NPR: The Color Of Money Podcast: Episodes
If you have debt on your credit card, forget giving gifts says our personal finance contributor. Regardless, start with a budget and consider the benefits of non-monetary gifts.
Colder weather means a different kind of budgeting. Heating and lighting costs are only some of the issues to consider. Our personal finance contributor shares easy ways to save energy and money and even avoid family feuds.
Unemployment is at its highest level in years. How does one decide if it's better to collect unemployment than to take part-time work? Personal finance contributor Michelle Singletary offers answers.
The new FHA Hope for Homeowners program is aiming to help people save their homes from foreclosure. But before signing up, there are some costs to consider. Our personal finance contributor breaks down the basics of the program.
How will the latest bailout bill impact your home? Is it sensible to keep a home as an investment? Our personal finance contributor answers listener questions about the current economic situation.
As companies teeter on the brink of bankruptcy, the price of their stocks look more and more appealing. Our personal finance expert examines whether these bargain stocks are worth purchasing.
The number one sin people commit in investing is putting all their eggs in one basket, says Michelle Singletary. She offers tips on the best way to diversify and explains the importance of appreciating assets.
The financial crisis has left many people wondering what to do with their money. Our personal finance contributor offers tips on how to proceed and invites you to send your financial questions.
Thanks to a settlement over allegations that TransUnion Corp. improperly sold consumers' personal data, you can now take advantage of their credit monitoring services at no cost.
Thinking of raiding your 401k to pay this month's bills? Our personal finance contributor examines the pros and cons of taking money out of one's retirement account to cover living costs.
As the mortgage crisis has grown in scope, lenders have cut back on home equity lines of credit. The move might not be legal, says our personal finance expert.
So you came into a large inheritance. What do you do with it? Our personal finance expert weighs spending it, saving it, paying off credit card debt and reducing students loans.
Many auto lenders are pulling back incentives to lease vehicles. Consumers don't want to lease trucks and SUVs anymore and the credit crunch isn't helping. Avoiding leasing is actually a good thing, says our personal finance expert.
Congress just passed the Housing Act, authorizing a tax credit of up to $7,500 for certain first-time home buyers. Our personal finance contributor says consumers need to be careful when signing up.
When people get into credit card trouble, courts sometimes work out repayment schemes that include garnishing wages and taking automatic bank withdrawals. But the Social Security Administration says the legality of garnishing Social Security benefits is questionable at best.
Bad economic times have some people thinking about returning to school. But getting that master's degree may not be the best way to weather a financial storm, says our personal finance expert.
Things are not as bad as they were 30 years ago, says our personal finance expert. Making sure your house is energy-efficient and shopping smarter are two ways to defend against recession and inflation, she says.
Our personal finance contributor discusses how to resolve the reverse mortgage of someone who has died, whether to buy a home while living off student loans and how to prioritize debt.
No matter who you are, there's a financial advice book out there tailored to your demographic. Alex Cohen talks with Day to Day's personal finance contributor Michelle Singletary about which personal finance books will make the best summer reading.
Donating money to an aid organization is a natural response following a disaster, but choosing which one can be complicated. Our personal finance contributor discusses how to choose a charity and how much to give.