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Get smart with your money

financial advice

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to protect yourself during online transactions. Also in the news: Finding financial help when you’re not wealthy, saving money at the gas pump, and how to tell if your financial dreams are based in reality.

4 Tips for Secure Online Transactions
Protecting yourself while shopping online.

How to Find a Financial Advisor If You’re Not Rich
You don’t need to be loaded in order to get advice.

3 Secrets to Saving Money at the Pump
Following these tips could save you almost $500 a year.

Financial Goals: How To Tell If Yours Are Truly Realistic
Keeping your head out of the clouds.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Five pieces of personal finance advice from those in the know. Also in the news: Renting with bad credit, how to raise cash in an emergency, and when to admit your finances are out of control. Offering Advice

5 Pieces of Personal Finance Advice From Successful People
Listening to the experts.

How to Rent With Bad Credit
A low credit score doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t rent.

Ways to Raise Cash You Haven’t Thought Of
Tips on how to handle financial emergencies.

7 Warning Signs Your Finances Are Out of Order
When to admit you have a problem.

5 things you’ll pay less for in 2014
Cheaper gas could be on the way.

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: The key factors to getting the lowest mortgage rate. Also in the news: Personal finance trends for 2014, how to make teaching your kids about money fun, and what you can do to make good financial decisions all day long. girlcoins

The Most Important Factors to Getting the Lowest Mortgage Rate
Your credit score is key.

5 personal finance trends to expect in 2014
Mortgage rates will begin to slowly increase.

Making Financial Literacy Fun
Teaching your kids about money doesn’t have to be torture.

5 Ways to Make Good Money Choices All Day Long
Daily reminders can be a big help.

10 money lessons from elderly Americans
Advice from those who have seen it all.

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Understanding your credit reports. Also in the news: Sticking to your financial resolutions, the pros and cons of money apps, and confessing your deep, dark money secrets to your financial advisor. Offering Advice

How to Read Your Credit Reports
How to make sure you’re finding any and all errors.

The 3 Pitfalls Likely To Derail Your Financial Resolutions
Steeling your resolve and avoiding money traps.

Are Apps Helping or Hurting Your Finances?
Could your savings apps cause you to spend more money instead of less?

3 Big Secrets You Should Tell Your Financial Advisor
They’ve seen and heard it all.

5 Tips for Preparing for 2014 Taxes
Time to start getting your paperwork in order.

Great money books to get or give

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Christmas shopping woman holding giftsDonna Freedman was kind enough to include a couple of my books in her recent post, “The gift of personal finance,” which made me realize that there was an unusually good crop of money tomes that appeared this year.

I’m delighted to recommend the following for anyone who’s interested in making the most of his or her money:

“The $1,000 Challenge: How One Family Slashed Its Budget Without Moving Under a Bridge or Living on Government Cheese,” by Brian J. O’Connor. How often do you laugh out loud when reading a personal finance book? Brian is flat-out hilarious, and his ultimately-successful efforts to trim his family’s spending are both entertaining and educational.
“Confessions of a Credit Junkie: Everything You Need to Know to Avoid the Mistakes I Made” by Beverly Harzog. I wrote the forward to this book because its author’s message is so important: that you can bounce back from a credit disaster without forsaking plastic for the rest of your life.
“The Smart Woman’s Guide to Planning for Retirement: How to Save Your Future Today” by Mary Hunt. Mary is best known for her Debt-Proof Living website and her books about saving money (which always teach me a thing or two). She brings her trademark approachable style to the often scary and sometimes complex world of retirement savings. She offers wisdom, practical ideas and hope to those who may be struggling with how to make their retirement dreams come true.
I’ll have more recommendations in the coming days. Stay tuned!

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How to avoid charity scams. Also in the news: Money lessons from retirees, money-saving tips for travelers, and how a grandparents’ gift for college could ruin a student’s financial aid.

4 Ways to Avoid Charity Scams
Protecting your empathy from being preyed upon.

5 Financial Lessons from Retirees
Voices of experience.

3 Smart Money-Saving Tips For Your Travels
More money for souvenirs!

Grandparents’ 529 College Distributions Can Be a Ticking Time Bomb
A loving gesture which could ruin a student’s financial aid.

Laid Off? 5 Tips To Get Back On Your Feet
How not to become complacent during a layoff.