Economy makes shopping uncomfortable

The increase in gloom and decrease in money have sabotaged my efforts to enjoy shopping. But things got really bad yesterday when I purposely avoided shopping at a smaller store opting instead... Read more »

Old-school, low-budget ways to market your small business

The majority of small business owners think the current economic downturn is threatening their ability to survive or is at least "significantly" affecting their business. Since... Read more »

Ditch those resolutions you won’t keep

If you are like most people, you probably created a daunting list of monumental accomplishments you’d like to achieve over the next year. However, setting resolutions and keeping them are two different... Read more »

Financial problems on the job

Statistics show that people are very reluctant to talk about financial challenges in general and, for a number of reasons, this is particularly true in the workplace. In fact, both employees and... Read more »

Upside down on a car? You can’t just give it back

Last year, a record 1.67 million cars and trucks were repossessed representing a 12% increase over 2007. Unfortunately, this isn’t too surprising since in the first... Read more »

What happened to FICO 08?

Well, it’s 09. Makes me wonder what happened to FICO 08. Reminds me of the nearby dirt lot with a weary-looking sign that reads “Luxury Condos – Available Spring 2006.” ... Read more »

Yes, you do need to wait for your W-2

When you are expecting a tax return, it can be hard to wait for those W-2 forms to come in the mail. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait too long; the IRS... Read more »

Rental car prices: how to hit a moving target

Rental car prices vary a lot. The price you pay depends on a number of factors including the rental agency you choose, the type of car you want to drive, your location,... Read more »

When renting makes sense

Housing news has been so frequent and dramatic that I missed one interesting detail: the demand for rentals has increased. According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies, “with so much turmoil... Read more »

Lines move from check out counters to return counters

Return fraud costs retailers a lot—an estimated $15.5 billion in 2007—causing some retailers to enforce rather strict return policies. However, as retailers get a handle on... Read more »