Personal Finance

The 2026 spring homebuying season was supposed to mark the end of the doldrums for the U.S. housing market. Instead, American homebuyers are still sitting on their hands. Home sales dropped over the first third of the year, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), falling nearly every month…

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com. You don’t need a college degree to build a flexible, rewarding career. More companies are shifting their hiring focus to job seekers with the right skills, experience, and potential rather than higher education. Employers recognize that real-world skills, whether self-taught, gained through…

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Zety.com. Remember the good ol’ “The dog ate my homework?” Well, now it’s more like: “The dog ate my kid’s homework and I have to take it to the vet. (The dog, not the kid.)” Every now and then, we all need a…

One of the issues we frugal people despise is going through buyer’s remorse. We don’t want to feel stupid or ripped off, so we tend to buy fewer things and experiences. Minimalism and early retirement go hand in hand. We’re always looking for a deal, partly to minimize disappointment. And…

If you owe a significant amount in unpaid child support, your international travel plans are effectively grounded. Starting in May, the U.S. State Department is shifting from passive enforcement to an aggressive crackdown, proactively revoking the passports of parents with substantial arrears. Historically, the government blocked you from renewing an…

If you’re 40, like I was, and your retirement and savings accounts are embarrassingly empty, like mine were, you’re not alone—and you’re definitely not doomed. Millions of Americans hit middle age without substantial savings, but financial advisors say a decade is plenty of time to turn things around if you’re…

Whether you’re drowning in debt, or simply want to turbocharge your savings, the solution isn’t necessarily making more money—it’s stopping the behaviors that aren’t allowing you to get ahead and starting new, better habits. I should know. Just a few years ago, I had tiny savings and giant debt. Today,…

Certificates of deposits (CDs) continue to be worth considering as a component of your savings strategy in 2026. Yields on the best CD rates are down after peaking in late 2023, but they still remain well above national averages and the rate of inflation. “Savers can still take advantage of…

Note: This is the first of a series of articles we’re publishing explaining how you can use artificial intelligence to make money, save time or otherwise improve your life. If you’d like to see more like it, let us know!  I’ve been investing in stocks for 45 years and have…

rusty426 / Shutterstock.comOne of the best things about being a professional thrift shopper and reseller is exploring different parts of the country and seeing what national and local chains do best. After 30 years of road-tripping and online flipping, I’ve developed a list of secondhand shopping hot-spots that can guide…