The secret to tax success is apparently a multi-pocket file folder. I know you’d probably like nothing more than to forget about taxes for the next several months. Some of you will certainly go about 50 weeks before you get going on another tax return, but your life will likely be much less hectic next… Read More

Call it a revelation, a crisis, a turning point — or all three — but while writing her latest book, The Smart Women’s Guide to Retirement, Mary Hunt realized she had to make a life-changing decision. Years before, she dug out of more than $100,000 in debt without declaring bankruptcy. Now she found herself facing… Read More

Craigslist, when used cautiously, can be extremely helpful for finding all sorts of things, like bicycles, roommates or even employment. When hunting for something on Craigslist, you should go into the process with a little skepticism, because there are plenty of things on there that are too good to be true. The Better Business Bureau… Read More

In this era of attention-getting sound bites, the financial services industry has come up with one that seems to work every time. Beefed-up regulatory oversight and capital requirements? It’ll hurt consumers. Bolstered securities disclosure statements? It’ll hurt consumers. The industry repeatedly uses the word “regulation” as code for tougher lending times ahead. Indeed, added regulation… Read More

While some people have no way to get a loan by themselves, having a co-signer can make your finances difficult, because, well, things get complicated when more people are involved. Among the 2,300 private student loan complaints sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, co-signed loans were a common source of headaches for borrowers. I… Read More

I was setting extra placemats, paper cups and napkins on the plastic tables as fast as I could, taking over half the tables in the McDonald’s Playplace. More kids had shown up for the birthday party than were originally planned for, and it was my job to make accommodations for them. Less than 10 feet… Read More

As Mother’s Day quickly approaches, we’re taking some time to honor the amazing television moms who’ve made their mark on pop culture. Credit can be a very confusing topic for many Americans, and it’s often possible to learn from someone else’s mistakes. Since credit mistakes in the real world are a lot less funny than they… Read More

Middle-aged Americans have experienced more personal data breaches than others — at least, they report it most often. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center said 20% of Internet users ages 30 to 49 years old and 20% of those ages 50 to 64 reported having important personal information stolen as of January 2014…. Read More

“Underwater” has been a prominent buzzword in the mortgage industry over the last several years — the kind of buzzword that leaves a nasty taste in your mouth when you use it. Seriously underwater properties make up 17% of mortgaged homes in the U.S., according to RealtyTrac, a housing data company. That’s the lowest share… Read More

The number of U.S. citizens who have experienced a data breach has increased, according to Pew Research. In fact, 18% of adults have had information stolen via the Internet between 2013 and 2014. Such information could be a Social Security number, credit card or bank account data. In 2013, that number was only 11%. The total… Read More