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Twentysomethings: It's Time to Declare Financial Independence

As we prepare to celebrate our nation's independence, let's take a moment to think about our individual declarations of financial independence. If you're still ruled by debt, fiscal confusion, and reliance on others, here are a few tips for breaking free.

Your 7-Step Midyear Money Checkup

With six months of earning, saving, and spending under your belt, you've got plenty of data to project how 2012 is going to play out. So let's lift the hood on your finances and give everything a good once over.

Can a Spending Splurge Help You Reach Savings Success?

Every dieter knows you sometimes have to give in to your cravings on the long road to a weight loss goal. Turns out the same principle applies to personal finance: A splurge now and then can actually help you attain your budget and savings goals.

Financial Spring Cleaning: 4 Steps to a Fresh Money Start

The return of warmer weather is an cue for many of us to clear out the debris that has gathered over the winter. But it's not just the house and the yard that could benefit. Here's a step-by-step guide to spring cleaning your finances.

Car Loans Are Now Americans' No. 1 Bill-Paying Priority

The recession and its hangover have turned our bill-paying habits upside down. Cash-strapped Americans are paying off their car loans before they pay credit card bills and make mortgage payments, a TransUnion study finds.

6 Strategies for Young Adults to Save More in 2012

Saving doesn't come easily for us young adults. Entry-level salaries don't give you a lot to work with, and we tend to spend what we make. But don't worry: We're not doomed to frivolity and financial ruin. Here's how you can start saving smart.

4 'Must Do' Money Moves to Achieve Fiscal Fitness

There are many roads to financial security, but whatever path you follow, there are some mandatory steps everyone ought to take along the way. Alexa von Tobel, founder of LearnVest.com, cuts through the thicket of advice to give us her essential keys to sound money management.

3 Ways to Take Control of Your Finances in 2012

After the overindulgence of December, it's no surprise that so many people spend January trying to turn over new leaves. If you're ready to get your financial house in order, consider one of these three websites, each with a different take on helping you better manage your money.

4 Mobile Apps to Make You Smarter With Money

If your underperforming money needs a kick in the right direction, turn your mobile device into a financial adviser, motivational coach, and investment guru with these apps. Because a penny saved is a penny earned, they're all free.

7 Financial New Year's Resolutions to Keep

Every January, we plan to make changes, and we often don't succeed. Let's make this New Year's different: Here are seven fairly simple resolutions recommended by the financial experts for getting you on a firmer fiscal footing in 2012.

How Money Stress Can Make You Sick: Dr. Stork Explains

Money woes don't just make it harder to pay for prescriptions and doctors' visits -- they can also make you more susceptible to a host of health problems. Dr. Travis Stork of 'The Doctors' offers some tips for how to save money while still taking care of yourself.

3 Tips for Cleaning Up Your Finances After a Debt Storm

When you get deep into credit card debt, it can feel like you've been through a financial storm. That's the story for a social worker named Heather, who has $30,000 in credit card debt. DailyFinance's Laura Rowley looks at key steps to clear the debris from her path to a brighter financial future.

How to Face Your Budgeting Fears and Take Control

In the midst of a divorce, a mom of five faces a financial horror story: $40,000 in credit card debt, a huge mortgage payment and minimal college savings -- and she has no idea how to budget. DailyFinance's Laura Rowley offers a few ways she can begin her escape from the financial twilight zone.