Topic: Personal Savings

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on immigration, abortion and other social issues

Social policies are a defining issue in this, or any, Republican race. With the GOP electorate increasingly focused on social issues in recent decades, their leaders' views have shifted in kind. Take a look at where each of the candidates stand.
First credit card? Five key tips for college students.

If getting a credit card is a rite of passage for college students, choosing the right plastic and learning how to use it responsibly is a matter of life and debt. Young people age 18 to 24, carry an average credit card debt of $2,002, according to CreditKarma.com. Before you end up as a debt statistic, learn to pick the right card and manage your credit before getting your hands on plastic. Here are five things every new credit cardholder should know:
Your teens have summer jobs? Three financial lessons to teach.

This summer, many teens are working summer jobs and, perhaps for the first time, earning money that doesn’t’ come from family. It’s an exciting feeling of independence – and a key time to learn the basics of money management. That’s where parents come in. Even if communicating with your teenagers about money is sometimes difficult, it is natural for you to be involved because their income from summer jobs will have tax implications for you. Here are three easy financial lessons to teach your teens this summer:
College grads: Top 5 financial mistakes – and how to avoid them

Experimenting with money – spending and managing it – is a college freedom that can quickly get out of hand. I should know; I graduated recently and my college financial habits over those four years had me drowning in debt after graduation. With unemployment high and an average debt load of more than $29,000, the Class of 2011 needs to be especially savvy about money as it moves into the working world. Here are five big financial mistakes 20-somethings often make – and how to avoid them.
In Pictures: The Rising Global Middle Class

All Content

Retirement strategy for small-business owners: Grab the tax break

Retirement might seem like the last priority for small-business owners. But funding your retirement plan can save 30 to 40 cents on the dollar because of tax breaks.
Change Agent
Liz Squibb knows how to help foster children - she was one herself

Working at the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative she helps foster children make the transition to adulthood.
The Simple Dollar
Student loans are $300,000. Prepay them or save?

Student loans are so high, couple wonders whether to pay them off early or save $5,000 a year for retirement. Question on student loans is No. 6 in this reader mailbag. 
Tired of paltry returns on bank savings? Here's help.

Interest rates on bank savings are so low that many retirees are looking for higher returns. If you're one of them, consider bonds and dividend-paying stocks.
The Simple Dollar
Unexpected windfall? Put it in a CD.

Locking your money away in a CD provides you a period of “cooldown” where you can think rationally about what to do with the money instead of making a spur-of-the-moment (and likely poor) decision about how to it.
The Simple Dollar
Social Security benefits: How to prepare for the tax hit

Social Security income triggers big tax for newlyweds. How do you cope? See question No. 2 on Social Security and taxes in the reader mailbag. 
The Simple Dollar
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.
Change Agent
How Haiti is fighting poverty by killing cash

With many of Haiti's physical banks destroyed, Haitians are beginning to rely on their cell phones as 'mobile wallets.'
Selling organs to pay off debt: Microfinance needs reforms

Governments and microfinance institutions must continue taking steps to reform the industry and provide the impoverished with a variety of financial services, including savings options and grants, which better meet their needs.
The Simple Dollar
Student loans: Pay them down or start an emergency fund?

Student loans are above $50,000, but there are ways to balance saving with paying down debt. See questions No. 2, 3, and 5 for advice on student loans.
The New Economy
Why banks shun 30 million Americans

A quarter of US households have few or no ties to the banking system, which hurts their financial future. Financial reform has made it even harder for banks to serve them.
Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on immigration, abortion and other social issues

Social policies are a defining issue in this, or any, Republican race. With the GOP electorate increasingly focused on social issues in recent decades, their leaders' views have shifted in kind. Take a look at where each of the candidates stand.
The Simple Dollar
Retirement: Fund the 401(k) to the max – or not?

Retirement strategy says get your employer's 401(k) match, then a Roth. Retirement question is No. 1 in the reader mailbag.
Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney: How different are they on the economy?

If Newt Gingrich is the new 'anti-Romney,' shouldn't they have fundamental differences? While the two share some views on core economic issues, Gingrich has staked out other positions well to Romney's right.
The Simple Dollar
Retirement question: In college. Working. How do I save for retirement?

Retirement saving: If you're starting early, try a Roth IRA. Retirement question is No. 10 in the reader mailbag. 
Congress: Don't squander America's big investment opportunity

Earning a college education benefits families and the economy for generations. Unfortunately, students from low-income homes are earning degrees at the lowest rate in three decades. Washington needs to cash in their economic potential by helping them save for college.
The Simple Dollar
How to save for multiple goals at the same time

Creating saving accounts for individual items is a good start
Economist Mom
What is 'pro-growth' tax reform?

Improving the economy isn't as simple as cutting taxes
The Simple Dollar
How large should your emergency fund be?

Tips to ensure you're prepared if financial disaster strikes
Tax VOX
Obama's cap on tax deductions: not what it seems

Some of the president's choices, including failing to help make insurance more affordable for low-wage workers, are questionable.
The Simple Dollar
Which money saving ideas will work for you?

Ways to determine if a frugal tip is relevant to your life
First credit card? Five key tips for college students.

If getting a credit card is a rite of passage for college students, choosing the right plastic and learning how to use it responsibly is a matter of life and debt. Young people age 18 to 24, carry an average credit card debt of $2,002, according to CreditKarma.com. Before you end up as a debt statistic, learn to pick the right card and manage your credit before getting your hands on plastic. Here are five things every new credit cardholder should know:
The Simple Dollar
Interest rates: Will savers ever see them rise again?

Interest rates are so low now that it makes sense to pay off even low-interest debt. But interest rates will rise again.
The Simple Dollar
Mortgage market: Is it a good time to refinance?

Mortgage market can change, and homeowners' personal circumstances can, too. After marriage, is it a good idea to refinance a mortgage to include both spouses regardless of the mortgage market? Look to question No. 1 in the reader mailbag.
Your teens have summer jobs? Three financial lessons to teach.

This summer, many teens are working summer jobs and, perhaps for the first time, earning money that doesn’t’ come from family. It’s an exciting feeling of independence – and a key time to learn the basics of money management. That’s where parents come in. Even if communicating with your teenagers about money is sometimes difficult, it is natural for you to be involved because their income from summer jobs will have tax implications for you. Here are three easy financial lessons to teach your teens this summer: