Crash Survival Zone

Whether you lose your job or not, this downturn will almost certainly mold your ideas about money. And if you learn what hard times can teach, it’ll serve you well in the years ahead.

The Great Depression famously shaped, and in some cases warped, the “Greatest Generation.”
Many of those who lived through that economic cataclysm developed [...]

This spring’s college grads are heading out into a world where jobs are tough to come by. The economic outlook is uncertain and all the older people they know are feeling the pain of stock-market losses.
Worse, there are all kinds of nitty-gritty details to deal with: opening bank accounts, choosing health insurance, finding an apartment, [...]

Decades of advice turn out to be so much garbage.

By Helaine Olen

Years ago, when I wrote a popular financial makeover feature for a major national newspaper, one of our subjects asked if he should be plowing his more than $50,000 in savings into gold. It was 1997 and gold was trading at a little more [...]

If you are looking for ways to earn extra money online, you may have responded to a help-wanted ad on craigslist.org or another free ads site. Working small gigs can be a good way to put away some extra cash when times are tight, and although it’s increasingly competitive with so many people out of [...]

Millions of Americans enjoying their small windfall from President Barack Obama’s “Making Work Pay” tax credit are in for an unpleasant surprise next spring.

The government is going to want some of that money back.

The tax credit is supposed to provide up to $400 to individuals and $800 to married couples as part of the massive [...]

Research has pinpointed ways to feel good even in the worst of times

By Deborah Kotz

How can we truly feel happy right now, in this moment when our 401(k)’s and house values are tanking? When our jobs are threatened or already lost? U . S . News posed this question to leading happiness researchers to find [...]

Everyone wants to save money these days. The economy is struggling, energy costs are still high, retirement accounts have been decimated, so finding ways to stretch your dollar have become more popular than ever. But what are the best ways to save money?

I stumbled across this article by CNN Money that lists the 7 best [...]

As Job Market Tightens, Graduates Are Squeezed; the ‘Forbearance’ Option

Defaults on student loans are skyrocketing amid a weak job market for graduates and steadily rising tuition costs.

According to new numbers from the U.S. Department of Education, default rates for federally guaranteed student loans are expected to reach 6.9% for fiscal year 2007. That’s up from [...]

Retirees should start getting ready now for major changes next year that will affect their income and health expenses. The precise impact of these changes will vary by individual, so consumers should take stock of their financial situations and plan accordingly. Many economists say inflation will be a serious concern in a few years after [...]

Author Ramit Sethi’s advice for getting started with investing in a vexing environment: Automatically invest and rebalance, and don’t time the market

At a conference on financial literacy on Apr. 20 in Chicago, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said it was time for Americans to learn to manage their money. Ramit Sethi couldn’t agree more. The [...]