Money

Money

Personal Finance: Selling Your Home in a Buyer's Market

Selling a home can be a daunting task for any homeowner, and in a "buyer's market" the process can feel overwhelming. While many sellers think that homebuyers have the upper hand, with a little patience and a few helpful tips from GMAC Real Estate, you can successfully sell your home.

Need a Raise? Tips for Asking the Boss

Think you deserve a raise at work? Here are some tips on how to approach your boss on the subject.

Why It's So Important to Have an Advance Care Plan in Place

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), by 2030, the number of Americans aged 65 and older will more than double to 71 million older Americans, and with age comes the possibility of putting together an end-of-life plan. Here's how to do it.

Private Event Insurance: Protecting Investments on Your Special Occasion

Every year in the United States over two million couples walk down the aisle to exchange vows on the most important day of their lives. Planning for such a momentous celebration involves months of countless decisions, budget analysis and check writing.

Follow These Steps for a Successful Business Start-Up

The secret to a successful business is out: there is no secret. Starting your own business takes hard work and a steadfast commitment. Keep in mind these few essential first steps, and you may well be on a path to prosperity.

Personal Finance: Do's and Don'ts to Finding the Right Real Estate Agent

Buying or selling a home is likely one of the biggest financial transactions you will ever have, and it can often be a complicated and time-consuming endeavor. By enlisting the help of a real estate professional, the process can be made considerably less stressful and much more enjoyable.

How to Choose a Life Insurance Plan that's Right for You

Term life and whole life. You may know they're both types of life insurance, but when it comes time to buy a policy, will you know which one to purchase? To learn more, take this short quiz from SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company.

New Solar Technology Helps Homeowners Save Money

If you're both eco-conscious and money-conscious, it's time to take a fresh look at solar energy. You could save up to 50 percent on your water heating bills and qualify for federal solar energy tax credits.

Drive Your Motor Vehicle Costs Down this Summer

There's nothing like the freedom of hitting the open road during the summer. The Travel Industry Association reported that Americans will take nearly 330 million trips during June, July and August, with auto travel accounting for eight out of 10 trips. Here are some tricks from Shell Oil Products to stretch your driving dollar.

American Workers Denying Realities, Consequences of Disability

A growing number of American workers are forecast to experience an accident or illness that will keep them out of work for an extended period during their career. Fortunately, with good planning, American workers can dramatically improve their chances of financial stability should a disability strike.

Get More from Your Credit Card

As we move closer to what will be a virtually cashless society, the number of ways we will be able to use credit will continue to increase. This trend underscores the importance of selecting the right kind of credit card that offers the features, tools, services and rewards that are designed around the specific ways you choose to use credit.

Easy Steps to Lower Your Cooling Bills

With hot summer weather just around the corner, now is the time to give your home a "check-up." Here are six tips from the Comfort Institute to make sure your air conditioning bills don't blow your cool!

Options for Paying for College

Do you have a son or daughter heading for college this fall? Are they prepared for the costs and financing decisions when heading off to one of more than 4,200 colleges and universities in the United States? Every year, the federal government makes more than $81 billion available to help 10 million families and students finance a postsecondary education.

Simple, Flexible Options Appeal to Consumers Who Want "More" from a Mortgage

Simplicity is the hot new trend among today's consumers. From the clean design of consumer technology products like the Apple iPod to the convenience of healthy, ready-to-eat four course meals right from the grocer. Even home mortgages are being designed with flexible features that allow homeowners to adjust the terms of their loan without refinancing or tap into their home's equity without applying for a separate line of credit.

Finance Education Pays Off

The proportion of American families carrying an average credit card balance of $5,100 rose to 46.2 percent, according to the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances conducted by the Federal Reserve Board. Many people may not realize how debilitating this type of credit card debt can be.

Need Help with a Mortgage Loan? Try the Bank of Mom and Dad

News headlines continue to detail the struggles homeowners face keeping up with escalating adjustable rate mortgage payments, the collapse of subprime lenders and mounting home foreclosures nationwide.

Renting Versus Buying: A Guide to Help You Decide

Buying a home is one of the most important decisions a person can make. After years of living with parents, with college classmates in dorms, or alone in an apartment, the time may come that buying a house or condominium will improve one's financial stability and sense of personal security.

Is Your Business Prepared For A Disaster?

When it comes to disaster readiness, can you ever be too prepared? According the Association of Small Business Development Centers, the effects of a disaster can be quite profound: More than one in four businesses will experience a significant crisis in a given year, and of those businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan, 43 percent never reopen.

Home Sellers Yield High Returns Investing in Curb Appeal

Realtors in a nationwide survey say replacing your garage door prior to listing your home can increase its curb appeal and the asking price -- anywhere from one to four percent. That's no surprise considering homeowner demand for more storage space has made three-car garages an architectural standard, not to mention, a major design focal point.

Easing the Burden for Loved Ones

No one likes to think about the time when they'll no longer be here. But truth be told, everyone will need a funeral some day. Without planning ahead, they can be stressful, expensive and filled with disagreements. Or you can create an occasion where loved ones come together to reflect on a life well lived, without the pressure of quick decisions and worries about expense.

Debt Doesn't Have to be a Four Letter Word

For the average American, debt is a fact of life. But not all debt should be considered detrimental. Buying a house or a car, or funding your education can be positive, wealth-building steps even though they often require incurring some debt.

Working Women Less Prepared for Income-Limiting Disability

Working women are experiencing serious disabilities at an increasing rate and much faster than working men. In fact, the rate of disability among working women in the United States has grown almost twice as fast as among working males during the past decade (more than 60 percent compared to 32 percent respectively) according to Social Security Administration data.

New Poll Finds Stay-at-Home Moms Should Receive Six-Figure Paycheck

If women ruled the world, stay-at-home moms would earn an annual salary equal to or more than $100,000. That's according to a new poll from Woman's Day magazine and AOL.com, which found that more than half (52 percent) of women would pay a stay-at-home mom this annual salary.

Don't 'Waste' Your Chance to Save the Environment and Some Money

How can you make your community more responsible for reducing waste and preventing global climate change? How can you help residents save money at the same time?

The Evolving American Office

Corporate tightening of the proverbial budgetary belt has affected more than the bottom line in the American workplace. Pressures to reduce real estate costs, energy and waste have reshaped the way 21st-century offices are designed, run and occupied.

Simple Tips for Funding Your College Education

The cost of tuition continues to skyrocket. In fact, on average, the cost of college tuition at both public and private universities has doubled over the last 20 years. The news is not all bad though, as the selection of financing options and financial aid packages available to students continues to grow.

Money-saving Tips for the Entire Family

Jonni McCoy is a leading expert on shopping and frugal living. She is the author of the acclaimed Miserly Moms, Frugal Families, and Miserly Meals and has established herself as a knowledgeable family budgeting expert. Here are some of her most useful tips.

Five Ways to Maximize Your Back to School Budget

Back-to-school spending is expected to jump 6.9 percent this year to an average of $563.49 per child. To reduce the financial strain of back-to-school expenses, use these five tips to develop a strategy before you venture to the malls.

Search Engine Alternatives Cut Out the Clutter

If you run a small business today, you know the critical need for information. Like no other time in history, accurate, timely and credible information is the key to making sound business decisions and ultimately achieving business success. Look to independent resources with proven credibility, like the non-profit James J. Hill Reference Library, a trusted source of practical business information.

Going Back to School After Military Service

When returning from the service, the decision to go back to school can become a difficult choice for many servicemen and women. Here is some advice for taking the first steps.

Staged to Sell In a Soft Real Estate Market

Selling your home can be a challenge that may seem especially daunting in a softer real estate market. If you decide now is the time to sell, there are several aspects that can make your home more attractive to potential buyers. Following this advice may help justify your asking price and attract buyers.

Travelers Get Vacation From High Cell Phone Bills

For many Americans, their cell phone is their only phone. An increasing number of people now use these devices exclusively or as their primary phones. However, those who dial internationally or use cell phones for out-of-network long-distance calls often face high surcharges. A new class of service has emerged that may help keep cell costs down -- it's prepaid calling that can be bought and managed online.

Five Hot Home Computing Trends

For consumers who want to get the most value out of the latest technology, wading through the options can seem overwhelming. Here are five technology trends for real-life home computer users.

Technology Provides New Ways to Give Back

The urge to help others runs deep in America. In 2006, roughly one in four adult Americans, 61.2 million total, volunteered their time, according to a new federal report by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Now there's a new way to give back that incorporates charitable giving into our daily lives.

The Sky is the Limit when it Comes to Miles Cards

Whether you're loading up your cart with groceries or paying for your spring wardrobe at the counter, you can -- in the process -- rack up miles toward that well-deserved trip.

Creative College Funding Secrets

To put into perspective the ever-rising cost of college tuition, consider this: chances are good your first car cost less than your child's first year of college. And if your child opts for private school education, the total bill for four years could come close to what you paid for your first home.

Good Credit Management Skills Are More Important Than Ever

Consumers have many options when it comes to selecting a credit card that best fits their needs. For instance, some people may use credit cards strictly for big-ticket items, while others may use them for all their everyday purchases; some may carry a balance while others pay it off every month. Even though people use credit in different ways, one fact remains the same: good credit card management is important to everyone.

A Luxury Travel Option that Makes Financial Sense

Whether vacationing domestically or internationally, traveling produces priceless moments. But as much as we cherish the unforgettable memories, in reality, these vacations can cost thousands of dollars for you and your family. Many luxury travelers are left wanting more than a room at a lavish hotel or the hassles of second-home ownership. More people are finding the vacations they desire through destination clubs, an option that makes financial sense.

Raiding the Piggy Bank? Here's How to Take Control of Your Finances

Most Americans dream of owning their homes free and clear someday, part of their retirement nest egg. Yet, for many, this dream gets farther and farther from reality as they break into their home equity piggy banks.

Consumers Be Aware -- Credit Freeze a Step in the Right Direction, But Will Not

Two of the three major credit bureaus are now allowing consumers in all 50 states to "freeze" their credit histories. The companies say the move gives consumers another option to safeguard their credit against identity thieves. But is it enough?

Finance Education Pays Off

The proportion of American families carrying an average credit card balance of $5,100 rose to 46.2 percent, according to the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances conducted by the Federal Reserve Board. Many people may not realize how debilitating this type of credit card debt can be.

Protecting the 'Invincibles' - How Health Benefits Can Help Young Adults

A recent survey finds that adults between the ages of 19 and 29 are the fastest growing group of uninsured Americans. While young adults are generally the healthiest portion of the population, there are advantages to having insurance coverage, aside from the financial protection it provides.

Financial Planning: Your Greatest Asset is Your Ability to Earn an Income

The first week of this month is Financial Planning Week, and, with the number of American workers who suffer income-limiting disabilities on the rise, "disability" financial planning and preparation have never been more important for America's workforce.