John and Gina Rodrigues have always been good with numbers. John is a software engineer who manages a team at Microsoft, and Gina spent years processing mortgages at Wells Fargo and Countrywide Home Loans. But the numbers they are especially good at are the kind with dollar signs in front of them.

It's never too early to start putting money away for retirement, but that can be tough for a young person with a tight budget and a lot of pressure to spend.

Terry Read transferred $400 into his wife's checking account on a Friday. Over the weekend, his wife used her debit card to make some small purchases, and on Monday she was slammed with a $35 overdraft fee because his cash transfer hadn't cleared yet.

I sent in the paperwork, but the company said it never got it - and now it's too late.

Read full story for latest details.

If you're confused about how to take your pension, ask yourself these five questions first.

I'm retiring and will soon be headed to Oxford University to begin my second act. So this will be my last column for Money. At a time like this, it's only natural to look back at one's career. So I've been reviewing my articles of the past 23 years to see where I've been right and where I've been wrong - and why.

Feel like you're getting nothing but lemons from the stock market? Allow us to introduce nearly two dozen recipes for lemonade.

Question: I recently retired and visited a Certified Financial Planner on the advice of a friend. He developed a portfolio for me, at no charge, and presented me with an investment plan for a fee of 1.35% per annum. I scrutinized all the paperwork he sent me. It seems that in addition to the 1.35%, there are a number of hidden fees, including various fund fees within the portfolio that he said nothing about. What should I do?

Check out these not-too-thirsty vehicles that give you fuel economy without giving up style and value.

Seeing your portfolio shrink can be tough so close to retirement, but you should still be investing for the long term.

It's never been easy to buy a car, but with soaring gas prices, you may have a lot more to ask about what's best for you. Here are the answers.

In today's tough economic climate, it's become vital to have an understanding of your credit score, which affects everything from rates on your mortgage and your car loan, to credit card terms and even your employment. But understanding your score and getting access to it isn't as easy as you might think.

If your bank contacts you about a bond-like investment you made some time ago, don't ignore it. You could benefit from an unusual settlement that will allow you to get back 100% of your investment's value.

Finances can be a touchy subject among family members. If you try to offer help, proceed with caution, says Money Magazine's Walter Updegrave.

Bonds will occasionally outperform the stock market in the short run, but over the long haul, stocks still tend to come out on top.

With the 'R' word looming, a lot of investors are ready to jump ship to shield their retirement. Look before you leap, says Money Magazine's Walter Updegrave.

Don' be misled by advertisements promising a high cash value for a small premium. There are better steps you can take to secure your child's future says Money Magazine's Walter Updegrave.

Question: Each year my wife and I contribute the maximum to our retirement accounts. My question concerns the timing of our investments. Are we better off spreading out the money we invest over the entire year - or should we invest the money as soon as we can? - Eric, Seattle, Washington

Options traders get down on Comerica and Capital One but bet bullish long-term on Lehman.

Strategies of Lynch, O'Shaughnessy and Graham pinpoint attractive alternatives to Big Oil.

With a bruised reputation from past drug-approval fiascos, the FDA is swinging too far the other way.

The booms in expensive caffeinated liquids and cheap goods are both suffering from late-stage growth obesity.

The defense contractor picks up an aircraft maintenance company and looks ready to assault new highs.

Lowell Bike has already scored a pair of tickets to see the Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley Field in two October playoff games and one World Series game, a bet that?s costing him $1,700 for events the luckless team may never play.

Radon is a serious problem. After smoking, it?s the No. 1 cause of lung cancer. The good news is you can detect radon in your home and remove it with relative ease.

It's not too early to buy tickets to see the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, even if the team never makes it, thanks to companies that pitch options for sporting events. MarketWatch's Jennifer Waters reports. (Aug. 19)

Get the truth on America's 'Outrageous War Economy' and find out where the housing market is headed, in today's Personal Finance section.

Chuck Carlson, editor of The DRIP Investor newsletter, said in a radio interview that gloom-and-doom thinking and heavy day-to-day volatility are problems but that they can?t obliterate opportunities in the current market.

Chuck Carlson, editor of The DRIP Investor newsletter, said in a radio interview that gloom-and-doom thinking and heavy day-to-day volatility are problems, but that they can't obliterate opportunities in the current market. Carlson said that the market's trend has turned positive, and that while the market will be choppy for the rest of the year, he predicted it will also be up from here. In another interview from Chuck Jaffe's weekday radio show, Ken Shreve of Investor's Business Daily said the market has turned buyable but that it is not churning out a lot of issues with the kind of strength that makes it worth buying right now.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Ryan Jacob has seen the best and worst of the late 1990s' Internet bubble. Nowadays, the lead manager of the Jacob Internet Fund says it's different this time.

If you?re planning on putting your home on the market, consider fixing it first. Simple cosmetic changes don?t cost very much and they can make a real difference to a buyer.

Yes, America?s economy is a war economy. Not a ?manufacturing? economy. Not an ?agricultural? economy. Nor a ?service? economy. Not even a ?consumer? economy.

Banks need to devote more attention to lower-to-moderate income Americans who increasingly are turning to costly non-bank providers, two recent studies indicate.

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Personal loan rates have hit a seven-year high as lenders continue to hike the cost of the deals in the face of the credit crunch. Financial information group Moneyfacts.co.uk said the best personal loan rate currently available for someone borrowing

Personal loan rates have hit a seven-year high as lenders continue to hike the cost of the deals in the face of the credit crunch. Financial information group Moneyfacts.co.uk said the best personal loan rate currently available for someone borrowing

Don't miss these top stories: It would be nice to think that our jobs made us feel like Michael Phelps when he ascended the podium to pick up his world-record eighth gold medal in a single Olympics. But more often than not, our jobs are likely to

Source: PA News Personal loan rates have hit a seven-year high as lenders continue to hike the cost of the deals in the face of the credit crunch. Financial information group Moneyfacts.co.uk said the best personal loan rate currently available for

John and Gina Rodrigues have always been good with numbers. John is a software engineer who manages a team at Microsoft, and Gina spent years processing mortgages at Wells Fargo and Countrywide Home Loans. But the numbers they are especially good at are

The federal agency charged with backstopping pension benefits for 44 million Americans has understated the risks of its new investment policy, a congressional watchdog said Monday. The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Pension

Loyalty to your Scottish bank might hurt your pocket ? it?s official. Bradford & Bingley's ?400m cash-call closed yesterday, and may leave six high street banks holding big stakes in the Yorkshire-based mortgage lender. Recommended life secured

The South African Jewish community is once again on the move, and many of its members are making Israel their destination. A lot of focus is naturally placed on structuring their affairs to obtain the generous tax exemptions Israel grants new residents.

(AsiaPulse via COMTEX News Network) --

Though pump prices have eased off a bit, energy prices are still a major budget buster for many households. In cold weather states, this is shaping up to be an expensive winter. But no one knows for sure just where heating bills will end up. So is it a

SAN FRANCISCO (Menafn - MarketWatch) -- How good are the mutual funds in your 401(k)? It would be nice if there were a scorecard. But rating the investments you hope will glitter in your golden years can be confusing. That's one reason why so many

Shopping for a home equity loan can be difficult and time consuming. Smart Lending saves you time and takes the difficulties out of deciding on what mortgage loan is right for you. Smart Lending has teamed up with the top rated mortgages lenders in the

How good are the mutual funds in your 401(k)? It would be nice if there were a scorecard. But rating the investments you hope will glitter in your golden years can be confusing. That's one reason why so many investors have embraced so-called target-date

It would be nice if there were a scorecard. But rating the investments you hope will glitter in your golden years can be confusing. That's one reason why so many investors have embraced so-called target-date or life-cycle funds, which take care of the

As the new kid in town, the Roth 401(k) is getting pretty popular. If your employer hasn't already added him as a retirement savings option, it soon may. With so many different retirement planning tools--401(k), IRA, Roth IRA--you investing geeks out

Your browser's settings may be preventing you from commenting on and viewing comments about this item. See instructions for fixing the problem. Discussion Policy CLOSE Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or

The Rediff Interview/D Swarup, PFRDA chairman After years of waiting, finally there seems to be hope for the passage of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development AuthorityBill, thanks to the Left's withdrawal of support from the government. The

BOSTON -- Mutual-fund giant Fidelity Investments on Wednesday said despite a weak economy and volatile markets, a study showed workers boosted their average contribution to their corporate defined-contribution plans in the first half of 2008 compared

The UK unsecured personal loan sector has continued to contract in 2007 and more lenders are now focusing on good quality customers rather than volume. Moreover, the advent of the credit crunch has led to fewer players in this sector and to significant

- A survey by ThinkMoney.com indicates that the full impact of today's financial troubles has yet to be felt. While fewer than 1 in 10 respondents who considered themselves in debt saw their debt as unmanageable, a full two-thirds were concerned that the

Despite rocky market conditions, Americans keep feeding their 401(k) plans, at least according to research from Fidelity Investments. At the same time, more people are taking hardship withdrawals from these plans. A study released this week based on

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Seven reasons America needs a 'Good (not Great) Depression' Yes, a depression. Spelled: D-e-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n. Wake up America, recessions don't work any more. Why? Despite high-profile cuts, dividend investors finding high yields The disappearance of

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More than half of UK businesses are quite or completely unaware about personal accounts, despite estimates that the reform will increase employment costs for almost a million firms. Just 16% of the 250 businesses polled by the British Chambers of

Mortgage rates didn't change much in a quiet week. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remained unchanged, at 6.74 percent, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large lenders. The mortgages in this week's survey had an average total of

Small, fuel efficient vehicles are flying off the lots faster than some dealers can stock them -- and what a turnaround that is. In May 2008, the Ford F-150 truck, which had been the best-selling vehicle in the country for two decades, lost its title to

Divorce is rarely an easy process. But falling home values and sluggish real estate sales are combining to make it particularly difficult right now. Couples aren't fighting over who gets to keep the house. They're scrambling to get away from the burden

Untitled Document Dear Dr. Don, I'm a little frustrated with my bank, Zions Bank. Last year, I opened an Internet money market account with them at a good interest rate (about 5 percent). My interest rate slowly went down without notice. Now it's at

Cheap doesn't necessarily equate to bare bones with today's new vehicle models. 'It's amazing how good the least expensive cars are these days,' says Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com.