All General money Articles

Is it possible that one day, we'll do our banking at the post office? I facetiously suggested just such an alliance some months ago in a Bank Shots column that explored humorous strategic partnerships for troubled banks. Much to my surprise, our rain-sleet-and-snow-hardy friends in blue are actually tiptoeing in that direction based on their seemingly innocuous new product line. I Read more...

Experts believe 2009 gift card purchases will bounce back from last holiday season, when spending on the cards decreased to $24.9 billion from $26.3 billion in 2007, according to the National Retail Federation. However, there's some disagreement about how much spending on gift cards will rise. "Consumers are buying gift cards that have less value -- the average value of the cards is Read more...

Whether you're trying to unload a clunker or sell a car in pristine condition, the DIY method usually offers more potential cash than a trade-in. The key is to master the legwork and the logistics of making the sale. Here's a six-step process for selling your own car. Size up the car market Web sites like Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com, AutoTrader.com and Cars.com can estimate your car's Read more...

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon the solution to our economic woes: Ikea. My epiphany wasn't the result of performance research, extensive data mining or an MRI of Paul Krugman's brain. I was just trying to put together some new office furniture. Go figgah. Whenever I attempt home assembly, my mind tends to wander. This may explain why my home office most resembles Picasso, the Read more...

Welcome to Bankrate's annual house of financial horrors. No one will be shocked by the terrifying tales our readers e-mailed to us this year. Housing woes, job loss, credit card surprises, lost savings in failed banks -- they're the truths we've been living with. What's frightening is that any of these dreadful events could have happened to any of us. So read through these chilling stories and Read more...

A year ago, when we first explored the idea of a humor column at Bankrate, the U.S. economy had just (swoosh!) slipped on the banana peel of the market meltdown, staggered dazed (wha? huh?) into the swinging door of the housing bust and (splat!) taken the cream pie of soaring job loss full in the face. Hilarious? Maybe if you were the Marquis de Sade. Not so much if you'd just taken on a Read more...

Stumped when it comes to retirement planning? Maybe you don't understand the secret language of money and the "money story" it has been trying to tell you since before you were born. In "The Secret Language of Money: How to Make Smarter Financial Decisions and Live a Richer Life," former psychiatrist-turned-executive coach David Krueger casts a clinician's eye at our Read more...

Q: Dear Driving for Dollars, I bought a car seven days ago and the car went on sale today for $9,000 cheaper. Is there any way I can get the vehicle cheaper? -- Brian A: Dear Brian, You're right, $9,000 is a huge difference, but you are probably out of luck. Unless the dealer offered some sort of satisfaction guarantee and you are still within that time frame, then the most you can do is Read more...

You can almost hear the collective slaps to the head. This recession has brought to light dumb money management practices, forcing just about all of us to confront our financial foibles. Maybe, for instance, you're one of the ones who panicked and sold during the market bottom. Or, you believed housing prices were guaranteed to rise. The federal government is tapping behavioral Read more...

It took me 50-odd years to behold my own grizzled countenance in the mirror and admit, as comedian Wanda Sykes likes to put it, "I old." The "50" part seems absurd to me. My jump shot remains unstoppable and I disgust my cardiologist. It's the oddness of the past half-century that leaves me grinning like an Osmond. See that? Osmond. Like you would know what I Read more...

With a constant threat of gas prices rising and individuals looking to be more "green," car shoppers are putting fuel efficiency higher on their list of considerations. That's good news for automakers that have invested across the board in developing fuel-efficient models, including a fast-growing number of gasoline-electric hybrids. A new generation of the Toyota Prius went on Read more...

The government's "cash for clunkers" program, officially called the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS for short, is in full swing, but only some consumers will be able to participate thanks to the eligibility requirements for potential buyers, their current vehicles and the vehicles they plan to buy or lease. The program was designed to help consumers buy or lease a more Read more...

Two years ago, Elizabeth Warren proposed the creation of a "financial product safety commission." Its mission: Review financial products "to eliminate the hidden tricks and traps that make some of them far more dangerous than others." Even as the mortgage meltdown morphed into an economic crisis, Warren's idea didn't get a lot of traction. Then, in June, the Obama Read more...

If you read their books or listen to them on TV, you might be inclined to think that financial pros never make a financial blunder, that they've never bought a bum stock, run up credit card debt or made a bad real estate deal. But the fact is even the best money minds haven't always made all the right moves. We asked six experts to fess up about their biggest financial blunders, and what we Read more...

Lease trades, when a person takes over someone else's lease, are proving increasingly popular with drivers who are looking for creative ways to get out of their current cars and into new ones. This might happen in an economy of severe job losses, like today's environment, when the lease holder can no longer afford the payment. Or it could simply be a cheaper alternative for drivers who need a Read more...

Q: Dear Driving for Dollars, I'm behind in my car payments and have been making half of the payment each month. What can I do to avoid getting repossessed? -- Steve A: Dear Steve, A vehicle repossession will seriously affect your credit and make it difficult for you to get any type of loan in the future, so call your lender and talk to someone right away. Any lender is more interested in Read more...

President Barack Obama has proposed overhauling the U.S. regulatory structure to create a consumer-oriented regulator, consolidate existing agencies and set more strict rules for financial companies. For individuals, the proposal offers greater consumer protection and relief from the hidden fees and confusing disclosure documents that have become commonplace in the market for mortgages, credit Read more...

The Department of Energy recently released about one-third of a $25 billion loan program to automakers to create advanced technology vehicles that reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. Ford Motor Co., which plans to produce an electric version of the Focus, and Nissan Motor Co., which has said it will produce an electric sedan, were awarded low-interest loans. But Tesla Motors, a small Read more...

Scam artists look more legitimate than ever. They follow headlines about financial bailouts, stimulus packages and a popular president into your pocketbook. And they're taking advantage of people's need for cash in a recession, as well as the latest social media trends. However, the old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," still applies. Here are some Read more...