A budget is the plan you put together to make sure you stay on track. The best way to get started is to put together a very basic list of your monthly income (i.e. your paycheck) and expenses. First, you have to identify where your money has been going. Second, you have to set some goals on where to cut back. And third, you have to track your spending to make sure you're sticking to that goal. There are a few rules of thumb that you should keep in mind. Your housing expenses shouldn't exceed about 33% of your income. And your total debt payment (which ideally should be zero!) probably shouldn't exceed 30%.
Pelosi says it won't be long before health care bill passes; Dems add student loans to package Under White House pressure to act swiftly, House and Senate Democratic leaders reached for agreement Friday on President Barack Obama's health care bill, sweetened suddenly ...
Individual investors can make an impact on its price Once upon a time, the Chinese government forbade ownership of all precious metals. But now, the ban has been lifted. In fact, China just introduced silver bars for investment. And now, state-run China ...
Health care plan could also help resurrect college aid plan Congressional Democrats want a stalled overhaul of college aid programs to get strapped onto a fast-track health care bill, giving both Obama administration priorities a better chance of passage. The student loan ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's stalled bid to overhaul the federal student loan program by cutting subsidies to private lenders and increasing aid to students received a boost on Friday. Democratic congressional leaders agreed to fold Obama's student-loan proposal into a ...
Workers struggle to save for retirement, more report they have nothing set aside Tom Taormina is 65 and has no retirement savings. The Virginia City, Nev., business consultant said it's not for lack of trying. He and his wife, Midge, have tried ...
Chart compares personal savings and corporate cash flow since Copyright 2010 AP News
Spending grows 0.5 pct in January while incomes lag, raising worries about economic recovery Personal spending jumped by a larger amount than expected in January but Americans' incomes barely budged as millions of Social Security recipients did not get their usual cost ...
Biden announced new protections for retirement savings accounts The Obama administration on Friday proposed new regulations aimed at protecting workers' retirement savings from unethical financial advisers. The safeguards would protect workers from conflicts of interest on the part of advisers who manage ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden on Friday proposed new rules to help protect U.S. workers' retirement savings as part of a broader government effort to bolster the finances of middle class voters. With President Barack Obama's popularity ratings down in ...
<div id="subtitle">OppenheimerFunds to pay $77M to settle investigation into college savings fund</div><div><p>OppenheimerFunds Inc. said Tuesday it will pay the state of Illinois $77 million to settle an investigation into the firm's management of a college savings program.</p><p>Oppenheimer spokeswoman ...
