General Personal Finance Articles

Article / Updated 05-18-2023

Your number one money-saving task when it comes to utilities: In the winter, for instance, keep cold air outside and warm air inside by caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows. To do that, caulk and weather-strip doors and windows. Keep your fireplace flue tightly closed. Seal any air leaks where plumbing or electrical wiring comes through the walls. Then make sure your home is insulated properly. Following, are 33 ways to save money on utilities, including heating, cooling, water, and electricity. How to save on water costs One of the simplest things you can do to save money on utilities is to fix that leaky toilet. That steady draining can waste 200 gallons per day and hundreds of dollars a year on your water bill! Some fixes are free (the chain might just be hung up). You can replace the whole mechanism for about $20. Update every sink and tub with a new faucet or aerator marked with the WaterSense label. Aerators, which mix air into the water, can cut water consumption by 700 gallons per year. Most water heaters come from the factory set at 140 degrees — hot enough to scald. Turn it down to 120 degrees to avoid a safety risk, save money, and slow mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes. The next time your water heater quits, replace it with a tankless heater that costs about the same but is likely to last more than 20 years, as opposed to the 10- to 15-year life expectancy of a tank heater. Plus, tankless models are 24 to 34 percent more energy efficient. But tankless heaters can heat only so much water at once, so if you like to shower and run several appliances at once or have a large household, you may need more than one. Stop prewashing dishes if you have a modern dishwasher. It’s not necessary. Just scrape them off thoroughly into the garbage and load them. You’ll save about 55,000 gallons of water over the lifetime of the dishwasher. That can save about several hundreds of dollars, plus it’s good for the environment — and avoids lots of unnecessary work. Wash clothes in cold water. You’ll save around $60 in energy costs a year. Plus it’s gentler on your clothes and protects them from fading, shrinking, or bleeding. With today’s detergents, your clothes will be just as clean. Install a low-flow showerhead. You won’t even notice the difference, because a low-flow fixture reduces the volume of water but does not affect the water pressure in any way. Save 2,900 gallons a year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Insulate your hot water lines. Preformed foam insulation jackets slip over hot water pipes. You can easily lower your energy bill by $40 per year. How to save on electric bills Keep your stovetop shiny. When the metal pans that surround burners on older stovetops become blackened from charred spillover, they absorb heat. When they are clean and shiny, they reflect heat and require less energy to cook food. If the dish you are making will fit in your toaster oven, cook it in there. You can slash the energy cost by more than half over a full-size electric oven. You save time, too, because a toaster oven preheats much faster than a full-size oven. Banish power vampires to save money on home utility bills. The modern home has lots of devices that suck electricity even when turned off, costing an average of $100 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Chargers for phones, tablets, and other cordless devices drink juice even when they are not charging anything — so unplug them. Likewise, unplug televisions, computers, cable boxes, and game consoles — anything with a little indicator light. Ask your utility companies for help. If you are having trouble paying your utility bill or want more information on how to lower your energy bills, your utility company should be your first contact. Many offer budget-billing programs in which you can pay a set amount each month. Some offer special protections for customers who have disabilities, are on Supplemental Security Income, are on medical life-support equipment, or are having difficulty paying their bill. The utility company will devise an affordable payment plan or put you in touch with a nonprofit that may be able to help. Ask about rate options as well. Some offer a low-income rate discount. Others offer time-of-use rates that lower bills if you can move your consumption off-peak. Install motion detectors. These sensors can be connected to lights, fans, or any other electrical device. They save energy dollars by automatically turning on the electrical device when you enter a room or area of your property and turning the device off when you leave. They can also make your home more secure by automatically turning on exterior lights if there is an intruder. Upgrading to LED lighting is another way to save money on utility bills. You can cut the amount of energy used by your light bulbs by up to 90 percent by switching to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) from traditional incandescent bulbs. LEDs also last 25 times longer, meaning you won’t spend as much on new bulbs over time. Test for a tight seal on your refrigerator by closing the door on a dollar bill; if you can easily pull the dollar out, the seal needs replacing. Verify your fridge settings. Place a thermometer in your refrigerator overnight and check it in the morning: The ideal temperature for food safety is slightly below 40 degrees, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Too cold wastes energy and money. Too warm is unsafe. If the temperature is off, adjust accordingly. Upgrade your appliances. Sure, that old refrigerator has been running since 1963. But it’s probably sucking up a lot of juice while it’s cooling your beer. New appliances with the Energy Star designation are more efficient than average appliances. Energy Star televisions, for example, use 3 watts or less when they are turned off, which is about 50 percent less than average. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency keeps a list of the most energy-efficient appliances. How to save on heating and cooling bills When looking to save money on utilities in the winter, try lowering your home’s temperature by 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day. It could save you up to 10 percent a year on your heating bill. To help regulate your household temperature, install a programmable thermostat so the settings change automatically. If you're looking for ways to save money on utilities in the summer, draw the blinds when the sun is blazing. About 76 percent of the sunlight that hits your windows enters to generate heat inside your home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A recent study found that 75 percent of blinds stay in the same position every day. Medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33 percent. If you have a ceiling fan, use it. The U.S. Department of Energy says that when you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will let you raise the thermostat about four degrees in the summer. Fans that carry the Energy Star label move air 20 percent more efficiently than those that don’t. In the summer, you should set ceiling fans to go counterclockwise to blow air downward, according to Home Depot. Inspect for leaks at windows and doors with a candle or lighted incense stick. Sealing them can cut a $1,000 heating and cooling bill by $200. Really! Gaps can reduce air-conditioning efficiency by 20 percent or more. Hold a candle or an incense stick to the seams where two ducts connect; the smoke will tell you whether air is escaping. Tape it! Seal around outlets and switches. Stop chilly drafts by installing inexpensive foam gaskets available at most home improvement centers. Staying cool is tough enough during a massive heat wave, but add soaring energy prices and inflation to the mix and it can be downright expensive, too. In 2022, energy costs were up 41.6 percent year over year. Blasting the air conditioner all day and stocking up on an endless supply of bottled water aren’t your only options. Here are other ways to stay cool without breaking the bank: Give your air conditioner a tune-up. If you do run your air conditioner, make sure it’s operating as efficiently as possible. Otherwise, the unit has to work harder, which means more money spent on energy. Simple upkeep, like changing the filters, can improve the unit’s performance. Experts say that with rising costs, you are trying to extend the lifetime of the unit so you don’t have to replace it in the near term. If your air conditioner has an energy-saver mode, use it. Shun the oven and dryer. Reconsider cooking a three-course meal in a heat wave. Ovens give off heat, warming the room by a couple of degrees. The same goes for your dryer, which emits heat when in use. Avoiding it when the temperature is sizzling can be a cool strategy. Take advantage of the heat and air-dry your clothes. Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water and using ice will lower your body temperature, keeping your cooler. You may not need to pay for bottled water; look into the safety of your tap water. Keep it light. In cold weather wear a sweater, but in extreme heat the fewer clothes the better. Wearing loose-fitting, lightweight clothes and sleeping with sheets instead of heavy blankets can go a long way toward keeping you cool. Tap your community. Many communities across the country provide places for people to stay cool during the summer months, including community centers, cooling stations, malls, and libraries. They are usually air-conditioned and don’t charge admission fees. Museums, movie theaters, and playhouses can be great places to stay cool and be entertained. Shop around to save. Stocking up on water (if you don’t drink your tap water), ice cream, ices, or whatever you need to stay cool can add up. Without a doubt, inflation is making groceries more expensive, but take advantage of sales, loyalty clubs, and coupons. Pay attention to the price per unit when purchasing water. You want to ensure you’re getting the most for your money. If possible, buy your water in bulk to save. Get a furnace filter subscription. Changing your furnace filter every three months reduces heating bills and prolongs furnace life. But who remembers? Get a filter subscription (many online stores offer them) and stick in a new filter whenever one arrives. Cover your windows. Homes lose about 30 percent of their heating energy through windows in the winter, and 76 percent of sunlight that falls on double-pane windows becomes heat in the summer. Consider blackout curtains. Don’t cover vents. Make sure your heating and cooling air vents aren’t blocked by rugs, bookcases, or other furnishings. Blocking vents strains the furnace, shortening its life and increasing your energy bill. Stop fireplace drafts. Dampers alone rarely stop the flow of air through your chimney; a reusable inflatable plug or chimney draft stopper helps seal out the cold. Reinforce windows. If you have single-pane windows and can’t afford to add outside storm windows, install custom-fit acrylic or glass panes instead. These interior storm windows can be pressed into place and sealed to create an airtight fit. Reduce air-conditioning costs by as much as 10 percent by keeping AC condensers and window units shaded, perhaps by installing an overhead awning. For whole house HVAC, inspect the ductwork carefully and seal any seams or gaps. Doing so reduces the amount of chilled or heated air escaping through the ductwork by up to 20 percent. Many energy providers offer free or subsidized energy audits, which can identify problem areas in your home and offer suggestions and discounted solutions to fix them. They may also offer discounts for low-income users or deals for those who agree to preheat their home during off-peak hours. Tap into energy assistance aid with the following programs: Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is a federal program that helps millions of low-income Americans afford to heat and cool their homes. If you need help paying your utility bills, replacing your furnace, weatherizing your home, or making other energy-related improvements, you can apply. Operated by the states, LIHEAP also provides crisis or emergency assistance for people who have received a shut-off notice or had their service disconnected. Details of the program vary by state. To apply, contact your state LIHEAP office or reach out through the National Energy Assistance Referral hotline at 866-674-6327. Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP): Weatherization is one of the best ways to save on utilities, if not the best. The Weatherization Assistance Program, or WAP, helps low-income families lower their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. The U.S. Department of Energy provides funding to states, U.S. overseas territories, and Indian tribal governments. Those governments have a network of nonprofits, community groups, and local government agencies that provide weatherization services to households in each state. More information is available at the Weatherization Assistance Program website or 888-771-9404. Special preference goes to families with someone 60 or older, children, or one or more members with a disability. Tech to Save You Money Get a smart thermostat. In addition to operating on a set schedule, smart thermostats learn your temperature preferences, and some can sense if someone is in the room. You can operate them from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop to make the house cozy when you return. Buy a smart sprinkler controller. Tell the controller what type of soil, plants, or lawn you are watering, and the device will factor in the weather conditions and weather forecast to deliver exactly the amount of water your plants need.

Article / Updated 05-03-2023

When you're financial planning after 50, you may be faced with lots of Medicare questions. Medicare is administered and enforced by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Chances are you have questions about Medicare, and finding answers can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know where to look. Here is some advice: Through the Medicare office: You can ask questions and order publications by calling 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227). You can also find a wealth of information at the website medicare.gov. Two of the best sources of information are the publications Medicare and You and Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare. You can download these, and other publications, free from the site; you can also order free copies by calling the toll-free number. Through your state Office of Aging (or its equivalent): States also offer help and information about Medicare. Each state has an Office on Aging, which offers free counseling, seminars, and literature. Most state agencies regulating health insurers publish a booklet listing the premiums charged on policies by different insurers in the state and offer this information on their websites. A state’s corporation commission or insurance department usually is the appropriate agency to contact. The agencies also should have information on the financial condition of insurers selling policies in the state.

Article / Updated 04-14-2023

How a person relates to and feels about money has a great impact on how good they are at managing their money and making important financial decisions. For example, knowing that you have a net worth of negative $13,200 because of credit-card debt is useful, but it’s probably not enough information for you to do something constructive about your problem. A logical next step would be to examine your current spending and take steps to reduce your debt load. Practical solutions to common financial quandaries abound in books and on the internet, but money also has a touchy-feely side. For example, some people who continually rack up consumer debt have a spending addiction. Other people who jump in and out of investments and follow them like a hawk have psychological obstacles that prevent them from holding on to investments. What you learned as a child affects you today How you deal with money as an adult could be, in part, related to what you learned from your parents when you were growing up. I was fortunate — my parents taught me a lot of things that have been invaluable throughout my life, and among those things were sound principles for earning, spending, and saving money. Unfortunately, in many families, money is a taboo subject — parents don’t level with their kids about the limitations, realities, and details of their budgets. Some parents I talk with believe that dealing with money is an adult issue and that children should be insulated from it so they can enjoy being kids. Others readily admit the many holes in their financial knowledge and thus don’t feel comfortable teaching their kids about personal finance. In too many families, kids hear about money only when disagreements and financial crises bubble to the surface. Thus begins the harmful cycle of children having negative associations with money and financial management. Philosophical and psychological aspects of money And then you have those somewhat philosophical and psychological issues relating to money and the meaning of life. Saving more money and increasing your net worth aren’t always the best approaches. Many people attach too much significance to personal wealth accumulation and neglect important human relationships in their pursuit of more money. Some retirees have a hard time loosening the purse strings and actually spending some of the money they worked so hard to save for their golden years. Balancing your financial goals with other important life goals is key to your happiness. What’s the point, for example, of staying in a well-paying, admired profession if you don’t care for the work and you’re mainly doing it for the financial rewards? Life is too short and precious for you to squander away your days. So as you educate yourself about managing your money, please consider your higher life goals and purposes. What are your nonfinancial priorities (family, friends, causes), and how can you best accomplish your goals with the financial resources you do have?

Article / Updated 03-22-2023

Filling out a check may seem completely foreign to you if, like most people, you use an ATM card, check card, or debit card with a security pin to pay your bills. Despite the convenience of online bill paying and the conveniences of modern banking, most places still accept paper checks today, and you probably need to know how to write (and read or interpret) checks. Simply follow these easy steps to fill out a check correctly the first time, every time. Clearly write the name of the recipient in the "Pay to" or "Pay to the order of" space. Fill in the date in the "Date" space provided. Fill out the amount you wish to write the check in the "$" box and "Amount" line provided. In the "Memo" space, indicate why the check is being written. Sign the check so it is valid and cashable. All checks have the same information on them so that banks know what to do with them when they cash them. You will find preprinted information or fields to supply the following basic information on all paper checks: Account holder Recipient Date Amount Memo Signatures Account, routing, and check numbers Checking account holder The account holder information is usually preprinted in the top left corner of the check. If it's your checking account, this information will be your name, address, and phone number. If you are cashing the check, the account holder info will be of the person or business that issued you the check. If you recently opened a new bank account, often they will provide you with temporary checks until the official ones are sent to you. These checks do not have preprinted account holder information and can sometimes be difficult to cash. Recipient information Just below the account holder information is a blank line that you would use to clearly fill in the name of the person or business to whom you are writing the check. Usually labeled as "Pay to" or "Pay to the order of." If the check is meant for you to cash it, your name will be written or typed in this space. You can give your checks more than one recipient. If you put the word "and" between two names, both people will need to sign the check to cash it. If you put the word "or" between the two names, either person can sign and cash the check. Most banks no longer accept checks made out to "Cash" as the recipient due to recent identity theft concerns. Date field on checks An empty date box can usually be found right and slightly above the recipient line. If the check was issued to you, the "Date" box will already be filled in. Checks can be pre-dated, current-dated, or post-dated. No matter what date you select, just make sure the funds were/are available on the date indicated to avoid a returned check for insufficient funds also known as a bounced check. Depending on the bank, insufficient fund fees are exorbitant and can range from $25 up to $40 per returned check; this can add up quickly! Banks often offer bounce protection if you link your checking account with a savings account. Checks that are returned, if several occur, may become part of a check fraud investigation, resulting in possible jail time. Only write checks that you have money in your account to cover. You can keep track of your spending through online statements or by manually filling out the check register in the back of the checkbook. Amount of check All checks have two spaces for the amount. The first amount space is a blank line labeled "Amount." The second space is a box labeled with a dollar sign "$." On the blank line, write out the amount in word format. In the box write the same amount in number format. For example: $2,456.34, Two thousand four hundred fifty-six dollars and thirty-four cents. OR $2,456.34, Two thousand four hundred fifty-six dollars and 34/100. Usually people use the fraction for cents because the space provided for all this writing is never large enough. Memo line on checks Found in the bottom left corner, a blank space is provided labeled "Memo." This space indicates what the check's intentions are. Although most people leave this area blank, it is a good idea to fill in why you are writing the check. If the check is a gift, make sure to indicate it by writing gift in the memo line. Same goes for bill pay. If the money/check is a loan, always indicate that it is a loan. Indicating a loan ensures that the person accepting the money will pay it back and not claim it was a gift. Signature lines on your check Usually one signature line is provided on the bottom right corner of the front of the check and one space is indicated on the back of the check. These are the most important spaces. If no signatures are present, no bank will cash the check. The front of the check must be endorsed by the account holder, and the back of the check must be endorsed by the check recipient. Never endorse a blank check. Signing your name to a blank check is irresponsible; it provides an easy way for criminals to wipe-out your bank account. Checking account and routing numbers The account number links the check to a specific bank account. The routing number is the number assigned to the bank from which the check was issued. Both numbers need to be on the check for the bank to know from where to secure the funds. These numbers are always along the bottom of the check so machines can read them. Sometimes a third set of numbers follows the account and routing numbers. This set of numbers is for the account holder and indicates the check number for easier tracking and bookkeeping purposes. Cashier's checks, money orders, payroll checks, and traveler's checks have all this information. The layout may be a little different form one check to another, but the concept is basically the same. Keep in mind, with nonpersonal checks usually the "Amount" spaces are already filled in for you.

Article / Updated 08-16-2022

The channel through which you hear of a financial planner may provide clues to the planner’s integrity and way of doing business. Beware of planners you find (or who find you) through these avenues: Cold calling: You’ve just come home after a hard day. No sooner have you sat down to dinner when the phone rings. It’s Joe the financial planner, and he wants to help you achieve all your financial dreams. Cold calling (whereby the salesperson calls you, without an appointment) is the most inefficient way for a planner to get new clients. Cold calling is intrusive, and it’s typically used by aggressive salespeople who work on commission. Keep a log beside your telephone. Record the date, time, name of the organization, and name of the caller every time you receive a cold call. Politely but firmly tell cold callers to never call you again. Then, if they do call you again, you can collect $500 in small claims court! Adult education classes: Here’s what often happens at the adult education classes that are offered at local universities: You pay a reasonable fee for the course. You go to class giddy at the prospect of learning how to manage your finances. And then the instructor ends up being a broker or financial planner hungry for clients. He confuses more than he conveys. He’s short on specifics. But he’s more than happy to show you the way if you contact (and hire) him outside of class. The instructors for these courses are paid to teach. They don’t need to solicit clients in class, and, in fact, it’s unethical for them to do so. Part of the problem is that some universities take advantage of the fact that such “teachers” want to solicit business, setting the pay at a low level. So never assume that someone who is teaching a financial-planning course at a local college is ethical, competent, or looking out for your best interests. Ethical instructors who are there to teach do not solicit clients. In fact, they may actively discourage students from hiring them. Smart universities pay their instructors well and weed out those who are more interested in building their client base than they are in teaching. “Free” seminars: This is a case of “you get what you pay for.” Because you don’t pay a fee to attend “free seminars” and the “teachers” don’t get paid either, these events tend to be clear-cut sales pitches. The “instructor” may share some information, but smart seminar leaders know that the goal of a successful seminar is to establish themselves as experts and to whet the prospects’ appetites. Be wary of seminars targeted at select groups, such as special seminars for people who have received retirement-plan distributions or seminars touting “Financial Planning for Women.” Financial planning is not specific to gender, ethnicity, or marital status. Don’t assume that the financial planner giving a presentation at your employer’s office is the right planner for you, either. You may be surprised at how little some corporate benefits departments investigate the people they let in. In most cases, planners are accepted simply because they don’t charge. Copyright © 2016 Eric Tyson. All rights reserved

Article / Updated 05-17-2022

Finding quality, affordable professional service providers can be a challenge. As can finding the myriad other service providers you may seek, such as an auto repair shop or a plumber. All of us have the battle scars from the school of hard knocks and making bad hiring decisions. Getting referrals from folks you know often doesn't pan out — and for good reason. Just because your friend or neighbor has had good experiences with a given contractor doesn't mean you will or that you value the same things in a provider. The Internet has long held the promise of being an information source and exchange for consumers interested in hearing the straight scoop about service providers, but message boards rarely have a critical mass of comments about locally focused companies. Firms such as Kudzu, which is owned by media conglomerate Cox Enterprises, provides consumers free reviews on companies, but here's a case where you may well get less than you paid for. Anyone can complete a simple registration by providing an email address, name, and zip code, and many service providers have just one or a few reviews. Due to the anonymity of the reviews and lack of screening, company owners, employees, and friends can easily post puffed-up reviews while competitors can easily criticize their peers. After reviewing numerous websites that purport to help consumers separate the best service providers from the rest, the sections that follow highlight those that I've found are doing the best job. On some ratings sites, companies are solicited to buy enhanced listings, and this disguised advertising may make them more appealing to prospective customers. For example, Kudzu's "Enhanced Profile" service promises the paying company "Higher placement in search" as well as the ability to add photos and video and a marketing description. Angie's List Angie's List subscribers get access to data and customer feedback on a wide range of service providers in their local market area. The service boasts more than 3 million members in hundreds of markets around the United States. Angie's List, which began operations in 1995, uses proprietary technology to process reports, and one of a team of thirty people employed by Angie's List reads every report before it gets posted. Reports praising your own business or dissing a competitor's are ferreted out and removed. As happens on eBay, customers and businesses can respond to one another. When Angie's List receives a report on an unregistered company, that company is allowed to register for free. By registering, the company can then respond by posting to each customer's report. Consumers may not report anonymously, but their identity is only disclosed to the companies they rate. Angie's List also offers conflict resolution when a customer and company are at odds over their interaction. Angie's List says that they have a "zero-tolerance policy" about companies hassling a customer over the posting of negative comments. The report is posted live for all members to see, which obviously offers an incentive for the service company to resolve the issue quickly. If the service company resolves the complaint to the customer's satisfaction, the dispute is considered "resolved" and the negative report is removed from the service company's record. That's the leverage Angie's List uses to get complaints resolved. The member can then choose to file a new report, but if they do, they must grade the company at a B or above. However, the member is not obligated to file another report. Co-founder Angie Hicks never really considered the advertising-only model so often used online when she started her company. "We offer a premium service with high-quality information. Consumers are willing to pay for good information. Consumers are looking for trusted filters," says Hicks. Angie's List has not totally forsaken ads. The company offers coupons from highly rated service companies. Companies pay to run coupons and must have an A or B rating. Like a school report card, grades range from A (best) to F (worst). If a company has any unresolved complaints, it can't advertise, regardless of its overall grade. (Note: At the time that this book goes to press in late 2017, Angie's List may merge into the parent company that owns HomeAdvisor.) HomeAdvisor HomeAdvisor (formerly Service Magic), another large online provider of service-company referrals, doesn't rely on member subscriptions. With HomeAdvisor, you register for free and provide personal information, including your home address and details of what you're looking for, and several companies, which have paid HomeAdvisor an annual membership (advertising) fee of about $300, will contact you offering their services. Home-Advisor argues that such fees weed out people who may be operating as a sideline or on a short-term basis and lead to higher-quality, committed contractors being listed on their site. HomeAdvisor, which is focused on home improvement, repair, and maintenance firms, also has a ratings and review feature where customers can rate the company. To prevent bogus reviews, HomeAdvisor only allows consumers who have found contractors through their service to rate and evaluate those contractors. Here's how their service works: Suppose you're seeking a contractor to build you a wooden deck. After completing background information on the HomeAdvisor site about your planned project, your information would be sent to three contractors in your area who would contact you, arrange a meeting to discuss your project, and give you a proposal (with some contractors, you can actually schedule these appointments through the HomeAdvisor site). Unlike other services, including Angie's List, HomeAdvisor screens all contractors, who must meet numerous criteria including being properly licensed within their state, carrying general liability insurance coverage, and passing a criminal and financial background check (which uncovers negatives such as liens, bankruptcies, and judgments), among other items. In addition to paying HomeAdvisor an annual membership fee of $300, contractors pay HomeAdvisor a lead fee, depending upon the type of work and ranging from $10 to $50, for each lead they are sent. HomeAdvisor's model allows contractors to target clients by zip code and task, which allows them to be more focused in their prospecting and spend less time driving long distances. Other resources Another resource worth checking out is Consumers Checkbook, which compiles service-provider data in the following metro areas: Boston, Chicago, Delaware Valley (Philadelphia area), Puget Sound (Seattle area), San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Twin Cities, and Washington, D.C. Checkbook is a nonprofit founded in 1974. Like Consumer Reports, it doesn't accept any advertising or money from companies it reviews. In addition to its website, it publishes Consumer's Checkbook magazine in seven local versions for each of the metro areas. Another option for checking out service providers is to access the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website in your area, which you can locate through their national site. BBB information, which is available without a fee to you the consumer, may tell you if the company you're considering has any recent black marks but will hardly give you a thorough review of many customers' experiences like those you will find on sites like HomeAdvisor or Angie's List. BBBs are non-profits that collect fees from member companies. Thus, they have similar conflicts of interest that Angie's List and Home Advisor have in being "pro" business.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-13-2022

Managing your money is crucial at all stages of your adult life — whether you’re interviewing for your first job, in the thick of your prime earning years, or enjoying your retirement. Some crucial aspects of managing your finances include taking stock of your finances, using a budget, building your savings, and investing your money.

Article / Updated 05-12-2022

Life can throw you some financial curveballs, but you don't have to be at the mercy of financial markets even if you're not able to control them. To protect against financial uncertainties, use the following strategies: Plan for life's certainties and prepare for life's uncertainties. Invest in and protect your ability to earn money; it's likely your most valuable asset. Adequately insure yourself, your stuff, and your income stream. Minimize or eliminate debt, and focus on building a great credit score. Maintain an emergency reserve fund. Invest for your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Diversify your portfolio across a broad mix of asset classes. Monitor and rebalance your portfolio to maintain your target asset allocation.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-05-2022

You work hard for your money, and you should get to use your savings in your later years. In order to enjoy an enjoyable and stress-free retirement, you need to make the most of your finances and retirement planning. You can get on the right track by determining the appropriate age to retire, becoming familiar with Medicare, and understanding your pension and how it’s protected. © 2021 Eric Tyson and Bob Carlson. All rights reserved.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

Everyone needs to know how to manage their money. Having that knowledge and know-how early in your life pays bigger dividends over the decades of your adult life. And everyone makes mistakes, so Personal Finance in Your 20s and 30s For Dummies can help you minimize bad decisions and maximize good ones.