The downturn in the economy has made people wiser with their spending. As of July 2009, the US savings rate for the average household grew to 6.9 percent — the highest rate since December 1993. In April 2008, the rate was 0. (See this article for more).
We still have a way to go, however. Saving   [Read More …]

In these times of uncertainty, having funds to tide a family over during a period of joblessness is more important than ever. We give you five strategies to start putting money aside.

Is the rumor mill at your job continuously forecasting that your employer will be the next to announce lay-offs?
If so, you may be tempted to keep your head down and hope that you won’t be noticed when the pink slips are being handed out. In fact, according to a recent article in Consumer Reports Money,   [Read More …]

You know the saying: Every cloud has a silver lining. Not everyone can see that slim sliver of hope, but it is usually there, visible only to those who can look beyond the immediate disappointment to see the possibilities lying beneath.
Even in a job market that is losing over 500,000 jobs a month, there   [Read More …]

Your credit score is a 3 digit number that creditors use to help determine the likelihood that you’ll repay a loan. Scores range from 300 to 850 on the FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) scale. They help lenders assess risk when making lending decisions and are used to compute interest rates.
Your score is a calculation of   [Read More …]

By ‘greening’ your home, you can have a healthier life, do something good for the environment, and save some money.
According to the EPA, internal environments are 2 to 5 times as polluted as external environments. Compound that with how we spend about 90% of our time indoors and you have a situation where rates of   [Read More …]

There are many things that families can do to cut corners and realize savings. One of the first steps is to prepare more of your meals at home and pack lunches for work and school. But don’t stop there! There are a number of the ways* that you can stretch your dollar as you   [Read More …]