It’s been estimated that raising a child from birth through age 18 costs just under $227,000, or slightly more than the current median price of a home in the U.S. That figure doesn’t include college. Once a four-year degree is …
Budgeting
Money Milestones: What Kids Should Know About Money and When
President Obama and his top financial advisers in November were handed a blueprint for what kids at certain ages should be expected to know about money. The document is still a work in progress. But it’s far enough along to …
Look for Gas Prices to Hit $4 a Gallon by Summer, If Not Sooner
The priciest year ever for gasoline has just ended. In 2011, the average gallon sold for an all-time high of over $3.50, and the average household spent $4,155 gassing up their vehicles—also a record. And if you were hoping for …
5 Tricks To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick
A new year, a new batch of resolutions! Alas, these promises to ourselves rarely produce long-lasting results. (Depending on the source, nearly nine in 10 resolutions don’t take.) Worse, failed resolutions could be harmful if …
4 Ways to Start Your Kids with Credit
Most parents with heavy credit card debt want their kids to avoid the same mistake. But they are not sure how to coach them and, according to a new survey, would love for credit card management to be a required class in high school.
Black Friday Remorse: Consumers Already Returning Holiday Purchases
Many of us rushed out to take advantage of the countless “holiday shopping events” around Thanksgiving weekend. Now, we’re slinking back to those same stores — except this time, we want our money back.
Plugged In? Then Pay Up. Electricity Costs Rise $300 in 5 Years
It’s not your imagination. Your electricity bill really has been getting higher and higher.
Are There Really More Dollar Stores Than Drugstores in the U.S.?
The family-run drugstore on Main Street has been dying for decades. Now, the big national chain pharmacies—which helped push those family operations to the brink of extinction—are being surpassed in terms of total locations …
Fewer Teenagers Have Driver’s Licenses … Because of Gas Prices and the Internet?
The number of teen drivers has dramatically decreased over the past couple of decades. In 1983, 69% of all 17-year-olds had driver’s licenses. By 2008, only half of 17-year-olds had licenses. What’s behind the big drop?
10 Money Moves to Make Before 2012
It’s that time of year again. Gifts to buy. Tips to hand out. Charities to support. While you’ve got your hand on your wallet, consider these 10 year-end money-saving moves designed to create a little something extra just for you.
Impatient? Then Your Credit Probably Stinks
Were you sitting and drumming your fingers while waiting for this page to load? Do you think instant coffee takes too long? If you’re impatient, more than just your blood pressure will suffer: You’re also liable to have poor …
Black Friday: $52 Billion for Stores, Big Credit Card Bills for Us
Shoppers blew away even the most optimistic projections of retail analysts by dropping just over $52 billion on Black Friday weekend, according to the National Retail Federation. It’s a bonanza for merchants, but it comes with a dark flip side: Numerous surveys indicate that Americans are using their credit cards to fuel this buying binge.