personal finance news stories on Newser

10% of Adults Get Allowances

Dustin Lushing — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 06:37:05 CDT

Around one in 10 American adults are on the dole—they regularly collect money or other financial assistance from their parents or relatives, reveals a poll from the Pew Research Center. The results showed no difference between gender or race, reports the New York Times , but the youngest adults were...

Feds Test Simplified Credit Card Agreement

Rob Quinn — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:20:00 CST

The government's consumer finance watchdog has created a credit card agreement that's five times shorter than usual and written in plain English. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is asking for the public's feedback on the prototype, which can be viewed here . The agreement is just over 1,000 words long...

Gingrich Closed Tiffany Account

Tim Karan — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:12:58 CDT

Newt Gingrich's much-derided interest-free credit line at Tiffany & Co is no more, reports the Washington Post, citing personal finance records that were released today. In May, financial disclosure forms for his wife, Callista, indicated the family had a credit line between $250,000 and $500,000 with the jewelry...

Banks Jack ATM Fees, Blame Reform

Matt Cantor — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:11:45 CDT

If you’re far from an ATM belonging to your own bank, brace yourself to shell out a few bucks. Banks across the country are hiking ATM fees, Credit.com reports. Chase, for example, is charging non-customers $5 to use their ATMs in an Illinois pilot program—and that’s on top...

Get Fit, Financially Speaking, in 2010

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 07:36:40 CST

If your New Year’s resolution is to take control of your finances, you’re in luck: Brett Arends provides a handy month-by-month guide in the Wall Street Journal : January : Max out your 401(k) contributions if your budget can handle it, or at least hit the company match level. Ideally, you should...

Money Trouble May Signal Alzheimer’s

Emily Rauhala — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 09:30:00 CDT

The first sign of Arthur Packel's Alzheimer's was the call from the homeowner's association asking for unpaid fees. As his mind began its long slide, it turns out, the first thing he did was simply stop paying bills. When his wife tried to pick up the slack, she found much...

Debtor’s Prison Makes Its Ugly Return

Emily Rauhala — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 09:57:57 CDT

Strongly worded letters and menacing phone calls aren't enough, it seems, to whip America's debtors into shape. Instead, the country's collection industry is turning to civil courts, using taxpayer money and government resources to pursue "low level deadbeats," finds Reason . The process pits debtors against a system that is stacked...

Straighten Out Your Finances in 2010

M. Morris — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:53:47 CST

On the eve of the first serious workday of the New Year, take a hard look at your finances and see where you can cut back in 2010. A relatively small investment in time can result in some serious savings, Kathy Kristof writes for the Los Angeles Times : Save automatically:...

Best iPhone Apps to Manage Money

Jason Farago — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:03:55 CDT

Many banks are now developing iPhone applications to let you manage your accounts, but several free apps can help you keep your finances straight. The Wall Street Journal looks at some of the best. Mint— links all of your accounts, from checking and savings to loans and investments, into one...