Understanding Finances

How to Get Out of Debt Here's a newsflash: The first step to getting out of debt is to stop adding to it. You do that by saying "no" to a series of payments with interest and, instead, paying in full. The TV show Saturday Night Live a few years ...

Getting wealthy means being very honest with yourself and being willing to invest your time and efforts into the quest for greater prosperity. Many of the Rules are behavioral, and changing your behavior is never easy. Some Rules will seem stunni...

Tax Benefits of Owning a Home When you buy a house, Uncle Sam gives you a little housewarming gift (he's real generous with the gifts, isn't he?). You get to deduct two of the biggest owning-a-home expenses from your federal income tax: The int...

The concept of money comes with a lot of baggage to most of us. We have an inherent belief that it is good or bad and that wanting it is good or bad. That loving it is good or bad. That spending it is good or bad. What I am going to suggest in t...

Buy long or sell short? Market order or limit order? Test your knowledge of the stock market with this quiz. ...

It takes money to make money! How much do you know about investing and finance? ...

Setting Up a Trust Fund Money ABCs A trust is a legal type of ownership in which property is held by a fiduciary, called a trustee, for the benefit of someone else, called a beneficiary. The trustee runs things; the beneficiary gets things from ...

Take this quiz to determine if your family's finances are fit or flabby. ...

Are you a financial flop or a Wall Street wizard? Take our quiz and find out! ...

How much do you know about kids and credit? Take our quiz and find out! ...

Parents are increasingly allowing teens to get their own credit card. When they're used correctly, credit cards can help teens learn financial responsibility. Just be sure to prepare them with some wise tips to build good credit and prevent wild ...

Take this quiz about money to determine whether your financial expectations are realistic. ...

Take this quiz to determine whether you are a financially intelligent parent. ...

Teach Your Teen the Art of Investing Like all other aspects of money management, the more you can expose your teenager to during these years, the better off she'll be. If you've instilled in your teen the habit of saving, then it's time to intro...

The Rewards of Stock Market Investment In the past four years, we've seen record returns of more than 20 percent annually in the stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 (explained in Understanding Financial Terminology). You know that today you...

Car Insurance for Teens: It's Going to Cost You Big Time Call your insurance company as soon as your teen gets her permit or starts driver's education. After that, get prepared for the news you know is coming. It's common to see insurance rates...

The Pros and Cons of Mutual Funds Mutual funds are becoming a very popular way for individuals to own a piece of corporate America. Instead of buying shares in individual stocks, an investor buys shares in a mutual fund that, in turn, buys share...

Understanding Financial Terminology Watch Your Step A child who doesn't understand the risks might be willing to be too aggressive with his investments; he could lose it all on a speculative stock. A child should be encouraged to become a conser...