A Kentucky woman paid for her home in 2007 — $125,000 in cash — but she’s paying rent for that place now. After six years of failing to pay her $48 annual homeowner’s association fees and subsequent late fees, her house was foreclosed upon, according to a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader. Ingrid Boak, 75, said… Read More

While many more millennials use Facebook than Twitter, Twitter’s young user base has continued to grow, while Facebook’s market share declined a bit this year. According to a poll from the Harvard University Institute of Politics, 79% of millennials — that’s 18- to 29-year-olds — were on Facebook as of November, down from 83% in… Read More

The average student debt load is now nearly $30,000, according to a report from the Institute for College Access & Success. The report looks at the class of 2012: 71% of them had student loans and graduated with an average of $29,400 in debt. It’s the sort of news no one likes to hear but… Read More

If you’re considering buying or selling a home, you may have asked co-workers, friends and family for advice. But you might want to check with the professionals, because the rules of the real estate game are different today than they were 20 or even 10 years ago. Due to this monumental shift, there are lots of… Read More

If you’re looking for a job during the holidays, it isn’t an easy endeavor. Outside of temporary, part-time seasonal jobs in retail, companies are not typically hiring much between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.There are management holiday vacations and the fact that for many companies the holiday season is a slow time of year. That being… Read More

Tradition makes this the time of year to show appreciation to the people whose services makes our lives more pleasant or easier. But money stress can put a serious crimp in your “Ho, ho, ho.” What’s Proper? When you think about tipping, you need to focus on three things: etiquette, your budget and your relationship… Read More

My daughter recently turned 15, and one of the first things she did on her birthday was to take an online test required to get her learner’s permit. She passed, and now she’s driving. I don’t have to lecture her on safe driving habits; she’s been doing that to me for years. And she’s more… Read More

After Santa delivers the latest and greatest electronic gizmos, expect scammers to try for their own leave-behind — malware that can lead to identity theft. Recent research indicates that mobile malware threats are on the rise, with a 26% jump between July and September compared to the previous three months. So while lucky recipients may… Read More

Credit scores help lenders gauge a borrower’s likelihood of repaying debt, and because there are thousands of lenders and dozens of loan products, there are all sorts of credit scores. Although the bounty of credit scores can be confusing, there’s no reason to dwell on point differences among credit scores. It helps to focus on… Read More

The term “budgeting” isn’t one that usually elicits happiness or excitement.  The word has a negative connotation, and people tend to avoid it when it’s easier to be proactive and plan. Creating a budget shouldn’t be all about deprivation. It’s about making sure that you spend less than you earn. It’s also about ensuring that… Read More