Tracking personal expenses is an important habit to cultivate for any independent adult. By tracking your expenses, you can build a budget and find ways to make sure you don’t live outside your means. However, as anyone who’s attempted to track their expenses knows, it can be overwhelming at first. Here’s a process to make

A will isn’t the only way to transfer your assets upon your death. Trusts are a useful tool that can be used to achieve a maximum amount of control over how your assets will be distributed among your loved ones and other beneficiaries. Trusts may also reduce the amounts spent on probate court and estate

If you're like many, you've spent the past few years scrimping and saving. These are great habits to keep, even if your financial situation has improved. If you still haven’t taken those steps, you might want to think about making these changes: Restart your finances with a thorough financial plan. If you’ve lost a job or have been struggling to get control of your debt, savings or investments, plan a visit now with a Certified Financial Planner™ professional. At the meeting you can also examine spending patterns and the emotional drivers behind many of your financial decisions. If you don’t have a planner in mind, the Financial Planning Association has a website where you can search by location and specific planning issues.

Hobbies, such as woodworking, stamp collecting and scrapbooking, are often done for pleasure but can result in a profit. But if you're lucky enough to make money from your hobby, it may have tax implications. You must report income to the IRS from almost all sources, including hobbies.

Patience and hard work aren't all you need to reach financial success. We've got some secrets from self-made millionaires to help you make your own fortune: Set some clear goals. You’ve got to dream big if you want to succeed on a large scale. Don’t be afraid of your ambitions.

Sometimes the difference between being eternally broke and financially comfortable is just a few simple things you shouldn’t do. Avoid these basic money mistakes: Not tracking your spending – Pay attention to where your money goes. Your credit card statement will help you do this, but don’t forget all the incidentals you pay cash for.

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

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

It seems like it’s become a national craze – using your credit card for everything—even routine or daily purchases. While it’s a bad habit that will be hard to break, it’s better to start sooner rather than later. To break that habit, here’s a simple idea to help get a handle on the situation: Pay