Gallery: Here's A Quick Guide To Selling, Swapping, Buying And Renting Textbooks

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By Kathryn Buschman Vasel

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• Planning for Retirement: Where to Start

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• Apple Breaks Below $400 on iPad Jitters; Lowest Price Since Late '11
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By Bonnie Lee

See more on FOXBusiness:

• Changes Coming for Health-Care Savings Plans
• Financial Changes in 2013 Every Boomer Needs to Know
• Ten Savvy Tax Strategies to Keep in Mind for 2013

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Chances are you'll travel along a toll road - another anticipated expense. It's not a stretch to expect each toll charge will be displayed before passing through and that you will have plenty of tollbooths to choose from - and each will charge the same as the one next to it.

But what if you had no idea what each toll charged? How would you feel if you found out you were paying more than the cars behind you and next to you? What if the toll was different on your way there than coming back?

Employees enrolled in 401(k) plans are facing the same problem.

The high fees hidden within 401(k)s are not standard throughout the industry, so employees could be paying more than friends, family or even coworkers with the same plan provider.

What's scary is that the majority of Americans don't know money is being sucked out of their 401(k) -and that's just the way most plan providers want it. A recent AARP study found seven in 10 plan participants weren't aware of the fees associated with their plan - much less hefty ones that vary from plan to plan.

In fact, did you know that there are three different kinds of 401(k) fees that chip away at your returns and threaten your retirement dreams?

In keeping with our tollbooth analogy, think of the first two types of fees - administration and record keeping - as necessary expenses as part of your trip. Typically, these fees aren't high, although there is no industry standard and few offer a flat-fee rate.

To avoid getting ticketed, your car's inspection and tags must be up to date. That's like administration fees.

Administration refers to the responsibilities of a third party to manage the intricacies of the federal regulations that govern the actual 401(k) code of retirement planning. In short, this group ensures your 401(k) is compliant.

Record-keeping fees are like the GPS for your road trip. The record keeper looks after the numbers for your business, and keep track of employee money. There are also the gains/losses on the funds that need to be entered each day. There's year-end reporting, calculation of vesting, numbers reported back for IRS tax forms and compliance testing, etc. The numbers are just as important as, if not more than, the legal aspects.

However, the most tollbooth-like confusion is found within the third fee coming out of your 401(k): investment fees. Investment fees are not standard among plans and are carefully tucked away so you don't know what you're being charged. These fees are why many employees' retirement dreams are at stake and why the industry needs drastic reform.

Fees vary from plan to plan, and can run anywhere from less than 0.5 to 2% of your 401(k) balance - a huge discrepancy. These fees are a double-edged sword: The larger your nest egg, the more you pay in the form of investment fees.

Despite the fact that your 401(k) is getting hammered by these fees year after year, there is little understanding of the total fee amount or the conflicts. A change is coming soon. The Department of Labor has announced new rules that go into effect this year aimed to bring greater transparency to these fees while allowing you to see exactly what you're paying.

Keep an eye out on how information is communicated to you, and if you're surprised by what you see, call the plan provider and ask about the scene and look for other options.

Your 401(k). Your tollbooth. Get to know them both!

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By Kate Rogers, FOXBusiness

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By Kate Rogers, FOXBusiness

Americans plan to apply this new DIY-attitude across the board: to their vacations, staying in shape and even beauty maintenance. Consumers are also looking to scale back and save more money this year.

According to the "What's on Your Slate?" survey released Wednesday by JPMorgan's Chase Card Services, 46% of respondents say they will exercise at home or outdoors instead of paying for a gym or health club membership. Additionally, 59% plan to pamper themselves at home rather than visiting a spa or salon this year.

The survey was conducted online by Research Now and surveyed 1,202 people ages 18 and older.

Caryn Kaiser, general manager for Chase Blueprint, says the overall trend of the survey was "back to basics," as consumers still feel the sting from the recent recession.

"People think, 'I need to keep life simple,'" Kaiser says. "We are seeing that manifest in everything we do and how we look at life."

Better money management is always a popular new year's resolution, and according to the survey, 19% of respondents said managing their finances more effectively is their top priority in 2012.

Consumer plan to scale back on leisure activities and vacations, with two-thirds of respondents saying they will be vacationing in the New Year, but 41% will be taking a road trip to get to the destination to save money. Eighteen percent also said they will be taking a "stay-cation."

"There's definitely a trend toward needing to slow down," Kaiser says. "There is a notion of balance and focusing on things that matter."

The survey also found that when it comes to appearance, only 22% report they will make regular salon visits, and only 2% would use full-service salon packages. Most will keep up their looks with at-home products like nail polish and self-tanner.

Even for special occasions, 29% say they prefer to celebrate a special occasion with a home-cooked meal, rather than going out to eat at a restaurant.

Although the economy is making a slow recovery, Kaiser says she think this more frugal approach will stay around.

"The extent of the do-it-yourself trend permeated every area we were surveying. Some of that will obviously stick with Americans."

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Recognizing the tight financial situation many American students and their families are facing, a growing number of private and public colleges are offering discounted tuition in an effort to attract more students.

Matthew Greene, educational director at Howard Greene and Associates, explains that some public universities are offering tuition discounts, but private colleges make up the majority of those providing incentives to get students enroll.

"More expensive colleges are having to try to compete with community colleges and four year public universities," he says. "They're using this more flexible merit aid or non-need based aid as a way to do that, particularly to attract middle income or even upper middle income families who may not qualify for need based aid."

Giving prospective students incentive

The current economy has made it even harder for students and families to afford college, but schools are adding incentives to make tuition more affordable and attract academically-strong candidates.

"We wanted to help high-achieving students who apply themselves in school and reward them and make things a little easier given their economic circumstances," says Alyssa McCloud, vice president of enrollment management at Seton Hall University.

Most students pay around $32,000 per year at Seton Hall University, but the college is already in the process of filling spaces for 2012 through its $21,000 a year discount for early applicants who graduate in the top 10% of their high school class and score at least 550 on both sections of the SATs or a 27 on the ACT.

Many programs at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh are offering tuition breaks, but the institute's School of Education is getting the most attention with its deep tuition break. Starting in the 2012-13 school year, the university is giving a 50% discount on tuition and fees to freshmen that enroll as education majors--around $14,000 less than students in other majors.

Paul-James Cukanna, associate provost for enrollment management at Duquesne University, explains that selecting programs with the capacity to enroll more students is a key decision in this process, especially as the perception of a weak job market continues to plague enrollment numbers.

"We have the capacity to serve and educate more students, so how can we do that when a major fear is, 'I'm going to invest this money and I might not get the return on it?'" says Cukanna. "How you help students is by helping them with the price."

Not all discounts are aimed at emerging high school students. Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va., offers a program called "inSPIRE" for working adults returning to school. Eligible students qualify for a 25% discount, lowering tuition and fees down to $11,600 from $15,360, and are provided with netbook computers and e-books.

"For adults who began a career or family first, going back to college to retool or to complete their bachelor's degree is a tremendous challenge, often unattainable through the traditional college classroom method," says Chris Shoemaker, director of marketing and public relations at Bluefield College. "Bluefield College created its inSPIRE degree completion program in 1990 to offer working adults a non-traditional, convenient, flexible, accelerated way to earn a bachelor's degree."

How people are reacting

As to be expected, parents and students are responding very positively to the tuition deals.

"We have about a 40% increase in the number of applications this year, so that's a good signal in the marketplace," says Duquesne's Cukanna. "When you introduce a new strategy like this, there's always a lot of conversation...But overall, the community census at the university is that it is the right thing to do."

Shoemaker says that faculty and staff have been equally encouraging, seeing this as an opportunity to put them in a position to be a better value for students

Although it sounds like an ideal situation for students looking to pay less for school and for colleges to fill their spaces with promising candidates, Greene points out that it's a controversial area for some schools, giving off the impression that they are trying to craft their idyllic class or increase their stats.

"These grants and scholarships are typically not based on need; financial assistance is based on surface criteria as opposed to demonstrated need from a family," says Greene.

Trend on the rise

Education experts and college officials say that this national trend is continuing to grow, even with more so-called "traditional" universities increasingly offering financial assistance on a merit aid basis.

Greene points out that schools are also encouraging students to apply earlier with priority deadlines with the promise of qualifying for the maximum amount of non-need based scholarships available.

"There are a lot of attempts for students to apply a little earlier, to show a little interest, to get them in the pool faster," says Greene. "For students who are smart about it, they can make sure that they are maximizing their chances of getting access to aid."

McCloud says that more schools should make students and their family's needs as a priority and engage with them about ways to make education more affordable.

"I certainly hope that this will be a catalyst for that discussion and for other schools to take a look at this," she says. "We recognize that families need help and the community of higher education needs to be responsive to that."

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Emily Driscoll

Whether they graduated this past summer or in the past few years, grads need to develop a strategy to get their foot in the door in the recovering job market.

According a recent survey from the Career Advisory Board, 56 % of job seekers are confident they know what qualifications are required for employment. But over the past three years, only 14% of hiring managers reported that "most" or "nearly all" job candidates have had the skills their company looks for in a potential employee.

Preparation for the job-searching process is key to finding gainful employment, but navigating the market can be difficult for new grads-especially one as anemic as this one. Here are eight quick tips from experts on taking the necessary steps to land a position.

How often to apply

The experts recommend that candidates target seven to 10 companies they're interested in and once they've researched them thoroughly (company history, recent projects, job descriptions, etc.), they should be on the job hunt on a daily basis.

"Dedicate at least an hour or two each day to your job search and set goals for yourself, such as researching two new companies, applying for one job and have a friend or parent run a mock interview with you," says Christine Gaiser, career services director at Bryant & Stratton College Online.

Tap into online job tools

Fresh-out-of-college job seekers should cast a wide net by customizing their search with specific positions and criteria using algorithmic job search sites like SimplyHired.com and Indeed.com that send a daily email with the latest postings, says Cynthia Shapiro, career strategist and author of What Does Somebody Have To Do To Get A Job Around Here?

"If you really set up a good search for yourself, you can spend an hour on a Saturday morning and catch everything that comes up that week," she says.

The professional side of social media

While Twitter might not be thought of as a tool to help in a job search, many employers are now using job-hunting apps and social media outlets to seek out candidates.

"WorkDigital's Real-Time Jobs app lets you search the 50 million tweets per day for current job openings, whether you're sitting at your laptop or working from your iPhone," says Jeff Livingston, senior vice president of McGraw-Hill Education's College and Career Center.

Candidates should clean up their profiles across the social media market to make sure they don't get passed over by hiring managers for something they posted.

Don't get stuck in the online routine

Too many grads are hiding behind computer screens and need to bring the face-to-face connection back into their search by attending industry conferences, events and informal gatherings of people in their interested field.

"Although much of the job search now takes place online, new graduates need to remember that 80% of their efforts should be offline," says Heather Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended. "Direct contact is often the only way to get noticed when employers are inundated with resumes."

Big misconception: holiday hiring slumps

Shapiro says that job seekers of all ages, not just grads, believe that companies aren't hiring this time of year-but she warns that if student wait until January to start their search, a large percentage of the jobs could be gone.

"The holiday season is the second largest hiring season of the year because companies get their budgets for 2012 in mid-November-they already know what they're going to hire," she says.

Landing the interview: 3 top things

Getting through the application process and securing an interview with a potential employer is only half the battle.

To show confidence and their qualifications for a position, recent grads should ask the interviewer for the top three things he or she is looking for in a candidate during the interview, suggests Melissa Wilson, (http://www.networldingblog.com/ ) social media coach and author of Graduate To LinkedIn: Jumpstart Your Career Network NOW.

"If you ask that at the beginning of the interview, you'll be able to tailor your comments when they say what experiences have you had before in this area--you'll be able to speak to those filters."

Be aware of your talking to listening ratio

It's easy for recent grads to get excited during the interview trying to prove their qualifications, but experts warn they be aware of how much they're talking. Interviewees shouldn't let nerves prevent them from listening and answering questions directly.

"Listen to where the interview can go, because it doesn't have to be a standard process," says Wade Jones, co-founder of TruuYuu. "If you're listening to what they're saying, you'll ask better questions as well in addition to giving them the information that they desire."

Follow up

It's no secret that follow up is a must do after an interview, but timing is everything.

"If you send it in within 24 or 48 hours, they already remember you. If they've been interviewing a bunch of candidates and you send it five days later, they'll remember their interview when you may have gotten lost in the crowd," says Shapiro.

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