Trent Charlton knew the risks when he borrowed $10,000 from his 401(k) and cut his retirement savings in half. ...more

February 20, 2008

Our country's national debt is in the trillions of dollars, most Americans are head-over-heels in personal debt, most have not saved anything for retirement - and yet, the government's answer is to reward us with a tax rebate to "stimulate" the economy. And they may have to borrow the rebate from China, adding to the national debt. ...more

February 3, 2008

The official savings rate remains stubbornly close to zero, mortgage and consumer debt leapt 7.4 percent in the 12 months through September, and the Pew Research Center recently reported that half of Americans rate their finances as fair or poor. ...more

January 20, 2008

I spent my holiday vacation in Costa Rica. That's not the norm for my family, but I decided it was time to round up the kids and take them on a trip that would be fun, educational and a little adventurous. No more lying on the beach - we went rafting, zip-lining and camping. ...more

January 20, 2008

In the wake of the subprime mortgage meltdown, traditional financial institutions have tightened up on who gets to borrow. But some people are still finding ways to get the money they need through another area of lending that is booming. ...more

January 20, 2008

Is an extra $800 in your pocket enough to change the course of the ailing economy? ...more

January 19, 2008

About half of all Americans make New Year's resolutions. Some vow to use their gym membership or cut back their cookie intake. A lot promise to whip their finances into shape by paying down credit-card debt or increasing their savings contributions. ...more

January 6, 2008

Some credit card companies are raising interest rates on good customers even if they pay down their balances on time every month. The reason they cite is that the customer's credit rating has fallen elsewhere. A Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee hearing on credit card practices heard the testimony of people who had a nasty surprise when they thought they were paying down their balances, but it turned out they were only paying off interest. Major credit card companies such as Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have said they will discontinue the practice of raising a customer's interest rate based solely on a change in their credit score. Capital One said its policy is not to change customers' interest rates if their credit scores go down. ...more

December 5, 2007

In a bold strike, the Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate by a half point Tuesday - the first cut in more than four years - and left the door open to further relief to prevent a painful housing slump and jarring credit crunch from driving the country into recession. ...more

September 18, 2007

For the first time in more than four years, the Federal Reserve appears ready to lower interest rates to prevent a housing meltdown and a painful credit crunch from driving the economy into a recession. ...more

September 17, 2007