Americans are enjoying a nice raise at the moment, in the form of dramatically lower gas prices. The government’s Energy Information Administration estimates that the average household will spend $750 less on gas this year, which is like getting a roughly $1,000 raise, since the savings aren’t taxed. For a little [Keep reading]
Credit scores and credit reports have been somewhat of a mystery to the public for decades, but now U.S. consumers are gaining unprecedented access to them. The new transparency is undoubtedly positive, but a critical question remains: Will it help consumers, or just confuse them? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [Keep reading]
With fuel costs plummeting, why haven’t airlines dropped ticket prices? After all, airfares rise pretty quick when has prices rise. After all, supply and demand are all that matter in a free market, right? What goes up must come down, right? Ah, were it only that simple. Here’s another lesson [Keep reading]
APRIL 25, 2011 — You might have heard over the weekend that skyrocketing gas prices have finally “plateaued.” If gas prices were like gravity, you would anticipate they would start plummeting soon. Raise your hand if you expect that. Me neither. While the words “skyrocketing” and “gas prices” often end [Keep reading]
“I’m kind of average-looking, but I have a great credit score!” Looking for love post Valentine’s Day? Maybe you should adjust your online personals ad. According to a new study of adults in relationships, having a partner who is good with money is more important than a lover who’s sexy. [Keep reading]
It’s that time of year again, when radio airwaves are full of ads telling men they can charm their significant others with Valentine’s Day flowers for just $30 on websites like ProFlowers.com. I’m an investigative journalist, and I have 20 years’ experience hunting and pecking my way through the web, [Keep reading]
This is part II of my interview with Ron Lieber, who’s new book The Opposite of Spoiled teaches parents how to teach their kids about money, and the other important life lessons that brings. You can read Part I here, where I ask about scam-proofing your children. Today, I ask [Keep reading]
The majority of Americans pay someone else to do their taxes — about 3 out of 5 taxpayers. This is tragedy to me on many levels. For starters, it’s insane that our tax code is so complicated that people feel they can’t do it on their own. Those that do [Keep reading]
Ron Lieber has spent the past seven years penning some of the smartest consumer stories you can read at The New York Times in his Your Money column. The last time you saw him, perhaps he was (politely) arguing with Suze Orman’s about her personal-branded prepaid debit card (he [Keep reading]
The first signs of elder financial abuse are easy to miss. Maybe there’s a new, overeager “best friend” who gives off a strange vibe. Or excessive secrecy around an online lover. Paranoia or anger when talking about money can be a tipoff, too. Don’t count on discovering sudden large withdrawals [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan