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How to Start Off the New Year With a Financial Fast 01/03/2017 07:00pm • If the holiday season left you depleted of energy -- and dollars -- the new year is a great time to reboot your life and get your financial house in order. For many of us, the desire to save money and reduce debt will be near the top of our lists of New Year's resolutions. If you're among those res 10 Budget-Friendly Games for a Snow Day 01/03/2017 07:00pm • You wake up in the morning, and there it is. Snow. You know that school will be canceled before you get the call. Snow days can quickly devolve into a screenfest for the kids (and you), but they don't have to. Instead, make snow day a family game day. Stay-at-home-mom Nicole Brady says that havin Time for Investors to Join the Crowd? 01/03/2017 07:00pm • For any real estate investor, growing one's portfolio is a challenge. It requires financial leverage, which many times means finding an alternative source of funds to close a deal since the investor doesn't necessarily have enough money to self-fund. As early as the 1930s, real estate syndication h Is the TTAC ETF the Right Way to Buy Buybacks? 01/03/2017 07:00pm • Stock buybacks are in the news of late, but for precisely the wrong reasons. Specifically, they fell 28 percent in the third quarter from the previous year, to $115.6 billion. That's the second consecutive three-month period of declines, and a multiyear low last seen in 2013. That's not exactly ple Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposes criminal justice reforms 01/03/2017 12:58pm • RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants Virginia to be more forgiving when it comes to lower-level crimes while making it easier for new DNA evidence to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. The governor, a Democrat, announced several legislative priorities Tuesday aimed at overhauling th 5 ways to boost your credit score — and land competitive interest rates 01/03/2017 09:00am • Credit scores are three-digit numbers that you probably don't pay much attention to on an average day. But when it's time to borrow money, these scores determine your interest rate and, ultimately, how much borrowing will cost you. Credit scores are a key factor that creditors use to measure borr How to Become an Extreme Saver in 2017 01/02/2017 07:00pm • This year, it's going to be different. At the end of 2017, you really will have some money stashed away for your emergency fund, your retirement, your kid's college education and that elusive worldwide vacation. But to do that, you're going to need to be an extreme saver. And if you're really goi Make 2017 Your Best Financial Year Ever 01/02/2017 07:00pm • Do you want to improve your finances in 2017? Making resolutions is common this time of year, but in order to actually follow through and achieve success, it is important to make a specific plan. Write down your financial goals and talk about them with your spouse or family to create accountability How to pay off a mortgage early 12/31/2016 07:00pm • It's a common enough practice: paying extra on a mortgage to retire the debt early and save a bundle in interest costs. But with interest rates rising, is it still a smart strategy? Some experts think prepayments are never a good option, as stocks and other investments have paid off better. Other Inflation may be harsh reality in 2017 12/30/2016 07:00am • With the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones industrial average at all-time highs, and with yields on Treasury notes rising, some market watchers say the action may suggest a hedge against the return of inflation. This idea is rooted in the thought that the incoming Trump administration How to take control of your bills 12/29/2016 06:00am • It's a common scenario: You wake up in the middle of the night, and while you try to get back to sleep, your mind veers to the topic of money. Before you know it, you're wondering whether you forgot to pay the bills -- or worse -- that you don't have enough money to pay them. We all have a differ How to recover from your holiday spending spree 12/29/2016 06:00am • Christmas can't come quickly enough for some people's bank accounts. Between teacher gifts, hostess presents and last-minute additions to the holiday menu, you may find your already stretched budget is bursting at the seams. While overspending is never ideal, shoppers who go overboard are in good How to Find the Best Oil Stocks to Buy Now 12/28/2016 07:00pm • Oil and natural gas prices typically fluctuate due to forces like geopolitical events, oil discoveries, new production technologies and, of course, good old-fashioned supply and demand. When looking for the best oil stocks to buy, you've got to take all of these factors -- and more -- into considera Buying a car? Say no to the 84-month loan 12/28/2016 05:00am • It's easy to make an argument for taking out an 84-month car loan. After all, if you need to buy a car, and you love this car -- and stretching out the payments for seven years makes your budget more manageable -- well, why not? Besides, plenty of consumers are taking out 84 month car loans. Expe Are Stock Buybacks Really Dead? 12/27/2016 07:00pm • Dividends tend to be the most celebrated way that companies return cash to shareholders, and it's because it's the most direct. A company literally pays you cash for the shares you hold, and you decide how to invest that cash from there. However, stock buybacks -- while their effect isn't as direct