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The Best (and Worst) Graduation Advice You Never Heard

New grads get a ton of cliched advice; we wanted to offer something different. So we tapped some more unusual folks -- like Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs, and Tim Zagat of the Zagat guides -- to share the best and worst advice they got, and offer their best tips for the class of 2012.

How to Avoid 2011's Spending Traps in 2012

In 2011, shoppers were hot -- sometimes too hot -- for bargains, and a little too sensitive to the day's financial news. Savings gurus Jean Chatzky and JB Orecchia weigh in on the year's major spending pitfalls, and how to dodge them in 2012.

How to Calculate Free Cash Flow, and Why It Matters

Today brings part three in a our series on Mathanese -- the numbers behind investing's big equations. But as much as math may turn you off don't click away. There's nothing too complicated here, despite how intimidating money managers make it seem. Our subject: free cash flow.

Is It Smart to Tap Retirement Funds to Buy a Home?

A 53-year-old woman got divorced in May, and now, she wants to relocate to a new city and buy a little bungalow for herself and her 100-pound dog. But with her low income, she's wondering whether her best bet to get that home is deplete her retirement savings and buy it with cash. Our experts weigh in.

How to Find Seed Money to Restart a Family Business

A New York mom with two kids in college and income worries wants to relaunch her old catering business -- which would help the family budget and let her resume a career she loved. Where can she find the start-up money? DailyFinance's Laura Rowley whips up a few ideas.

Advice for an Exec Laid Off After 37 Years With One Firm

Rhonda, a 57-year-old Californian, was laid off in September after 37 years with a medical laboratory company. Now she needs to dust off those rusty job hunting skills, and figure out her financial next steps too. DailyFinance's Laura Rowley brought in a couple of experts to guide her.

Psychological Keys to Boosting Your Financial Willpower

Dr. Roy Baumeister is a research psychologist who has studied the science of self-control for many years. He's also co-author of the new book Willpower. We asked him how you can boost your willpower when facing financial temptations and decisions. Here are his secrets.

How Much Cash You'd Need in Worst-Case Scenario

Imagine that the worst does happen again: A major attack. Chaos and disorder. Banks could be closed, ATMs down. Electricity could be out. Your credit cards? Suddenly useless. So how much money -- good old folding cash -- do you need to be able to put your hands on to get through the aftermath?

Advice on Juggling Higher Bills, New Business

Cassandra and her husband have seen major life changes in the past few months: A new house in the NYC suburbs, bills that suddenly exceed his salary, and a new business for her. But though her consulting firm is thriving, now she's got a different problem: how to properly take money out of it. DailyFinance drafted an expert to help.

Advice for a Compulsive Shopper

A compulsive shopper splurges on her credit cards and then hides the purchases from her spouse. She wants to stop. Dr. David Krueger, a former psychiatrist and author of the new book The Secret Language of Money offers some advice.

What's the Best Way to Borrow for Home Renovations?

A reader from New York recently asked DailyFinance personal finance columnist Laura Rowley for advice on whether she should refinance her mortgage, get a home equity line of credit or a home equity loan for home renovations. Take a peek inside for Rowley's advice.

Is It Time to Refinance Your Mortgage?

With interest rates dipping to historic lows, many homeowners are refinancing their mortgages to shorten either the terms of their loans or their monthly payments. Here's what you need to know to decide whether refinancing now is right for you.

10 Tips on How to Be a Successful Scalper

In a shaky economy, you might be tempted to moonlight as a scalper for extra cash. Brittany Menard, author of "The Ticket Broker Guide," offers advice on how to do it right. Here's what you need to know to conquer the ticket trade part time.

Beautiful Wedding Decor on a Budget

If you're like many brides today, you want to dazzle your guests without breaking the bank. David Tutera, the host of We TV's My Fair Wedding, gives DailyFinance readers decorating tips that will help you stick to your budget.

Ask the Expert: Celebrating Your Financial Victories

In addition to chasing down answers to our readers' questions, we love to hear about your firsthand experiences with weathering this economic storm. And when we asked "Will you be better off next year?" at least one reader weighed in with a resounding "Yes!"

Ask the Expert: 'Do I Pay Extra For Swiping My Card?'

We got lots of reaction to our article about how changes in debit and credit card swipe fees may affect you. Swipe fees are the charges retailers pay when they allow you to use plastic. One question kept coming up: "Do I pay those fees when I use my debit card?" Regina Lewis explains.

Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage Early?

DailyFinance has asked you, our readers, for your personal finance questions, and many of you have responded. One popular topic of those queries has been mortgages. Today, we reply to Ed, a 57-year-old with a small home equity loan. Should he pay it off faster, or invest his extra money elsewhere?

How to Create a Safe, Memorable Online Password

If your idea of a smart password is your first car followed by your mother's name, get with the program. Hackers have recently stung Fox News, Apple, the IMF, Lockheed Martin and Gmail: How can you expect to protect yourself with lazy wordplay? DailyFinance offers this guide.

Ask the Expert: Killer Returns vs. Killer Stocks

A "best-performing stock" is the one that has delivered the highest total return over a set period of time. Optimists will say a stock ranks among the top performers because the business is firing on all cylinders. But the pragmatic view reminds us why some stocks have so much room to rise.

Money on Your Mind? Tell DailyFinance ... or Ask Us

We at DailyFinance want to know more about how we can help you with personal finance matters. So -- what's keeping you up at night? Personal finance columnist Regina Lewis has access to some of of the world's top experts, and will chase down answers to your most pressing money questions.

Street Smart: What the Heck Is a Jobless Recovery?


When it comes to economic jargon there may be no more aggravating or seemingly contradictory phrase than "jobless recovery." What good is a recovery if it doesn't put people back to work? DailyFinance explains this oxymoronic state of affairs. [Video]

Street Smart: Do You Know What Deflation Is?

While everyone hates inflation, deflation has instant emotional appeal: Who doesn't like a bargain? But deflation is a far more serious economic problem than inflation -- and, as we found, most folks don't really know why. Do you? If not, no worries: Economist Gary Shilling will explain the reasoning. [Video]

Two Years After Madoff: Avoiding Ponzi Scheme Hell


It has been two years since Bernie Madoff's $60 billion Ponzi scheme to defraud investors was unmasked and investors are still trying to get their money back. Attorney Michael Goldberg explains what Ponzi schemes are, how to avoid them and how to get your money back (eventually) if you are caught in one.