Many people get automatically defaulted into their employer's retirement plan without thinking about what exactly they're investing in. Here are seven tips for 20-somethings to start evaluating their retirement portfolios now.

I can certainly understand how the arrival of a new statement on a long closed account can create confusion and I did reach out to Synchrony Bank to confirm my suspicions.

When it comes to income taxes, many people think only of the money they earn in a paycheck. But the reality is that there are many other types of income that are subject to ordinary income taxes. And all of that income, in turn, can trigger taxes on Social Security benefits.

Even though there's so much variety in the market for credit scores, most scores are drawn from the same basic elements. Want to take some of the mystery out of credit score calculations?

Not many are focused on thinking about life insurance. But actually, September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (who knew?), so it is a natural time to focus on this topic.

Are you better off with a lump-sum today or a guaranteed monthly income for life? That's a crystal ball-type of question.

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It turns out that most people, regardless of nationality or set of beliefs, share similar sentiments about how much CEOs should be paid -- and, for the most part, these estimates are markedly lower than the amounts company leaders actually earn.

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While Parents' Weekend and the chance to see your new college student face-to-face may be right around the corner, don't forget how much they would like to hear from you between now and then, and add in some practical money tips for good measure.

Creditors, quite honestly, expect a certain number of defaults every year. So don't feel obligated to choose consolidation or bankruptcy because you'll keep rapport with 'them'; decide based on your personal financial situation.

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In a slow economy. Big companies can absorb losses, establish reserves, raise prices. Small businesses, including mine, have less resources and flexibility. We are exposed -- more exposed to this problem than anyone else.

While leaving the U.S. may never be an issue of economic survival, the new economic climate is making it a much more tempting option than ever before.

The rents in this town are some of the highest in the country -- three times the national average. And while you may be able to save money on certain expenses -- like transportation -- the temptation to splurge on too many fancy dinners or indulge that shopping habit can be tough to resist.

I'm a big proponent of making IRA's part of your estate plan. They have many attributes a person can utilize when planning for the inevitable.

Credit repair can be a very spammy business, so much so that the government has gone to great lengths to regulate the services as much as possible. Even though there are rules that credit repair services must abide by, it doesn't mean that all of them do.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has just announced a $4 million civil money penalty against U.S. Bank National Association, Cincinnati, Ohio, and ordered restitution of $47.9 million to more than 420,000 consumer accounts.

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It is not an easy decision in the best of economies, and these days buying or renting decisions are even more complicated than in the past. Weigh all of the financial, job-related, and personal preference factors.

Now that you have paid, you are on a list of people willing to fall for the scam, the threats and demands should begin to accelerate. The scammers are probably selling your name around as a good target.