Mortgages are tricky and often hard to understand. Because most people only purchase a home every five to seven years, prospective home buyers understandably don’t spend a lot of time in the interim educating themselves about mortgages and the mortgage process. With the real estate market picking up and mortgage rates prime for refinancing, Zillow...  Read more

How much do Americans spend each year on unhealthy living? From alcohol, to cigarettes, to junk food, there’s a high price to pay for indulging in certain unhealthy habits. Click on “Launch Infographic” for an expanded view. 

Last week I read an academic journal article that gave me the willies. It wasn’t a scary medical article. It was about personal finance. The article, which had the catchy title “Influence of Motivated Reasoning on Saving and Spending Decisions,” described four experiments with a consistent result: subjects with multiple bank accounts spent more and...  Read more

As a college student, this time of year was bittersweet. On one hand, the semester was winding down and summer vacation was just a few sleepless nights spent cramming for exams away. On the other hand, the end of the semester also meant it was time for a summer job. A good summer job can...  Read more

First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes the mountain of wedding debt you’ll now have to pay. Last year, couples spent an average of $28,427 on weddings and nuptial-related events, according to TheKnot.com. While the venues, the engagement ring and even the entertainment can cost thousands of dollars, the wardrobe isn’t far down the list. The average...  Read more

Imagine this scenario at your local home improvement retail chain; you walk in and fill out an application for a credit card to take advantage of a great introductory interest rate or perhaps an interest free or payment period. Your FICO scores are at or near 800 so you know the processing is just a...  Read more

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to eliminate debt. Not only does it take patience, time and diligence, but also a clear understanding of why we get ourselves into debt in the first place. Was it that our wants were greater than our means? Was it thinking we could pay down our debt, only to...  Read more

BrightNest is a free site that provides tools and tips to homeowners to help them save money, get organized and keep their homes in great shape. Sign up for a free BrightNest account today! With homeowners insurance (or any insurance for that matter), you’re really paying for peace of mind – comfort in knowing that life’s curveballs won’t...  Read more

I loathe bread makers. I’ve never come across one that turns out edible bread. Each loaf, no matter how I manipulate the settings, is hard as a dog biscuit–clunk. A brown hunk of broken promises. But handmade bread, that is the way into my heart. Which is why, with anything I’m tempted to fall in...  Read more

If insanity is defined as repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result, the student loan interest rate throwdown that’s about to be reprised in Washington, D.C., warrants an intervention. You may recall that at this time in 2012, Congress was in a lather over the subsidized student loan interest rates that the feds make...  Read more