Financial prudence dictates that we stash away enough cash to cover living expenses for three to six months in case something catastrophic comes our way—a job loss, an unexpected illness or an unpredicted home expense. Some items that also should be covered in such a fund include health and car insurance deductibles, rent or mortgage,

Coupons are a great way to save money — if you use them correctly. The first obstacle to overcome is forgetting to use them. Keep them in a handy spot, like in your wallet. If you have dry-cleaning coupons, pin them to the dirty-laundry bag. If you have one for a restaurant, tack it onto

Shopping at your credit union for a CD (certificate of deposit) isn’t quite as easy as going to the local music store for a CD (compact disc). But it’s a lot easier to choose than some other types of investments. By definition, a CD or certificate of deposit is a time deposit. That means you

With summer vacation just around the corner just keep in mind – you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. Here are tips for keeping costs down on vacation: Fly during the week. Airline rates are generally more expensive over the weekend, so plan your trip from Wednesday to

Here are a few ways to save money on car insurance: Shop around. Prices vary from company to company, so it pays to shop around. Get at least three price quotes. You can call companies directly or access information on the Internet. Your state insurance department may also provide comparisons of prices charged by major

You can make your own budget worksheet using either a pen and paper or a computer spreadsheet program. Think of your budget in terms of two things: money and time. Money, of course, is divided into its own two categories: Income and Expenses. Follow these steps to make your budget worksheet: List your income in

Creating a plan for managing finances is important at every stage of life. It is not always easy to implement and follow because unexpected expenses can crop up at any time, and job situations can change, especially when the economy takes a downturn. Financial guidance can assist you in changing your habits by offering various

Many people have set goals for their retirement. Others don’t even want to think about it. It is important to consider what sources of income and savings will be available when planning for retirement. Building a money reserve is one of the most important aspects of this planning process. Experts advise people to start as

In these financial times, layoffs are a possibility nearly everyone thinks about. They hope it won’t happen to them. But what do you do if you are the one laid off? Smart financial planning from Day 1 will help ease the pain as you move from one job to another. Ideally, planning for a layoff

Planning for retirement can seem like an overwhelming task. There are so many options to choose from, and the goal can seem very unclear, especially if you have many years of work ahead of you. In this economic climate, hoping for a simple pension plan from an employer is not the realistic retirement plan it