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How to Deal With an Unexpected Expense When You're Broke 10/17/2016 08:00pm • A financial disaster is hard enough to navigate. But it gets even harsher when you have no emergency fund or backup plan to help you work your way out of it. So, what's an unlucky person to do after, say, a broken-down car or job loss leaves you short on cash and high on stress? Fortunately, the fin 4 Keys to Financial Security in Retirement 10/16/2016 08:00pm • It's easy to know how much we can spend when we're working: our take-home pay minus the bit that we're saving for a rainy day. But it's not so easy to figure out how much to spend in retirement. That depends on when you retire, how much money you have and your life expectancy. Other factors can als 15 Financial Steps to Take Your First Year After Graduation 10/12/2016 08:00pm • Ace your first year in the "real world."It's so important to start your post-college life on the right financial foot. The money decisions you make today could benefit -- or haunt you -- in the future. Here are 15 financial steps to take your first year after graduation.Establish credit.Good credit 4 Ways to Fund Your Dream Second-Act Career 10/10/2016 08:00pm • When I speak to people about their second-acts, I often get asked this question, "I'd love to make a switch to my dream semi-retirement job, but I can't afford it. What should I do?" I understand their concern. After all, it's easy to say, "Follow your passion" or "Now is the time to realize your d DC tough distracted-driving bill comes up for vote Tuesday 10/10/2016 08:26am • WASHINGTON — It would become the toughest distracted-driving law in the country, if enacted. But D.C.’s three-strikes bill has some problems. The D.C. Council is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday. Drivers who are caught using a handheld device or texting behind the wheel three times in 18 Starting Your Own Business: Should You Incorporate or Not? 10/06/2016 08:00pm • Some people start their own businesses to have control of their own destiny. Others may feel they have little choice if they've been laid off. Others yet may simply feel they can make more money. Whatever your reasons for starting a business, you have one thing in common with everyone who starts th How to visit expensive European cities on a budget 10/06/2016 09:00am • Travel to world-class cities on a shoestring budget. Since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June, the value of the dollar has been soaring against the pound, which has plummeted to a 31-year low. In light of Brexit, it's easy to plan an affordable trip to the U.K., and thanks to the s 10 College Costs Other Than Tuition and Housing 10/04/2016 08:00pm • Planning for College ExpensesWhile household expenses may go down a little once a student leaves the nest for college, there are other bills associated with sending a student to school. Here are 10 college expenses aside from tuition and housing costs that families might not have planned for in thei Parents: Fund Retirement Before You Help Others 10/04/2016 08:00pm • Last month, during a regular financial coaching session, I interviewed a couple who were harboring a shameful secret. Not only had they refinanced their house four times, but they had put their retirement dreams on the back burner. After saving less than they should for a lifetime, they were quickly Podcast: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Creating a Financial Plan 10/02/2016 08:00pm • Certified financial planners will tell you that there are six official areas of financial planning. But reading through them just might be the best cure for insomnia. The good news? There's an easier way to a successful financial plan that you'll be excited to follow. Instead of wading through lots 8 Ways to Tell If You're in the Middle Class 09/28/2016 08:00pm • Are you considered part of the middle class?We hear a lot about America's shrinking middle class, as changes in the economy alter the rules of work. The Great Recession brought about by the real estate crash is over, but some have never regained their lost ground, and wages don't always keep up with 8 Tips to Set Up a Snowbird Lifestyle 09/28/2016 08:00pm • Each year, many people migrate from colder regions of the United States and Canada to sunny locations in Florida, Arizona and other sunbelt states. To these snowbirds, seasonal migration offers the best of both worlds -- an opportunity to maintain ties to family, friends and familiar places, while a 6 Ways Being Too Nice Costs You Money 09/27/2016 08:00pm • Have you heard the saying about how being nice costs you nothing? While this is largely true, there are several instances where being nice can actually result in money losses. For example, people with an agreeable personality may not be management's first pick for a supervisory position since they'r How to Invest an Inheritance for a Comfortable Retirement 09/26/2016 08:00pm • Inheriting a large sum of money can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you approach it. When your net worth takes a significant leap overnight, that creates new opportunities, financially speaking. At the same time, there are new challenges associated with managing newly acquired assets. If How to Cope With 3 Common Retirement Emergencies 09/25/2016 08:00pm • Most people pay for retirement using a combination of their Social Security income and withdrawals from personal savings. Retirees learn to live on this typically modest fixed income. But a significant home repair or large health care cost can disrupt your spending plan, perhaps even causing you to