Mommy's little helper.
While children and fathers are scrambling to paint a piece of pottery and buy the right card before Mother's Day arrives this weekend, drop them one of these economical hints. Instead of treating you to a swanky spa day, tell them the lady of the house would appreciate a festivity that doesn't involve breaking the bank. Or pamper your own mother with one of these activities: Picked flowers only Read more
If you want to spark a debate, just gab about America's health and child care systems. While many countries offer new mothers a year of maternity leave, most American women get three months maximum. And in regard to financial benefits, there are few. The child tax credit offers parents a small relief, but for most, it is negligible. In France, however, it's a different story. Even two of the Read more
Families come in all shapes and sizes — from married couples to single parents to blended families and beyond. And, this leads to all sorts of inventive financial arrangements. Whether it's government-ordered child support or a specific verbal agreement, money can create chaos between all those involved especially when there are dependents. So when it comes to your babe's expenses, who Read more
Paying for college is such a complex issue. LearnVest helps simplify it by answering some key questions in regard to paying tuition. If you believe everything you read, then you might think you need to be a Rockefeller to have kids. That, of course, isn't the case. Yes, kids are expensive, and thinking about paying for a college education can be scary and frustrating . . . but that's where we Read more
Brad Pitt's gritty new project, Killing Them Softly (formerly titled Cogan's Trade, and based on a book of the same name), made its debut to the press at the Cannes Film Festival this morning. Considering the early hour of the screening and just how violent and drug-fueled it is as a film, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it overall. Pitt is at his best playing the ruthless assassin, and Read more
Everyone makes mistakes. Business Insider shares solutions for some common money mistakes people make. Recently, two friends confessed they live check to check — a revelation worsened by the fact that they only check their bank balance once or twice a month. RELATED: How This Writer Clawed Her Way Out of the Black Hole of Debt We called in the finance experts, and here's what we decided they Read more
Becoming completely financially independent can be scary, but it's also very liberating. Kiplinger gives advice on how to establish your financial independence. Not only is it difficult for us twentysomethings to wholeheartedly embrace adulthood, it's often also a challenge for our parents to let us go. Baby-boomer parents are generally known for mollycoddling their children, even after we move Read more
We all make mistakes — we're all human after all. LearnVest shares some of the common money mistakes that women often make so readers will learn not to make them, too. Some of us handle our money flawlessly, perfectly, brilliantly, all of the time. But most of us don't. Most of us make mistakes here and there. We make some mistakes more than others, because of our personalities, or our Read more
The magic number for happiness is apparently $50,000. LearnVest tells us more about it. Good news! Apparently, happiness is on sale for the new, low price of $50,000. Nope, we’re not talking about private trips to outer space, or even tuition for an Ivy League college. Apparently, all you need to be happy is $50,000 in yearly income. RELATED: Exercise Can Help Your Finances: The Read more
Be savvy about your retirement. Kiplinger gives eight compelling reasons for getting a Roth IRA account now. Smart young savers know to participate in their companies' 401(k)s as soon as they join the workforce to benefit from as many years of saving and compounding as possible (see Why You Need a 401(k) Right Away). But really smart young savers — including all of you who read Starting Out, Read more
