Timing is everything when it comes to saving for the holidays. The longer you have to build up cash reserves, plan your budget and buy gifts at the right price, the better you can cover these seasonal costs without going into debt. Avoiding debt around the holidays can save you from a spending hangover in the new year: Shoppers who … Continue reading →

At Lamps.com, you can purchase a modern chrome floor lamp for your home for $178.95. If that sounds steep, keep reading. Underneath the price, there’s an alternative. Instead of paying $178.95 now, you can choose to pay in four interest-free slices of $44.74 — one upfront and the rest every two weeks. This doesn’t affect the cost of the lamp, … Continue reading →

Your credit score is a bellwether of your financial habits, but it’s not the only one. There are other numbers that say a lot about you when you apply for things like a credit card, car loan or mortgage, or act as a yardstick to measure how financially healthy you are. Here are three numbers worth paying attention to and … Continue reading →

Believing that fraud can’t happen to us — because we’re too smart, logical or informed — may make us more vulnerable. Successful scam artists skillfully overcome our defenses and get us into emotional states that override logical thinking, says Kathy Stokes, AARP’s director of fraud prevention programs. “Scammers call it getting the victim under the ether,” she says. Various studies … Continue reading →

While some apps help you save money, others have a way of encouraging you to spend more. Changing how you connect with these types of apps by deleting them, not downloading them in the first place or limiting your interaction with them can help you rein in your spending. Subscription-based apps Many subscription services and boxes have corresponding apps. And you … Continue reading →

The way your credit score works can seem mysterious, with several factors intertwining in complex ways. But following a simple recipe can help you build and maintain a good credit score: Pay everything on time. Use less than 30% of your available credit. Keep an eye on everything else. This formula focuses your energy on the two biggest factors that influence … Continue reading →

This summer, keep your financial focus with “Stay on Track,” a contest from our partner in financial education, BALANCE. With “Stay on Track,” BalanceTrack users can win $500 and/or one of three $100 gift cards! Entering “Stay on Track” is easy: Visit BalanceTrack online Complete at least one BalanceTrack module with a passing grade (multiple entries across different modules are … Continue reading →

Intuition and common sense can let you down big time if you use them to make credit decisions. Consumer credit expert John Ulzheimer says the secret is to understand the factors behind your credit score and use those to guide decisions. Here are five perfectly reasonable-sounding credit moves that can come back to bite you — and what to do … Continue reading →