Topic: Personal Budgeting

Senate Republicans plead for a budget as frustrations boil over

Senate Republicans proposed five budgets Wednesday, but the Democratic-controlled Senate defeated them all. Republicans say Democrats are punting on tough choices, Democrats say they already have a budget.  

Student loans: How automatic repay can help

Signing up for automatic payments on student loans can reduce the chances of messing up something important for young people who are relatively inexperienced with managing their finances. What's more, it can actually reduce the amount you have to pay back on student loans over the long haul. 

What's the first step to get out of debt?

Hiding from your debt won't help. Here's the first step towards breaking out of the debt cycle. 

How to be content with your financial decisions

Everyone wishes they could have it all. How do we really become content with the financial decisions we need to make?

5 tips for negotiating better prices

Everyone wants to get better prices, but people can feel uncomfortable bargaining. The key is to know when price negotiation is appropriate and master a few basic techniques. 

Republicans back a Republican budget: why that's news

House Republicans are setting aside differences to give the Ryan budget the votes to proceed, despite tea party concerns. In the Senate, however, it will be dead on arrival.

Laundry tips to save you money

Some of your favorite clothes may require individual washing. Is it worth the additional financial and time costs?

Ryan's budget helps no one but the rich

The real contrast in Paul Ryan's budget is over what the plan does for the rich and what it does to everyone else. It reduces the top individual and corporate tax rates to 25 percent. This would give the wealthiest Americans an average tax cut of at least $150,000 a year. The money would come out of programs for the elderly, lower-middle families, and the poor.

Nine cheap things to do outside

If you can’t find something free and enjoyable to do outside, you’re not trying. Here are some suggestions.

Checking fees too high? Customers eye credit unions.

Checking fees, other charges caused credit unions to gain double the normal number of customers. Mulling more hikes in checking fees, big banks could lose more customers, advocates say. 

5 ways to improve a marriage

From author Elizabeth Weil's book 'No Cheating, No Dying,' 5 expert tips to improve a marriage.

Compound interest is great, but there's a catch

The return on investment from a compound interest savings account isn't impressive at first, but if you stick with it, it becomes a locomotive. But it can take a very long time.

Five budget realities no politician will talk about (not even Ron Paul)

Ron Paul deserves credit for making the boldest proposals of any candidate in the presidential race. The astonishing reality of the federal government’s budget situation, however, is that even his plans might not be enough to keep Uncle Sam out of bankruptcy. While President Obama offers a $3.8 trillion budget that optimistically might cut the federal deficit to $575 billion by 2018, federal data suggest the United States is already broke. The Federal Reserve estimates that the net value of all private assets, including real estate, stocks, bonds, businesses, cash, etc., is $57 trillion. But the Treasury Department estimates the federal government’s net worth is a negative $61 trillion. Here are five budget realities that no candidate wants to acknowledge:

The real importance of good personal finance

A solid personal finance foundation will help you reach your goals and prioritize your life.

Credit card debt: Are consumers returning to bad habits?

Credit card debt increased an estimated $64 billion in 2011, far more than in the previous two years. Holiday shopping bills will swell credit card debt even more in early 2012.

Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on the economy

With more than 13 million Americans out of work and wage increases so modest they’re failing to keep up with inflation, voters have put the economy and jobs at the top of their checklist of presidential issues.

Top 15 money games, toys for kids

One of the best ways to teach kids about money is to make it fun. There are plenty of toys and games – even books – that do just that. Here are my 15 recommendations for money toys and games that entertain as well as teach something about how to handle cash, ATM cards, debt, and so on. These money games and toys are age-specific, so click through to the age of the child you plan to buy for. (Descriptions include links to examples from Amazon.com, but there are many alternatives you can find).

5 best websites for turning junk into cash

Houses have an almost magical ability to accumulate junk, and everyone seems to have stuff they don’t really want and won’t ever use. Instead of letting that box of unused electronics or your great aunt’s porcelain cat collection turn you into an unwilling hoarder, why not sell it off and make some extra cash? You can try doing it yourself (check out 13 Tips for a Super Yard Sale) or take your stuff to a local consignment shop (although you’re going to pay a large commission fee – at least 40 percent of the sale price, according to MSN). Like everything else these days, online is where’s happening. But if you want to earn top dollar, make sure you target the right market:

How to save on wedding favors

The best wedding favors are deeply personal, useful, and (of course) inexpensive

Deficit: No deal is better than a bad deal

If the deficit supercommittee doesn’t agree on new deficit-reduction measures, non-defense discretionary spending will face about $300 billion in cuts. But proposals that the committee are considering could cut spending even more.

Deficit-cutting 'super committee': Can it come up with a plan in time?

Congress's super committee may have just days to act in order to meet its deadline and prevent $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts to defense and nondefense spending. So far, no plan has emerged.

How to curb 'forgetfulness' in your discretionary spending

Even little purchases can add up. But there are ways to control your discretionary spending without micromanaging your finances

Top 9 ways Internet access can save you money

Sure, access to the Internet costs you something every month. But did you ever stop to think how much money it saves? Online price comparison and access to wholesale markets and group deal sites, like livingsocial.com and Groupon, can save the average consumer $8,000 annually, according to new study from the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA), a coalition that lobbies to make high-speed Internet access more affordable and widely available. “Generally Internet shopping can be a big money saver,” agrees Jody Rohlena. senior editor at Shopsmart magazine, but beware of online impulse buying: “It’s important to stick to your budget and try not to go crazy.”

Here are nine areas of consumer spending where the Internet can save big bucks, according to the IIA study. Can you guess which spending category is in the top spot?

How to improve your credit score

Whenever you have a tangible way of keeping “score” on something, there are fundamental techniques that you can use to improve that “score." This isn't just true for your credit.

Stocks plunging? Don't hide. Seek.

Stocks may be chaotic, but they also offer opportunities if you look in the right place. Plunging stocks now make some sectors appealing.