Americans tend to have an optimistic view of retirement-but a recent poll found many people still have a lot of work ahead of them before they can leave their jobs.

For instance, 47 percent of respondents said their retirement savings will last them 10 to 20 years. Those numbers seem...

What is financial planning, and why it is crucial for you.

Even if you do not think you are a financial planner, you better start thinking like one fast. In the United States, there is an approximate of 5.6 million people who are either self-made millionaires or financially independent....

According to statistics from the National Council on Economic Education, only seven states require high school students to take a personal finance course while eight others require courses with personal finance content.

This was from a 2004 survey that also showed only nine states test...

Financial Budgeting, Income, Costs and Hints (Part 1 of 5)

Part 1 is: Create and Maintain a Budget

The first step to avoiding the troubles of financial debt is to create and maintain a budget. Its not as intimidating as it sounds, dont worry.

First off, create a list of...

You have been accepted to college. Now, how are you going to pay for it?

For college-bound students and families, this is the moment of truth when they find out the amount of money being offered by a specific college. Each school will offer different award packages, which can include a...

In 2002, the average annual cost for a public university was $9,338. It is estimated that by 2017, the average annual cost will be $19,413. And thats just for tuition and credit fees. Lets not forget about room and board, books, food, clothes and extra activities.

With those figures it...

Finance is a generally applied term for more than a couple of things. The term finance applies to the commercial activity of providing funds and capital; also it is that branch of economics that studies the management of money and other assets. If one were to round up the different definitions...

Fast cash loans are available to one and all today irrespective of the credit history, credit rating, scores etc. In case you require cash for any urgent needs, there are lots of lenders who will give you money with minimum of paperwork. Fast cash loans are commonly known as payday loans. The...

The smallest bills can cause the biggest stress, especially at the end of the month when due dates seem to come faster than paydays. When the financial outlook is uncertain, many choose to reach out to friends and family for short-term help.

Lending money to friends is a common practice...

When you find that you have no surplus at the end of the year, and yet have a good income, I advise you to take a few sheets of paper and form them into a book and mark down every item of expenditure. Post it every day or week in two columns, one headed necessaries or even comforts, and the...

According to the Department of Energy, household energy costs have increased a whopping 12 percent from 2004. Even more startling is the price of natural gas, which rose by 23 percent.

The good news is that there are many actions Americans can take to lower their energy bills, and at the...

As Americans face rising fuel prices, many are looking for ways to save money and energy in their homes.

The pressure to reduce energy consumption and costs is inspiring homeowners to challenge the relevance of old heating and hot water solutions and consider other cost-effective options,...