fizkes / Shutterstock.com Retailers are exceptional at getting us to part with our hard-earned dollars — even for stuff we don’t need. When your favorite store slashes prices or makes it all too easy to purchase something — hello, Amazon Prime — it may be understandable if you occasionally succumb to the instant gratification of … Read more

Trzykropy / Shutterstock.com Are you stuck in the all-too-common habit of living paycheck to paycheck? You don’t need me to tell you that’s a self-defeating cycle. You simply can’t get ahead that way. But escaping isn’t easy, especially if your paycheck is tight. Change involves not just the hard work of making a new habit, … Read more

DC Studio / Shutterstock.com The nation is bracing for recession. The Federal Reserve continues to steadily raise its federal funds rate in an attempt to kill inflation, and many experts fear an economic downturn will be an unfortunate side effect of that campaign. CEOs of major companies are especially worried that the economy will contract … Read more

Your choice of checking account can make or break your finances, whether you’re using it to get your paychecks from your employer through direct deposits, everyday checking, paying off bills, or just a safe place to stash your savings. In 2022, there are countless checking accounts to choose from. Some have a monthly charge, some … Read more

‘Tis the season to shop, but you’re having a tough time deciding what to get everyone on your holiday gift list. Not to worry! From a heavy-duty tool bag to a tortilla blanket and a robotic vacuum cleaner, we’ve rounded up an array of practical and whimsical Amazon products that Santa himself will surely approve … Read more

Payment apps like Zelle make transferring funds easy. Unfortunately, they also make it easy for scammers to get ahold of your money. In 2021 alone, users lost around $440 million on the peer-to-peer payment system. What’s worse, Zelle warns they’re “unable to assist with getting your money back.” You can report fraud to your bank … Read more

Shyamalamuralinath / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on NewRetirement. We have a lot of choices about where to invest our money, both before and after retirement. Some options are clearly bad investments. Others seem like a good bet, but they probably aren’t. While we would all like to find a shortcut to massive … Read more

Nor Gal / Shutterstock.com Keeping your home feeling comfortable is expensive. Heating your living space accounts for about 43% of a home’s energy bills, on average, and air conditioning eats up an additional 8%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Bills can vary greatly, of course, depending on your home, fuel type and the … Read more

SpeedKingz / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter. Shade gardens are among the best-kept secrets of the gardening world. Often seen as a plague on turfgrass and flowering plants, shade can boost your landscape’s curb appeal in more ways than one. We’ll show you how with these 15 shade garden ideas. Rather … Read more

fizkes / Shutterstock.com Not so long ago, Melinda and Bill Gates announced they were getting a divorce after 27 years of marriage — and jaws everywhere dropped. Because of their wealth and their energetic and generous global philanthropy, the couple have had an outsized effect around the world. Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index currently lists his net … Read more