With school loans, rent and other bills to pay just when you’ve started to earn real money, you may be wary of affording a new car. However, if you need a new set of wheels, now is one of the best times to approach car companies because many offer special deals that are only available [...]

Even if you failed algebra in high school, don’t worry. There are no unknown variables here, and we’ve even provided you with a handy calculator to help you determine your monthly car payments. To estimate how much you’re going to owe per month on your new car, take several factors into consideration: the total price [...]

If you’re swamped with student loans, now might be the best time to consolidate to a fixed-rate loan to save money down the road. The reason? Interest rates are rising, and the government is mulling changes to the law that could make it impossible to get a fixed rate in the future. The federal student [...]

In college, you evaluated your needs (sweatshirt or Tupperware?), made your decision and opened an account with the respective bank. After graduation, the process of choosing a bank remains the same; the impact of your decision, however, is greater because the prospect of actually earning money means you need to closely and effectively manage it. [...]

When I was in sixth grade, I received my first warning about the dangers of credit cards from my home economics teacher. “I budgeted so well until my senior year of college,” she claimed. “Then I got a credit card and I am still paying off that bill.” Unfortunately, I failed to heed this warning [...]

There’s something strangely empowering about knowing your car is well-covered. I am notoriously cheap. But when I was in graduate school, my husband took on a paper route to cover expenses. The newspaper required that we have lots of expensive auto insurance. Having that much auto insurance had a strange effect on me. When I [...]

When was the last time you went to a brick-and-mortar bank to get cash, deposit a check or transfer some funds? If you can’t remember, don’t be surprised. An estimated 90% of today’s bank transactions take place somewhere other than a branch. Think about it. Bank branches are expensive to maintain, what with rent, equipment [...]

It’s time to put the phrase “personal finance” in your vocabulary. If the phrase “personal finance” makes you think of long, boring discussions about stocks, bonds and interest rates, well, your impression is partially correct – all those subjects do have their place in the vast world of money and finance. In most ways, however, [...]

So you’ve graduated college and landed your dream job. You negotiated your target salary, garnered solid benefits, and now you’re gearing up to live the good life. Enter Uncle Sam. In the midst of your good fortune comes the unavoidable obligation to pay income taxes. And for the first time, you likely will find yourself [...]

Taxes As salaries increase, so do tax brackets (rates). This can be an especially severe surprise for young grads since they have few deductible expenses such as mortgage interest and children to recoup money from taxes. Health Insurance You’ll need this. Most companies offer fairly decent plans, at a price. Make sure you understand your [...]