Personal Finance

Most graduating high school seniors don't have a credit history. So how do you convince a bank to lend you money for college? You need a co-signer -- and not everyone will lay down their creditworthiness for your cause.

By Chris Obenschain

If you want to be a millionaire by the time you retire, you have to start planning today. The solution to managing your future funds is at your fingertips: It's your computer's keyboard. Online banking is a smart way to swaddle that nest egg.

By Gallagher Flinn

Co-signing a mortgage means backing up someone else's promise to make payments for a house. If you're thinking about co-signing for a family member or if you're seeking a co-signer yourself, you should be familiar with the responsibilities.

By Victoria Vogt

In order to succeed in its industry or field, a corporation, institution or organization has to know where it is going and how it's going to get there. That's where strategic and financial planning come into play.

By Brian Boone

Mortgage rates are complex. When you investigate them, you'll find an intricate and interconnected web of factors that go into what determines mortgage rates.

By Jane McGrath

Everyone knows that if you want to become a doctor, you must go to medical school first. But first you have to go through the admissions process, which is challenging itself.

By Stephanie Crawford

The Ivy League may have started out as an athletic consortium, but the name is now synonymous with academic rigor, professional achievement and exclusivity. How do you get in? Start here.

By Dave Roos

You might be happy about that scholarship or fellowship you just got, but don't jump for joy just yet -- you may have to pay a portion of that money back to the government. Do you owe Uncle Sam part of your financial aid package? Find out here.

By Linda C. Brinson

A good budget can help you save for a new car, a college education or a comfortable 30 years' worth of retirement money. How can financial planning software make it easier to keep your budget in line?

By Jessika Toothman

Knowledge is power, and online banking provides up-to-the-minute information about the status of our bank accounts. It can also help you set up a budget -- and stick with it.

By Molly Edmonds

Your neighbor just got a cute new car. If only you could too. But how would you pay for a new ride? By doing what most car buyers do -- apply for a car loan.

By Elizabeth Sprouse

Online money transfer is where the old-fashioned concept of wiring money converges with the modern technology of electronic funds transfer.

By Brian Boone

If you don't fill out a FAFSA -- or if you miss the deadline -- you're throwing away free money. Your school and federal government can help you pay for college, but you've got to do your part by crossing each "t" and dotting each "i" before June 30.

By Bambi Turner

Your financial aid history encapsulates all of the outside aid you've ever received for school, from grade school on up. How can that record affect you, long after you've stopped hitting the books?

By Susan L. Nasr

Every year, millions of American adults head into college classrooms to improve their job skills or upgrade their resumes. Higher education may be pricey, but the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit can help alleviate the financial burden.

By Dave Roos

As a college student, you're on your own for the first time and will have to pay for a place to live, food, books and more. The easiest way to handle this is by opening a bank account.

By Chris Landers

Getting in to the college of your choice requires a lot of filling out forms, writing essays and personal interviews. College Admissions Assistance will help you do it, for a fee. Should you sign up?

By Nathan Chandler

ATMs are quick and convenient -- but they can be costly, too. How can you get cash fast without the fees?

By Christopher Lampton

What does it take to make a remarkable piece of jewelry or to deliver a moving theater performance? Sure, a mastery of the fine arts requires talent and skill, but it also takes discipline and knowledge. An MFA can prepare you for the art world.

By Echo Surina

Applying for student loans can seem like a daunting task when you're just getting started. But with a little bit of planning and patience, your efforts can really pay off.

By Colleen Cancio

Feeding your paycheck into a computer on a street corner just doesn't feel as safe and secure as dealing with a flesh-and-blood teller standing near a bank vault. But are your feelings deceiving you?

By Jane McGrath

Describe yourself. Tell us your greatest weakness (skillfully turned into a strength, of course). How would you bring about world peace? We’re just kidding on that last one, but the person opposite you at your graduate school interview may not be.

By Marie Willsey

Unless you (or your parents) are independently wealthy, your search for the right college will probably begin with a search for all available financial aid options. If you plan to be a full-time student, you'll have a few more options to choose from.

By Janice Clark

Planning on using the leftover cash from your student loan to pay for a brand new computer for school? Not so fast. The type of financial aid you receive may dictate how you can use those last remaining dollars.

By Jonathan Strickland

With college tuition soaring toward the quarter-million-dollar mark, competition for financial aid is fierce. How much will grades affect your chances obtaining merit-based and need-based aid?

By Julia Layton