, I talked with my friend who is a financial planner, and he told me that after the market dropped by 15% in early August, …
When you’re in debt, one of the toughest problems is knowing where to start. It’s not that you have just one debt. You have several. Or dozens. Which debt should you pay off first?
Just as daily exercise and a sensible diet keep your body healthy and help you avoid costly medical bills, regular home maintenance keeps normal wear-and-tear from developing into emergency repairs.
When a friend or a family members asks to borrow money, your first inclination is probably to help out. You can save yourself a lot of grief by knowing in advance how you'll handle these situations.
I had lunch with a friend recently, and as friends will, we discussed the ups and downs of our lives. The conversation turned to the dumb things we did when we were younger. I told the story of the worst job I ever had. He …
As our national economic malaise threatens to drift into a fifth year (and a possible third presidential administration), more and more people seem to have come to the same conclusion: The best way to deal with future financial …
Hundreds (thousands?) of new financial books are published each year. Only a handful become best-sellers. As you might expect, a lot of gems fall through the cracks, destined to soon be forgotten. The Quiet Millionaire by Brett …
Most people work toward several financial goals at once but keep their money clumped together in a single savings account. With this setup, it’s easy to forget how much you’ve saved for each goal — and to borrow money from one …
I make a living by telling people how to get rich slowly. But every so often — admittedly a little less often these days — I hear from somebody who’s been able to do the opposite. They’ve actually managed to find sudden wealth, …
I’ve written a lot — at TIME Moneyland and other sites — about the importance of taking charge of your own financial life. Nobody cares more about your money than you do. If you’re not willing to be smart with your money, you …
