Personal Finance

  • how to cancel a contract

    15 Contracts That Can Be Painful to Cancel and How to Get Out of Them

    Companies make it very easy for consumers to start using their services — by offering a free trial or requiring only a brief online form. Canceling is often more difficult. As many consumers know all too well, trying to end…

  • 10 Steps to Paying Down Holiday Debt

    The holiday season can bring a continuing avalanche of unwanted gifts, weight, and debt. Unlike the first two, debt and the associated effects of spending on such things as holiday travel, gifts, a new wardrobe, and décor are difficult to…

  • 7 Ways to Save on Health Insurance

    Health insurance costs are creeping ever higher. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that average premiums will rise 5.1 percent in 2016 for the lowest-cost marketplace silver plans available to a 40-year-old nonsmoker earning $30,000 a year in 14 major cities.…

  • 4 Smart Places to Put Your Short-Term Savings

    Short-term savings often take the form of an emergency fund — the three to six months’ worth of living expenses everyone should have in case of a layoff, family crisis, medical emergency, or other misfortune. Savings can also be set…

  • Where to Find a Checking Account With No Fees

    When it comes to storing money and earning interest, banks are better than an envelope under the mattress. But checking accounts are rarely free. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that checking account users pay an average of $4.66 in…

  • 4 Hands-Off Ways to Choose IRA Investments

    For many people, it’s torture to talk about retirement accounts, determine which investments are right, and rebalance a portfolio every few months or years. Saving for the future can be especially daunting for workers who don’t have a 401(k) or…

  • 16 Signs It’s Time to Fire Your Financial Adviser

    Managing money can be overwhelming, especially after receiving a large windfall and when planning for major life events. That’s why many people turn to financial advisers for guidance. There are…

  • Credit Card 101: What Students Need to Know

    Gone are the days of credit companies hawking free pizza and T-shirts in the university plaza in exchange for a student’s signature on an application form. The CARD Act of…

  • Should You Refinance Your Student Loans?

    Student loan debt has surpassed $1.2 trillion, ticking up several thousand dollars per second, according to FinAid.org. For recent graduates entering the workforce, the average loan for a bachelor’s degree…

  • 7 Things to Know Before Opening a Joint Bank Account

    Perhaps nothing stresses a relationship more than money. Financial arguments are the top predictor of divorce, according to a 2012 study out of Kansas State University. Different spending habits, salaries,…

  • Beyond Greece: 5 Travel Tips for Places Where Money Gets Tricky

    With the Greek economy in crisis, travelers to the country face an uncertain situation. Although they aren’t under the same limitation as locals, who can withdraw only 60 euros a…

  • How to Find the Best Rewards Credit Card for You

    In the right hands a frugal and disciplined shopper can use rewards credit cards to save on every purchase. Finding the best cash-back or rewards credit card to leverage your…

  • Your First House: 13 Tips for Saving and Buying

    The advantages of home ownership are many: building equity; tax deductions; the promise of appreciating value; and having a place that belongs to you. With mortgage rates at historic lows,…

  • 11 Tips for Saving Money in Your 20s

    How you spend your time and money while in your 20s can profoundly affect the rest of your life. It might be hard to imagine far into the future, but…

  • 5 Tips for Getting a Good Deal on a Car

    The Internet has changed the car-buying process. Thanks to websites like AutoTrader and Craigslist, shoppers can peruse new and used vehicles all over the country from the comfort of their…

  • Credit Reports and Scores: What 20-Somethings Need to Know

    The intricacies of the credit system and how your credit score and credit report are calculated is a dull subject for most consumers. Getting a handle on how this all…

  • How I Saved More Than $500 in a Month

    This February we invited readers to take the Frugal Month Challenge and commit to what some have called a “no-buy month.” My family of four embarked on this cheap-living challenge…

  • 10 Tools to Help You Become a Smarter Consumer

    The first week of March is National Consumer Protection Week, and government and private organizations across the nation have been sharing advice and resources for consumers. Topics discussed range from…