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10 Important Investments Before Having a Baby 02/15/2017 07:00pm • How to save for a baby.Everything changes when you have a child. Pre-planning your finances before a baby arrives can make a difference later. A USDA report says middle-income, married parents are projected to spend $233,610 raising a child born in 2015. That's about $13,000 per year annually, with Hoops on the horizon: Banner day for Lefty 02/11/2017 09:06am • WASHINGTON — Charles Grice Driesell changed men's college basketball in the D.C. metro area when he left Davidson for Maryland in 1969. Since reaching the ACC Semifinals in 1965, the program had gone from seven to five to four to two conference wins. More than just the Atlantic Coast Confer DC orchid auction and the strength of tulips 02/10/2017 09:31am • Meet Mike in Chantilly! Mike will appear at the Capital Remodel and Garden Show on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25-26, at the Dulles Expo Center; Chantilly, Va. He'll speak at noon and 6 p.m. on Saturday and at noon and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Details are at the Capital Remodel and Garden Show website. 4 sales to shop in February — and what to buy 02/10/2017 09:00am • If you've had your wallet on lockdown since the holidays, now is maybe the time to loosen those chains. February brings some deep discounts -- from Valentine's Day gifts to smartphone upgrades and tax software -- so it's prime time for treating yourself and others. Valentine's Day sales. Vale 5 Ways to De-Stress During Tax Filing Season 02/09/2017 07:00pm • Does the thought of taxes send you into convulsions? You aren't alone. An American Psychological Association survey shows that 67 percent of people attribute their stress to money. And tax time shines a big spotlight on your financial picture. There are ways to make tax time easier and less stressfu DVY: Are High-Income Blue Chips in Trouble? 02/07/2017 07:00pm • The iShares Select Dividend ETF (ticker: DVY) is income royalty in the exchange-traded fund world. It's the third-largest dividend-focused ETF on the market at $16.8 billion in assets under management, and the top dividend equity fund in the iShares stable. And perhaps most impressively, it has mat Do Your Children Tell the Truth? 02/07/2017 07:00pm • Do you believe that all people should tell the truth all of the time? Do you believe it's always wrong to lie? Most people hold this belief, whether from a moral, religious or ethical point of view. Parents seem especially convinced of this immutable position for their children. But let's take this How to travel to Cuba without a tour group 02/06/2017 09:45am • Restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba have been eased recently, meaning it's a lot easier for Americans to visit the Caribbean country. But many people are under the impression that you can only visit by joining an organized tour. Not so -- you can join an organized group or cruise ship. But you can a 4 surprising tax facts — and what they mean for your wallet 01/30/2017 07:00pm • Let's be real: Filing taxes isn't the most fun task. But since you've got to do it, why not keep yourself entertained -- and prepare yourself better while you're at it -- by learning about some history and quirks of the American tax system? Here are four surprising facts about U.S. taxes -- and h Joel McHale shares secrets to comedy success in new book 01/17/2017 05:41am • WASHINGTON -- You know him from E!'s "The Soup" and NBC's "Community." Now, actor and comedian Joel McHale shares his hilarious secrets to success in the new memoir "Thanks for the Money: How to Use My Life Story to Become the best Joel McHale You Can Be." "The book is half memoir," McHa The importance of raising grateful children -- and how to do it 01/11/2017 09:00am • At 18, 20 and 22 years old, my children are not as malleable as they once were. But each time they receive a gift, I still remind them to express appreciation. When they are guests, I check to see that they thanked the host before leaving -- even when it's family. To be sure, they usually roll their 5 Steps to Repair Your Holiday Spending Mistakes 01/09/2017 07:00pm • It's a familiar refrain. We get caught up in creating a "perfect" holiday season for everyone, and in doing so, we spend more than intended on the "perfect" holiday gifts and the "perfect" holiday meal. Maybe we had to travel to visit family and ran up some significant travel spending debt. The holi Is Now a Good Time to Invest in Consumer Discretionary Stocks? 01/08/2017 07:00pm • The consumer discretionary sector of the economy consists of businesses that sell nonessential goods and services dominated by media companies, retailers, restaurants, leisure, apparel and autos. The recent trend of improving retail sales is good for consumer discretionary stocks, but rising oil pr 9 Holiday Gift Return Policies You Need to Know 01/08/2017 07:00pm • If you've found yourself stuck with a frumpy cardigan, creepy teddy bear or other unwelcome items after the holidays, you might be pleasantly surprised by how easy it can be to make a return. Over the holidays, many stores relax their policies to allow returns and exchanges into late January and ear Awesome New Year's sales 12/31/2016 07:00pm • If you're looking for fitness equipment, Christmas decor or new clothes, head to this year's New Year's sales, which will abound with savings for shoppers. Retailers will heavily discount holiday decorations, outerwear and winter apparel to make way for the soon-to-arrive spring inventory. Consumers