This is a good time of the year to shore up this year’s flexible spending account (FSA) expenditures and prepare for next year’s. The FSA I’m talking about here is a plan that may be offered through your (US) employer, whereby a part of your paycheck is withheld each period, pre-tax, to pay for qualified … Read more
Sixty-three-year-old Winnie Shilson, now a grandmother of six, was fired after working in Taco Bell and other preceding chains for thirty years. Her career was that of a dedicated employee, and was by many accounts exemplary: After 30 years, Taco Bell didn’t even offer her any hot sauce Then in the final two years, a … Read more
I’ve read a number of articles dealing with the dynamics of personal finance with couples, and one suggestion that pops up pretty regularly is keeping separate checking accounts for discretionary spending, or even for regular monthly bills that are in one person’s name or the other’s. The big motivations for doing this are freedom (“This … Read more
This movie by now is old news in the finance blogging community but I watched Maxed Out last night. It shows interviews with these folks, among others: A woman who spent years (I think) reclaiming her credit record and good name after someone thought that she had died rather than her daughter, who did die … Read more
First off, a big thank you to The Consumerist and The Simple Dollar and others for linking to my article on seven prudent things to do with a small windfall. I’m glad you found it worthwhile! The Consumerist linked to an article on CNN Money that discussed this issue as well. Walter Updegrave gave advice … Read more
We recently had been needing to watch our spending a lot more carefully than usual because of a number of very large outlays. Between buying a newer used van and getting some medical care, we took a big hit on our savings cushion. Then between work and the blog’s income we received a few nice … Read more
Because the definition of “everyone else” is open to interpretation. Liz Pulliam Weston’s article on MoneyCentral today is a continuation of her stance that mainstream reports of American indebtedness are wrong on the high side. The big lie about credit card debt, she contends, is that many often-cited figures of household credit card debt are … Read more
Gerri Willis of CNN Money answers a reader’s question: I am a 26-year-old professional. My parents just generously gave me $10,000. I want to use this money to begin saving for my retirement. I will contribute $4,000 to my Roth IRA. Any advice on what to do with the remaining $6,000? – Meghan, California Her … Read more