By ELEANOR LAISE We’ve seen the stock-market plunge, the foreclosures surge, the layoffs and the bankruptcies mount. Now comes the inevitable next stage of the economic downturn: a rash of personal-finance books that promise to help readers navigate their way through the rubble — and…
By Albert B. Crenshaw Special to The Washington Post Wednesday, October 15, 2008; Page H06 With the decline of traditional pensions, tax-deferred saving through 401(k) plans, IRAs and the like has become a key element of most Americans’ funding. But tax-deferred isn’t the same as…
By Candice Choi Associated Press writer Posted September 29, 2008 NEW YORK — Before the turbulent economy sends you running into the arms of a financial advisor, make sure you know all your options. In addition to the various types of financial advice on the…
by Barbara Kiviat Thursday, Sep. 18, 2008 You probably have questions. And not “What does CDO mean again?” sorts of questions but more along the lines of “Is it time to hide under the covers?” Here we tackle some popular queries–while emphasizing that just because…
By Chris Pummer SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (MarketWatch) — So your mortgage payment just ratcheted upward or an unforeseen event has shot the heart out of your finances. Don’t succumb to money melancholy just yet. In the grand scheme, you may have serious credit problems you…
But Many of Latest Offerings Stretch Definition of ‘Index’; Warnings of Increased Risks By ELEANOR LAISE January 30, 2007; Page B11 Index-fund investors, known to take a hands-off approach to their money, are now being asked to make some big decisions — and possibly take on more…
CBS News correspondent Trish Regan now reports on how to get out of debt once you’re in the trap. Dabney Oliver is 31 years old, single and carrying $13,000 in credit card debt. “I look at my budget and it’s really tight, you know. It’s…
The results are in from the Chu-Wall Money Makeover. And they’re nothing to bank on. Over the past few months, Jonathan and I have made far fewer changes to our financial lives than most of the five couples I’ve profiled for this series have. We’ve…
By Kathy Chu, USA TODAY Dave Yeske, a financial planner in San Francisco, recommends a balancing act for Kevin and Amy Smith: build up an emergency fund and chip away at debt. Then save simultaneously for retirement and for their six kids’ college education. But…
By Kathy Chu, USA TODAY With college education for six kids and their own retirement to pay for, Amy and Kevin Smith of Pleasant Hill, Calif., need help stretching their dollars beyond routine bill-paying. Kevin Smith, 35, earns $60,000 as an information technology systems administrator…