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The Savings Crisis Goes Abroad

Wed, 24/10/2007 - 16:27 by Dan Caplinger

The U.S. isn't the only nation with a savings problem.

There's another country whose savings rate has been steadily declining over the past 30 years. It was once renowned as a nation of savers, but social change has affected the way its people behave financially. And while its citizens have trillions of dollars squirreled away, it's entirely possible that the downward trend in its savings will never reverse itself.

Gussy Up Your Credit Card

Sun, 21/10/2007 - 16:31 by Elizabeth Brokamp

I'm the first person to complain that CVS (NYSE: CVS) already has its Christmas merchandise on display. It's too early for me to think about tinsel and trimmings and trappings, especially since the unseasonably warm fall has our family visiting the pumpkin patch in shorts. However, it's not too early to consider how your credit cards can help you sail through the holiday season with your finances relatively intact. Planning now will help you stay on top of your expenditures, give you better buying power, and lower your overall debt.

A 4-Step Guide to Debt-Free Holiday Gift Giving

Fri, 19/10/2007 - 09:45 by Mary Dalrymple
Yeah, I know. Your Halloween pumpkins haven't even been on the porch long enough for the squirrels to gnaw into them, and here I am writing about holiday shopping.

The Stinkiest Credit Card Around?

Fri, 19/10/2007 - 09:30 by Selena Maranjian
A bad movie can be entertaining. A review of a bad movie almost always is. But a bad credit card? Well, I can find some humor in that -- but it's always tempered with sadness, because some people will invariably sign up for such a thing, and will pay for it.

4 Ways to Banish Killer Fees

Thu, 18/10/2007 - 16:54 by Dayana Yochim
Checked in lately with the full-time sentry patrolling your credit card accounts for sneaky fees and penalties? What? You say you haven't got a guard on the payroll?

Whatever You Do, Avoid Mutual Funds

Mon, 08/10/2007 - 16:11 by Selena Maranjian

This is your lucky day, dear reader, because if you hadn't happened upon this article today, your life might have unraveled in a most unfortunate way. You might have ... take a moment to gasp with me here ... invested in mutual funds!

As Shakespeare might have said, "Heaven forfend!"

Will Credit Card Offers Finally Go Away?

Sat, 06/10/2007 - 09:55 by Selena Maranjian

Here's what seems like good news: The response rate for those annoying credit card offers we get in the mail has been falling. (Learn how to opt out.)

According to Curtis Arnold of cardratings.com: "In 1998, credit card issuers could count on a response rate of 1.2% to the offers for new cards that they sent out ... The projected response rate this year is only 0.28%, or four times less than what the credit card industry received less than a decade ago ..."

Credit Card Fine Print Can Cost You

Sat, 06/10/2007 - 09:51 by Selena Maranjian
Every now and then, I read something that makes me gasp. It happened just recently, when I learned about a Public Citizen report on arbitration in the credit card industry. Here's how it began: "Consumers who seek justice in disputes with their credit card companies shouldn't expect to find it in binding mandatory arbitration (BMA); in cases decided in California by a major arbitration firm over a four-year period, consumers lost 95% of the time." Yowza.

A Great Pick for Your IRA

Sun, 30/09/2007 - 15:50 by Shannon Zimmerman
To my way of thinking, it's never too early to contemplate where, exactly, you want to send this year's IRA contribution. After all, that represents $4,000 you can put to work on a tax-favored basis -- and a cool $5,000 if you were 50 or older last year. Considering that every cent that stays in your account (as opposed to Uncle Sam's coffers) is a cent that's working for your financial independence, this is one deal you don't want to miss. But now's the time to get going: Given our busy lives, next year's tax filing (and IRA-funding) deadline will be here before you know it. And when it comes

The Best Place for Your Money

Mon, 24/09/2007 - 09:16 by Selena Maranjian

The best place for your money ... what a juicy topic. I wish I had one simple investment to recommend for everyone, but I don't. We're all in different phases of our lives and in different situations. What's best for me might not be so hot for you. But fear not -- I think I can still suggest some investments that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

The Selfish Guide to Saving

Sat, 22/09/2007 - 08:36 by Rich Duprey
I don't live on a budget. That's too confining. It makes me think that I've got to be counting my pennies or forgoing the satisfaction of my wants to fulfill my needs. When I'm on a budget, I end up more of a financial wreck than when I started.

Do More and Do It Better

Sat, 22/09/2007 - 08:18 by Motley Fool

By John Rosevear

Confession time: I'm not really very good at time management.

I'm not awful at it -- I do manage to be productive, on balance, and I almost never miss a deadline -- but I definitely struggle. I get distracted, I leave things until the last minute, and I do that thing where I sit down first thing in the morning to do some quick research on an article and before I know it it's 3 p.m. and I haven't written a word -- and I was going to have the article drafted by noon. Not good.