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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 5 Employee Benefits Trends to Watch in 2017 12/28/2016 07:00pm • Open enrollment for employee benefits is underway and wrapping up at many companies across the country, and as you probably noticed, health care costs continue to rise. The Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Education Trust 2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey found that annual premiums 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 When Should Borrowers Refinance Their Mortgages? 12/27/2016 07:00pm • The Federal Reserve says it will raise interest rates steadily in 2017. Bond yields have been rising in anticipation of more government borrowing in the Trump era. And mortgage rates have been drifting up, with the 30-year, fixed-rate loan now averaging 4.32 percent compared to 3.8 percent in June, 4 New Year's Resolutions for Student Loan Borrowers 12/27/2016 07:00pm • All student loan borrowers can resolve to take steps in the new year to improve their financial situation. Whether you're just starting to borrow for higher education or still repaying those pesky student loans, here are four New Year's resolutions that will make your wallet happier in the long run 10 Financial New Year's Resolutions 12/27/2016 07:00pm • Resolve to do better next year.About one-third of Americans plan to make a money resolution for 2017, according to a Fidelity Investments survey, with 50 percent of them planning to save more and 28 percent planning to pay down debt. Looking to join their ranks? Here are 10 money resolutions to cons A New Year's Checklist of Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor 12/27/2016 07:00pm • As 2016 comes to a close, people are thinking about New Year's resolutions -- and many of them are related to finances. Some may want to focus on saving more for retirement, while others strive to pay off student loans or consumer debt. But the end of the year is also a smart time to examine your f 3 Common Questions From Grandparents About Saving for College 12/27/2016 07:00pm • Karen Wagener started a 529 college savings account when her granddaughter was four years old. She's n ow 15, and the two enjoy looking at the financial statements together to see how the money has grown. "I knew that, with the cost of higher education being what it is today, that she was going to 3 Student Loan Refinance Options for 2017 12/26/2016 07:00pm • The start of the year is a popular time to improve personal finances. Michael Golfman, a Colorado transplant working in New York City, took a hard look at his student loans around this time last year, choosing to refinance his debt to lower the monthly payments. The 36-year-old refinanced more than Only 30 Years to Go. Will Millennials Be Ready for Retirement? 12/21/2016 07:00pm • The oldest members of the millennial generation turned 35 this year. That means those who want leave the workforce at the traditional retirement age of 65 have 30 years left to prepare for retirement. That may seem like a lot of time, but some millennials might need to meet their retirement goals so New Loan Counseling Tools at Some Schools 12/20/2016 07:00pm • While student loan counseling is required before taking out a loan or leaving college, there are no government requirements for institutions to provide ongoing counseling to students while in school. Experts say there's a link between counseling, which helps improve students' financial literacy, and Student Loan Borrowers Should Be Wary of Defaulting Again 12/20/2016 07:00pm • This past October, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a report predicting that approximately one third of borrowers who had rehabilitated their federal student loans would default again over the next two years. The statistic is startling, especially if you consider the substantial effo A First-Time Homebuyer's Guide to Las Vegas 12/20/2016 07:00pm • You might wonder where people live in Las Vegas if your only experience with "Sin City" is the Strip. But if you're considering a move, know there's more to the city than casinos: Just beyond the neon oasis are neighborhoods and homes aplenty. "If you blindfolded somebody and plopped them into on Housing Predictions for 2017 12/20/2016 07:00pm • For the past several years, rumors about rising mortgage rates triggered a sense of urgency for some buyers, but those increases largely hadn't materialized. However, as expected, last week the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in a year. Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for r