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Happy 30th Anniversary, Black Monday 10/18/2017 08:00pm • With U.S. stocks trading at all-time highs, it might be easy to forget that 30 years ago this week Wall Street had its worst single-day loss ever. On Oct. 19, 1987, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 22.6 percent of its value. Never before, nor since, has it experienced a loss that great, in per 7 Tips to Fund College With Scholarships 10/18/2017 08:00pm • As the oldest of five children, Jocelyn Paonita Pearson knew her parents didn't have a lot of money to pay for her college education. So, as a junior in high school, she started applying for scholarships. Her strategy was to apply for everything that claimed to offer money for school, but she says 6 Myths About Credit Freezes 10/18/2017 08:00pm • For nearly three months this year, hackers had access to files at Equifax, a financial services company and one of the big three credit reporting bureaus. All told, more than 145 million people may have had their Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses stolen. Some driver's license and c Prince George's Co. leaders challenge new high-speed train, tunnel plan 10/18/2017 03:52pm • WASHINGTON — With many residents worried about the impacts of a potential $10 billion high-speed maglev train that would connect D.C. and Baltimore in just 15 minutes, members of the Prince George’s County Council questioned the benefits of the project Tuesday, even as project leaders suggested 10 Public Colleges Where Students Are Eager to Enroll 10/17/2017 08:00pm • Small Public Schools With High YieldsMost of the public institutions where a high number of accepted students enroll have a small incoming freshman class -- typically less than 1,000 students. These schools' high yield rates indicate popularity and desirability often associated with a first-choice i Take Ownership of Student Loan Debt Repayment 10/17/2017 08:00pm • The Student Loan Ranger receives many questions from readers. On occasion, we like to share some queries that other borrowers are likely to find relevant. Here's a sample of some we've addressed recently. Letters have been edited for clarity and to protect readers' privacy. Q: I recently signed up How self-employed workers can invest for retirement 10/16/2017 09:03am • Freelance and self-employed workers may wonder if they can truly save as much as those who work for others, but tax-advantaged investment opportunities abound for the disciplined and resourceful, tax and financial experts say. "Working for yourself can create challenges when deciding how to save Pros, Cons of Paying Down a Mortgage to Fund College 10/15/2017 08:00pm • When their youngest daughter entered college, Leah Ingram and her husband refinanced their 30-year mortgage to find extra money for college bills. They had contributed to 529 college savings plans since their two girls were little, but they also needed to pull from their current cash flow. With exc How to Avoid Derailing Your Golden Years 10/15/2017 08:00pm • Spending is underemphasized as a major component of retirement planning, which can pose challenges for spendthrift individuals and families in two key ways. First, during working years, extra cash is mostly spent, not saved and invested for the golden years. Second, it can be quite difficult to adju 5 Ways to Invest a Financial Windfall 10/15/2017 08:00pm • Who hasn't dreamed of a huge bequest from a long-lost uncle? It has happened, but in real life windfalls are more likely to come from parents or grandparents, the lottery or a lawsuit settlement. Your first impulse might be to live it up -- tour Europe, buy a big boat, new home or vacation place. F After the Rain: The Lasting Effects of a Hurricane on Home Sales 10/12/2017 08:00pm • This summer's hurricane season shocked many, as storm after storm hit U.S. soil and caused insurmountable damage to homes, land and commercial property. Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25 rated a Category 4 hurricane. It brought high winds and flash floods, and continued to wreak hav Everything You Need to Know About the 2018-2019 FAFSA 10/12/2017 08:00pm • Families with a college student may notice a few differences on this year's Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The form, commonly called the FAFSA, is the key application to determine college financial aid. Similar to last year, the FAFSA became available on Oct. 1, but this year brings a fe Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (WFC) Report Mixed Earnings 10/12/2017 08:00pm • Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) and Wells Fargo & Co ( WFC) continued a mixed earnings season for big bank stocks on Friday morning. Neither company wowed Wall Street, despite both banks reporting third quarter earnings beats. Bank of America picked up where JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( JPM) and What would you give to wipe out your student loans? 10/12/2017 12:19pm • WASHINGTON — With student loan debt at a record $1.3 trillion and delinquency rates rising, Americans saddled with student loans, especially young adults, would be willing to do some drastic things to get out from under the weight of their debt burden. Credible.com, a sort of Kayak for comparin Who's Footing the College Tuition Bill? 10/11/2017 08:00pm • American families spent an average of $23,757 to send their kids to college during the 2016-2017 school year. That's according to a study conducted by student loan company Sallie Mae. Now in its 10th year, the annual "How America Pays for College" survey asks 800 undergraduate students between the