Personal Finance

Everyone knows that the things we buy at retail are marked up so vendors can make a profit. But the final cost depends on what you're buying -- and where you buy it.

By Dave Roos & John Kelly

Shopping online is so easy that people forget that it's fraught with pitfalls. You can buy anything you want with a mouse click, but you have to be careful on the Internet.

By Josh Clark

Cash, credit or debit? You're probably thinking that's not much of a choice since it's all money anyway. That's not exactly true, and you could get burned if you're not careful.

By Josh Clark

Extended product warranties are a good thing -- most of the time. However, under certain circumstances, it would be in your best interest to ignore the hard sales pitch and steer clear.

By Josh Clark

So you don't know what to buy your dad for Christmas. Maybe you can't wrap a gift to save your life. Whatever the reason, more people are giving gift cards these days. Buyer beware: They have more hidden strings than you may realize.

By Cristen Conger

Money woes can take a toll on your health and relationships. But the good news is that there are things you can do to lower your financial stress right now. Take a deep breath, slow down and check out our list.

By Jane McGrath

You can start investing even with a modest income. There's no need to keep procrastinating until the time is right. As little as $25 a month could get you closer to the life you dream of.

By Dave Roos

Flat tax. FairTax. Bumper stickers and blogs tout them as solutions to income tax rates. But how could these plans change the way Americans are taxed on the money they earn?

By Jane McGrath

Banks do much more than just hold (and repurpose) the money you give them. From mobile banking to international banks to bank alternatives, get a glimpse into the world of banking in our image gallery.

Maybe keeping up with the Joneses is running you into the poorhouse. But will cutting out your luxuries make your friends think you're in dire straits?

By Jane McGrath

If you have debt, if you're saving for retirement, or if you just have general questions about your finances, you might consider a certified financial planner. They're not used only for the rich and famous to keep track of their huge incomes.

By Sarah Siddons

You've prudently pinched pennies to build your nest egg. But with the recent failures of First Republic and Silicon Valley banks, should you worry about losing your money if your bank goes bust?

By Jane McGrath & Kathryn Whitbourne

When you buy a stock future, you're not actually buying shares of stock. Instead, you're making a contract to buy or sell shares on a certain date in the future.

By Dave Roos

Some people hate it, and others love it. Maybe you pay full price just to avoid the hassle of negotiation. Or, perhaps you get your thrills from haggling with the used-car salesman.

By Jane McGrath

If your fantasy is to be a hotshot investor, municipal bonds may give you the chance. These tax-free securities help towns and cities build sports complexes, hospitals, bridges and more.

By Dave Roos

Your phone service is taxed and your cable TV channels carry an added charge, too. So why is your Internet service exempt?

By John Fuller

During a routine car check-up, a service attendant announces to you that it will take $500 to repair your car. Normally, this cost wouldn't be a big deal, but this month you had to pay your income taxes, and you took a hit. How are you going to pay for the repairs?

By John Barrymore

A line of credit can help cover large, unexpected expenses like surgery fees that your medical insurance doesn't cover. With this type of loan, you don't start repayments until you borrow the funds.

By John Barrymore

The year was 1933, and financial ruin was everywhere. Enter the FDIC, created by U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt to ensure that bank customers didn't lose their money if a bank failed. In 2008, a new financial crisis loomed. What did the FDIC do?

By Dave Roos & John Barrymore

With taxes and medical expenses increasing, it isn't hard for U.S. workers to get discouraged. Nothing is more frustrating than working hard all year, just to have the government and the pharmacy take your money. But flex funds may help you save.

By Sarah Siddons

Most college students have to worry about paying for classes, books, food, and rent. They have to work jobs, study to keep their grades up, and show up for classes on time. So the government began offering Pell Grants to students in need.

By Sarah Siddons

When you car breaks down, or you take those morning trips to the latte shop, you incur non-fixed expenses. Reviewing your budget, you'll see that they can fluctuate from one month to the next.

By Sarah Siddons

Trendy clothes. Daily Starbucks coffee. All the newest CDs. In budgeting, these common spending habits are identified as discretionary expenses. Discretionary expenses can be a reward, or they can wreck your budget. So what's your weakness?

By Sarah Siddons

You have a big expense coming up. You need a better car or home, or you want to go back to college. What do you do? Borrow, borrow, borrow -- right? Well, maybe not. Working off of a budget just may save your sanity -- and credit.

By Sarah Siddons

It lurches forward, seemingly unstoppable by the arsenal of data you've collected against it. You battled this foe years ago, but like the undead, it's come for you again and again -- this time in the form of letter from a collection agency. It's name? Zombie debt.

By Sarah Siddons