Recent Articles

If you're like me, you'd like to simplify your summer finances. After all, summer is the time to relax a bit more, spend extra time with family and friends, and maybe even indulge in a little getaway if a summer vacation fits into your budget. So chances are, money matters are the last things you...

As every working parent knows, summer camp expenses can take a bite out of the family budget. But if you don't have other reliable daycare options, summer camps are likely your best alternative for keeping the kids busy – and allowing you to continue working uninterrupted. Unfortunately,...

Two new studies suggest that your mental state – specifically being distracted and experiencing stress – can have a serious, negative impact on your finances. Northwestern Mutual recently surveyed 1,000 Americans 25 and older to analyze their financial tenacity and self-discipline. Not...

When my husband, Earl, left his job as a national accounts manager for book publisher John Wiley & Sons, the very last email he sent from his corporate account carried the subject line "Independence Day." Like many people who leave a job, Earl (shown at right, and above with me) used his...

How well have you kept up with the financial resolutions you made back in January – especially the one that involved saving more money? Like most of us, your New Year's resolutions may be all but forgotten. With half the year already gone, if you don't have much savings to show for the...

If your family finances are sickly and anemic, it's time to fix what ails you. Restoring your family finances to economic health is a process that begins the moment you resolve to get off your fiscal deathbed and get into the economic intensive care unit. The economic ICU is the one place you'll...

If you've been racking up credit card rewards, summer is the perfect time to use them. And a new survey suggests that more Americans plan to do just that -- cashing in their credit card rewards as a money-savvy way to enjoy everything from quick weekend getaways to extended overseas vacations --...

If you're like the typical American, you've probably got about 40 household appliances that you routinely leave plugged in – even when these devices aren't actively being used. But did you know that even when they're turned off, appliances and electronic gadgets gobble up energy, costing you...

As Father's Day approaches, dads across America will be honored by their families for the special roles they play in their families' lives. But an overlooked group of fathers aren't showered with holiday cards, home-cooked meals or even the obligatory tie or bottle of cologne that so many dads...

Forget for a moment about whether or not embattled Congressman Anthony Weiner should stay or go. The real question is: Should his wife? Even though Weiner's wife, Huma Abedin, hasn't expressed any plans to dump her husband in the wake of his sexting scandal, the blogosphere – and especially...