Latest News
| Jobless Claims Back Below 400K - What the Marker Means | |
 | The initial jobless claims number for last week fell below the 400,000 mark for the first time in over a month. Why is the 400K jobless claims level important? And why... |
| Cities suffer home price declines due to foreclosures | |
 | The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for the month of October, released on December 27th, showed a surprise fall in home prices across many major cities in the country. The home prices... |
| Food Stamp Nation - Ever Rising Food Stamp Usage and Growing SNAP Fraud | |
 | Food stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) usage has grown nearly every month under the Obama administration, setting new records each progressive month. Latest reports state that over 46 million... |
| The Euro weakens against the Yen | |
 | The Euro weakened against major trading currencies, when Italy announced that it will auction 8.5 Billion Euros of its debt. Falling to a decade low, the 17 nation European trading currency... |
| Is Debt crisis an adding factor to the fall in World Economy? | |
 | The International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde who was in Nigeria last week, spoke up her concern over the lack of co-operation between the European countries to solve the debt crisis.... |
| Sears Finds a Loophole: Laid Off Employees Among Illinois Residents to Foot The Bill For Recent Tax Breaks | |
 | Sears, one of the largest retailers in the United States, has decided to lay off thousands of workers due to slow holiday sales. This comes just weeks after they signed... |
Feature Articles
| Don't Worry, Be Happy: Personal Finance Tips That Work | |
 | Handling your own finances is a tricky subject for a lot of people. Although there are a lot of excuses that can be made, the reality is that each person... |
| Panic in Europe - Should You Panic Too? | |
 | The headline news in Europe is the same as much of the industrialized world. The root cause of any disaster listed in a top ten financial news article is the financial... |
| Stop Your Financial Fight With These Expert Tips! | |
 | Teaching your children about money is very important. Although it can seem like a challenge, it is something that needs to be done. Children are never too young to learn how... |
| Check Out These Ideas For A Better Understanding Of Your Personal Finances | |
 | As you start out in managing your personal finances, take the time to go over these tips and learn more about what you can expect. Buy your staples in bulk and save... |
| The bad and not so bad the second mortgage loan dilema. | |
 | It may come to no shock to you that many people are underwater when it comes to their first mortgage on their home. But why most of the news only... |
| Making your Home Equity Loan Better | |
 | There are new ways to take care of your home equity loan much better. One of the ways is to pay the installment for your home equity on time. This will... |
| Tax Treatment of REIT Investments | |
 | Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, can be a profitable investment vehicle. A REIT owns real estate property and shares of the trust sell on the stock market like shares of... |
| Invest Money to Make Money | |
 | "You have to spend money to make money" is common advice when it comes to getting ahead financially. Although this isn't universally true, investing money is a proven method for growing... |
| The Good and Bad of Credit Cards | |
 | According to the US Census Bureau, the number of credit card users increased by 45% between 1995 and 2006. This number continues to grow. Further, the average credit limit per user... |
| Using Dollar Cost Averaging To Accumulate Wealth | |
 | The term dollar-cost averaging comes up about every day in the investing world. The sad thing is that most individual investors have no idea what this term means or what... |
| Consigning Clothes: Five Steps to a Cleaner Closet and a Fatter Wallet | |
 | Are you looking for a way to make a few extra dollars? Consider selling your unwanted clothing at a consignment shop. With just a little effort, you can clean... |
| In Canada, What Happens to Credit Card Debt When Someone Passes Away? | |
 | When you or a loved one passes on, does your credit card debt as well? Or does it get passed on to the survivors? While this may be one of the... |
| 5 Things You Need to Know About Retiring | |
 | Retiring?! Yes, retiring. It may seem eons away, but the decades tend to pick up speed as you go along, and you will be facing retirement sooner than you... |
| The Benefits of Using Private Equity Financing | |
 | You're ready to expand your business, and you need capital. Should you get a traditional bank loan or use private equity financing? A traditional bank loan is a type of debt... |
| Some Negative Effects of Raising the Minimum Wage | |
 | As of 2009, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Each state can enact its own minimum wage laws that will supersede the federal minimum wage, but only if the... |
| CD Laddering: The Best of Both Worlds | |
 | For many years, CDs have been popular investments because of their straightforward terms and fixed rates of interest. While the interest on CDs is low compared with what you might earn... |
| Can I get an auto loan with bad credit? | |
 | Is a poor credit rating stopping you from getting the car of your dreams? Are you tired of rejections for auto loans? Applying for a loan can be a stressful and... |
| How to Understand the Market Value of Debt | |
 | The market value of debt is rarely known directly. This is because most debt is held by banks and firms on the books. This takes these out of the debt market... |
| What should I consider when leasing a car? | |
 | Leasing a new car can seem confusing and intimidating. What should you consider before you sign the paperwork and commit yourself? A little preparation now could save you thousands... |
| What to consider when choosing an auto loan. | |
 | You have found the car of your dreams, but what auto loan should you choose? Choosing the right auto loan can be a complicated and confusing process for borrowers. There... |
Emergency Cash and Emergency Money Plans - Financial News, Explanations, Calculators and Cheat Sheets
3 Ways To Get Control Over Your Debts
Personal finance is not just about dollars and sense. In fact, it is more a matter of common sense than anything else. Managing your finances smartly is a learned behaviour and too often people learn the hard way. Take the following advice seriously and learn to implement positive changes to your personal finances in order to live a happier and less stressful life.
If a person has an interest in animals or already has a large amount of pets, they can turn that interest into a source of personal finances. By doing presentations at parties, informational presentations, or even providing tours at one's home can produce financial benefits to supplement the costs of the animals and more.
Personal finance also includes estate planning. This includes, but is not limited to, drawing up a will, assigning a power of attorney (both financial and medical) and setting up a trust. Power of attorneys give someone the right to make decisions for you in the event that you can not make them for yourself. This should only be given to someone whom you trust to make decisions in your best interest.
One of the things that you can do in order to maintain a good personal financial standing is by having good medical insurance. If you become sick, ill or injured the medical bills associated to these have the capacity to ruin you financially. It is important to be safe about these things.
Talk to friends about your financial situation. This way, you won't feel badly when they invite you out and you can't afford it. If you don't tell people why you can't buy that gift or take that trip or go to the mall, your friends may think it's something they've done. Keep your friends, just let them know what is going on in your life.
Applying for financial aid and scholarships can help those attending school to get some extra money that will cushion their own personal finances. Use an online digital calendar to track your personal finances. You can make note of when you need to pay bills, do taxes, check your credit score, and many other important financial matters. The calendar can be set to send you email alerts, in order to remind you of when you need to take action.
Find the financial institution that meets your savings goals. Avoid paying monthly transaction and maintenance fees by finding local credit unions, banks or thrifts offering free checking accounts. If no completely free checking is offered in your neighbourhood find an institution where you can make your account free by signing up for direct deposit or you using your debit card a few times a month.
Personal finance is personal, it differs in many ways from person to person and only you know what fits your life and will work for you. Hopefully you are now better informed to better your performance in managing your personal finances and can take this knowledge to the bank. Keep reminders of what you have learned in handy places like your wallet, desk or refrigerator door. Applying what you have learned will yield positive results!