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6 Tips for a Clean Credit Record

Wed, 28/05/2008 - 12:02 by Motley Fool

By Dayana Yochim:

1. Pay your bills on time. More than one-third of your credit score -- the most popular being Fair Isaac 's FICO score -- is based on your bill-paying habits. Late payments can have brutal consequences, particularly those that are 90 days or more past due. While recent changes to the FICO calculations make isolated incidents a bit less damaging, 90-day late payments can be just as troubling for picky lenders as a bankruptcy filing, a tax lien, a collection, a judgment, or a repossession.

Make Money Without Losing Your Cool

Thu, 17/04/2008 - 12:45 by Motley Fool

By Jim Mueller:

Go with your gut, we're told. Play to your instincts.

But for many people, going with that gut feeling can keep us out of the market when we most need to be in it. Ignore your gut, keep your cool, and invest with your brain.

Is Online Banking Safe?

Sat, 08/03/2008 - 16:40 by Jyoti Pal

While seated in the comfort of your bedroom or office, a few mouse-clicks on the laptop work wonder now-a-days. You can check your account balance, your account usage, transfer cash, or just pay for your utilities like electricity, telephone bills or insurance premiums without standing in the long queues, it’s all possible by netbanking or online banking.

Is Your ATM Card Secure?

Wed, 06/02/2008 - 12:18 by Jyoti Pal

Using an ATM/Debit card is indeed a very safe way to bank, shop or transfer cash. But you need to be careful with your card. Here’s how;

Foolish Money Lab: Bulk It Up!

Wed, 30/01/2008 - 19:16 by Mary Dalrymple
Welcome to the Foolish Money Lab, where I don my jester's hat and put common personal-finance advice to the test. This month, your humble servant ventures intrepidly into the world of discount warehouses.

Does Your Credit Card Do This?

Thu, 06/12/2007 - 17:04 by Mary Dalrymple

If you've ever tried to dig yourself out of credit card debt, you might already know about a practice that some lawmakers denounced this week -- the policy among some credit cards to raise your interest rates when your credit score drops, even if you're faultlessly punctual with your payments.

Credit Cards Can Pay You Thousands

Fri, 30/11/2007 - 11:55 by Selena Maranjian

Lots of credit card companies offer their customers rewards for using their cards. If you're careful, those rewards can give you free money. But for many, those rewards simply aren't worth the cost.

Concentrate Your Giving and Getting

Thu, 29/11/2007 - 12:43 by Selena Maranjian

Last July on our Foolanthropy discussion board, Fool Community member ShakespearesFool raised an interesting topic. He said he and his wife debate "whether to concentrate our donations or spread them among more charities."

The 4 Best Words of Investing Advice

Wed, 28/11/2007 - 12:34 by Bill Barker

There's some great investing advice out there, and of course, there's some pretty bad advice as well. If you've ever heard "It doesn't matter how high the price is -- buy all the Enron you can," that probably falls into the latter category.

Invest Differently, Live Longer

Sat, 24/11/2007 - 15:34 by Selena Maranjian
"Live fast, love hard, die young." Sounds like a Rolling Stone article, right? But no -- this headline came from The Economist, regarding a study that examined why women around the world live longer than men. One possible explanation: Males tend to compete for female attention, and the improved skills evolution has given them in this regard may have come at the cost of longevity.

The Easiest Money You'll Ever Make

Fri, 23/11/2007 - 22:47 by Paul Elliott

You guys never cease to amaze me. Was I a little rough? Yes. Did I blast the mutual fund industry for robbing us blind? Sure. Did I expect some hate mail? Of course, but not this. How to lose $730 grand Feeling a little lost? Here's a quick summary. A while back, I proposed a little experiment. Essentially, it was a bogus mutual fund made up of just four stocks, each bought in January 1990 and sold exactly 10 years later.

Bank Overdraft Fees: Gotcha!

Wed, 21/11/2007 - 12:29 by Selena Maranjian

On one of our discussion boards the other day, Fool community member makerta related a rather shocking story. He discovered a $216.84 charge on his bank account, due to an overdraft. He admitted that he had withdrawn more than his account held, but he (reasonably, I think) objected to the magnitude of the fees imposed -- especially considering his overdraft totaled $0.21!