debt

Money troubles are hard to contain. If your finances are in shambles, the problems can quickly spread, and you probably won't be able to hide them from your boss. Therein lies the trouble: How you handle your money sends a signal to your employers about how you'd handle theirs.

Banks offer all sorts of credit cards. For the savers, there are cash-back cards. For the indebted, there are balance transfer cards. For the shoppers, there are retail cards. And for travelers like me, there are rewards cards.

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.

At this time last year, maybe you thought the economy would be a bit more gracious by now. No such luck. But as we reflect on the year that was, here are six financial lessons that 2011 taught us all.

Now that consumer protection laws have pushed back against some of the methods banks devised to make excessive profits at your expense, the financial institutions are trying new techniques. Here's one that at first glance seems like a benefit: Taking away your credit limit.

For 25 years, journalist and author Laura Rowley has helped people navigate the minefield of personal finance and explored the relationship between money and happiness. In her DailyFinance column, she aims to help you make enlightened decisions about your money -- and your life. Need some advice? All you have to do is ask.

A new poll from Bankrate.com shows that only 17% of Americans feel better off financially than they were a year ago. The Financial Security Index fell from 93.9 to 92.8 in October to its second lowest level this year.

The world of personal finance is a lot like Halloween: Filled with treats if you're good (and clever), but rife with tricks if you're not careful. Here's some advice that will keep your money tree from getting TPed, and help you bring home a pumpkin full of sweet rewards.

That simple wait-and-see game plan we adopted when we believed recovery was just around the corner? Not cutting it anymore -- if it ever did. It's time for new strategies to win in the New Normal. Here's a rundown of ideas that once worked to which it's time to say goodbye, and the current wisdom for replacing them.

There must be something in the cheese: Four of the top 10 American cities for credit scores are in Wisconsin, and four more are in nearby Midwest states, according to a new analysis by Experian. But all is not sunny in the South, where the cities with the worst scores are concentrated.