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34 Articles in: Blog
How to Budget for a Car if You're a Teenager
As a teenager, you don't earn much. How can you save enough money to buy a car -- plus pay for gas, insurance and all other car-related expenses?
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How to Budget for Home Maintenance Needs
How much should you set aside for home maintenance? Learn how factors like your home's age, condition, location and square footage can affect your budget.
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4 Crucial Retirement Tips for People 40 and Older
Check out these four retirement savings tips for people 40 and over. The first tip helps you figure out how much money you need for retirement, while the rest of the tips help you find ways to earn more money.
Definition: "Adverse Action"
Did you get an Adverse Action Notice? Are you wondering what that means?
Why Retirement Should Be Number One
You have many savings goals: you want to pay off your loans, send your kids to college, and you save for retirement. Which of these goals should you fund first?
How to Handle Your Finances as a Freelancer
Are you self-employed? Have you begun working as a freelancer? Here are tips to get you on solid financial footing.
Three Things You Should NEVER Trim From Your Budget
Budgeting is the art of setting priorities. Here are three expenses that should be at the top of your priority list.
The ABC Budgeting Method: A Simple, 3-Step Plan for Money Management
The ABC budgeting method is a simple, three-step plan to help you manage your money, pay your bills, set aside savings, and stick to your budget.
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5 Bad Money Habits You Need to Quit ASAP
If you are struggling with your finances or are having a hard time sticking to your budget, these 5 money habits may be to blame.
Businesswoman putting money into 401K jar at desk - Jamie Grill/ The Image Bank/ Getty Images
Could You Be Contributing More to Your Retirement Plan?
Contribution limits for IRA and 401k retirement plans are increasing, beginning in 2013. Eligible workers can now contribute $17,500 to their 401k and 403 retirement plans and $5,500 to their IRA retirement saving accounts.
Caucasian businesswoman with tip jar - JGI/Jamie Grill/ Blend Images/ Getty images
A 2-Step Guide to Planning for Retirement
How much money will I need to retire? Sometimes I open a magazine and see that I need $1 million or $2 million. Could that possibly be right? Check out this rough guide to getting a back-of-the-envelope idea of roughly how much you'll need when you retire.
2 Questions That Will Change Your Spending Habits
How can you make the most of your limited money? Budgeting -- at its core -- has almost nothing to do with dollars and cents. The heart of budgeting is aligning your values with your spending habits.
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Paula Pant, Personal Finance Expert

Paula Pant is an award-winning personal finance journalist. She runs the popular personal finance site Afford Anything and she frequently writes, speaks and makes media appearances to discuss money management for ordinary American families.

How to Create a Budget You Can (Really!) Stick To
Your personal budget should work for you. Learn seven steps to creating a budget you can use and how to make it work.
Retirement Savings by the Decade
How much money should you have saved for retirement? Check out these age-related guidelines that help show you whether or not your retirement is on track.
Glossary Definition: What's an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage?
Are you shopping for a mortgage? If so, you might have heard of an adjustable-rate mortgage, or ARM. What is this?
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Fun Ways to Save Money (That Even the Kids Will Enjoy!)
I challenge you to a save-off! Games and competitions make saving fun. Saving money doesn't need to be based around deprivation. Check out these awards, prizes and challenges!
Actions You Should Avoid in Order to Keep Your Budget On-Track
C'mon, be honest: When you read advice about responsible financial planning, do you ever get the urge to pull that all-too-human stunt where you wind up doing
How to Lower Your Car Transportation Costs
It's hard to know what your car-related expenses are going to be in the future. Sure, you know that you pay $250 per month to the car dealership. But you
Young and Single? Here Are Some Finance Tips
Are you young, single ... and wondering what financial advice you should listen to? You don't have dual-incomes with another partner or spouse. You don't
Financial Tips for Freelancers
Congratulations -- you decided to take the leap into self-employment. While this has a lot of perks, it also comes with the responsibility of tracking a lot
What Type of Mortgage Should I Get?
What Type of Mortgage Should I Get?
Spend Your Money on Creating Memories
Spend Your Money on Creating Memories
Budgeting is Important, says Finance Expert Jane Bryant Quinn
Did you catch our interview with bestselling personal finance expert Jane Bryant Quinn? If not, don't worry -- you can read it here. This leading expert
How to Budget and Plan for Your Dog or Cat
How to Budget and Plan for Your Dog or Cat
How Much Cash Should You Keep in Savings?
How Much Cash Should You Keep in Savings?
Which Financial Goal Should I Prioritize?
Which Financial Goal Should I Prioritize?
Create a "Future Repairs" Savings Fund
Create a "Future Repairs" Savings Fund
Student Loan Interest Rates Likely to Drop
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post on the About.com Budgeting site, announcing that interest rates on new Federal Stafford unsubsidized student loans are
Before the Midnight Countdown -- Taxes and Retirement Accounts
you'll also have to make a lot of tax-related decisions before new years
Poll: Two-Thirds of Americans Worried About Retirement
Poll: Two-Thirds of Americans Worried About Retirement
What's an ARM?
Looking for a house? If so, you're probably trying to learn an entirely new set of jargon, including the term "adjustable-rate mortgage." What does this mean?
Making Smart Choices with Your Discretionary Money
Imagine that you have some wiggle room in your budget. (I know, I know ... it's a fantasy for some, and a daily reality for others. Keeping your costs low, and
Do You Need to Factor for Inflation When You're Planning a Retirement Budget?
Here's a vexing problem: It's relatively easy for you to think: "I'm happy spending $50,000/year or $90,000/year or $120,000/year today (whatever that number
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