personalfinance

It's no secret that smartphones and tablets are changing the way retailers interact with shoppers. Here are five "thumb shopping" features and apps that experts say could soon reshape the way you buy.

Are you a conservative, pays-with-cash sort of consumer or a smartphone-wielding early adopter? As it turns out, what's in your wallet may say more about you than you think.

Good news: The housing market is looking up. Bad news: Nearly 11 million mortgages are still underwater. More good news: Real help for those homeowners is finally available. More bad news: Getting that help can be baffling. Extra good news: Jean Chatzky's here to help.

When it comes to currying favor with America's value shoppers, Amazon is eating Walmart's lunch. The world's largest retailer has seen its low-price rep decline over the past 2 years, while the world's largest e-tailer has soared, according to an online survey.

Mitt Romney's net worth: $200 million. Barack Obama's response to Romney's claim that he's "out of touch" with the concerns of ordinary Americans: Priceless. "I bought my first car for about $900," said Obama. "It had a big hole in the floor that allowed you to see the road, so I knew my wife wasn't marrying me for my money."

What if the burden of managing your personal finances could be turned into a game? And what if, in the course of playing that game, saving or paying down your debts gave you the chance to win a lottery-sized chunk of change?

As bizarre as it sounds, 21% of American adults agreed with the statement: "Winning the lottery represents the most practical way [for me] to accumulate several hundred thousand dollars." Those 21% couldn't be more wrong.

Still banking at one of the "too big to fail" institutions? According to Bank Deals blog and DepositAccounts.com, for the best yields on checking, savings and CDs, you'd do better looking locally. For example, consider these three deals available right now.

It's not just politics that defines the differences between Republican-leaning "red states" and Democrat-leaning "blue states" -- and some of those differences may surprise you. For example, when it comes to credit scores, blue states are where the smart money is.

With college costs high and rising, more students are putting themselves deeper into debt than ever. But those huge debt loads don't just pressure graduates to find high-paying jobs: They're also making it nearly impossible for many of them to get mortgages.