Topic: Financial Planning

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Five ways to get the most from your credit card

Credit card companies are using incentives to keep customers using their plastic. Here are five incentives you can use to get the most out of your credit card:
Income taxes: Five changes for 2012

Here are new income tax provisions to watch for as you work through your 1040 form:
Five signs Americans are forgetting recession's lessons

Declining savings is one of five signs that American households are forgetting the lessons of the Great Recession:
10 best books of February (plus one), according to Amazon's editors

Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson discusses Amazon's picks for the 10 best releases of February.
Briefing
Fiscal deal will cost you: 8 tax changes

Here are eight tax changes under the 'fiscal cliff' deal that may hit your pocketbook.

All Content

Colleges offer discounts, but you have to look

Colleges offer discounts as enrollments fall short, according to Forbes report. Among the colleges still seeking students for the fall term: Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, the University of Maryland, College Park, The New School in New York City, and Arizona State University in Tempe.
Student loans: Could GOP, White House strike a compromise on interest rates?

The interest rates set for student loans expire July 1 – one year after Congress took action. Now, there’s a growing desire to come up with a longer-term plan.
The Simple Dollar Saving for retirement? Learn these five truths.

Half of Americans aren’t saving a dime for retirement, Hamm writes, but they should. Hamm offers five simple facts about retirement savings that hammer down on common myths about saving for retirement.
Former Ed secretary: Only 4 percent of colleges worth the money. Families: Pick value.

Former Education Secretary Bennett argues that most of America's 3,500 colleges aren't worth the investment. As costs rise, more families are taking a harder look at a college's value instead of its reputation.
Do young people believe in stocks?

Millennials are more cautious about investing in the market than their parents. But they are also more knowledgeable about what to do with their money.
Cover Story Dow at 15,000: What the stock market is telling us

As Wall Street posts a new record, experts decode its message about the state of the economy – and whether it's too late to invest.
Saving Money Prepaid cards: an alternative to a traditional bank account

Prepaid cards have improved over the past five years. Some now come with no fees and can replace a checking account or be used as an alternative to credit cards.
Five ways to get the most from your credit card

Credit card companies are using incentives to keep customers using their plastic. Here are five incentives you can use to get the most out of your credit card:
The New Economy How to invest? Americans don't know some basics.

Americans lack the knowledge and confidence to invest, a new survey finds. Here are some resources to get you started in investing.
Boston bombing: Amid city's slow return to normalcy, a moment of silence (+video)

In a gesture of support for Boston and respect for the marathon bombing victims, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick ordered state residents to observe a moment of silence Monday at 2:50 p.m.
The Simple Dollar Everything you need to know about financial planning

Hamm gives his take on a pithy list of everything you need to know about financial planning.
To reinvigorate Republican Party, tea party takes page from Occupy

Tea party activists have come up with 10 bills that they call the New Fair Deal – a nod to ending special interests in D.C. The plan includes privatizing Social Security and replacing Obamacare.
Finished 2012 taxes? Plan for '13.

Before you close the books on 2012, spend a few minutes thinking about taxes for 2013. High-income taxpayers in particular will have to plan to ease tax bite.
Tax VOX Obama budget: the plan to cap retirement savings benefits

President Obama's 2014 budget would limit tax benefits for workers with high-balance retirement saving accounts. The plan is a smart way to roll back the billions in tax breaks that go to investors who don’t need tax incentives to save for retirement, Harris writes.
Change Agent Fiji students set to become the world's savviest savers

The project will teach money-management skills to young students in Fiji using innovative techniques, such as games, that engage as well as inform.
Obama budget's big education items: Preschool for All, college Race to the Top (+video)

President Obama's budget proposal gives the Education Department $71.2 billion in discretionary spending for fiscal year 2014. Preschool for All would be funded by a tax hike on cigarettes.
The Simple Dollar Tax day 2013: Your tax refund is not a Christmas present

If you ever want to put yourself onto firm financial ground, you cannot afford to treat your tax refund check like a Christmas present, Hamm writes.
The Simple Dollar Should you make mortgage payments later because of inflation?

From a purely financial standpoint, saving payments for a higher inflation rate makes sense. But that line of thinking neglects several key things.
The Simple Dollar Do 'savings club' accounts really work?

Some banks offer accounts that offer bonuses for regular contributions, with certain restrictions. If you have the chance to get into one and can easily afford the consistent contirbutions it’s definitely worthwhile.
Chile: Students aim to put better schools and fairer access at top of election agenda

Chile's high rate of university attendance makes it a model in the region, but students say profit-driven schools and limited opportunities for the poor make the system inadequate.
Tax VOX Do capital gains taxes hinder growth?

That Capital gains taxes hamper economic growth is a widely held belief. The truth might not be so straightforward.
The Simple Dollar How to talk about money without arguing

Success in discussing financial issues comes down to setting a few ground rules, Hamm writes.
The Simple Dollar Is the stock market right for you?

Over a long period of time, volatile investments like stocks and real estate can yield big returns. But you have to be comfortable dealing with big potential losses.
US incomes down 3.6 percent in January as payroll-tax relief expires

The Commerce Department report indicated a worse decline than economists were expecting. And it comes as the economy appears set to take another hit – the 'sequester.'
College tuition: Pay $10,000 for four years?

Universities are experimenting with tuition caps and free online courses as a way to bring down college tuition costs. Ten Texas schools are offering degrees for a total college tuition of $10,000.