Financial Security Index Charts Americans' Spending Guarded But Optimistic The slowness of the recovery is keeping Americans' optimism in check, according to mixed indicators from Bankrate's May 2013 Financial ...

Dear Dr. Don, A recent column said that a $250,000 annuity would generate a monthly payment of $2,268, which would be a return of 1.7 percent. However, I calculate that $2,268 monthly would be $27,216 ...

Financial Security Index Charts Financial Security Index Riding Positive Waves Americans are feeling positive about their financial security -- and that's a good thing for the slowly recovering economy. ...

Dear Insurance Adviser, I'm in my late 20s. Because of my ignorance on the matter and despite the fact that I'm a single adult with no dependents, I selected term life insurance as one of the benefits ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I'd like to pay off about $5,000 in credit card debt over the next one to two years. This is an old debt, and I will not be incurring other charges in that time. I have recently received ...

From the relatively exotic to the seemingly mundane, certain occupations carry an underlying danger that can reach up to 117 fatalities per 100,000 workers.

Dear Driving for Dollars, Will my credit score go up if I pay off the remaining balance on my car loan? -- Stacey Dear Stacey, Paying off an installment loan -- a loan that is for a fixed amount for a ...

Money may not be able to buy you happiness, but happy children are more likely to grow up and earn more than their unhappy peers, according to a new study. The multiyear study, which was published in November ...

Dear Dr. Don, I got a reverse mortgage on my home, but my wife was not on the loan. I was hoping to add her name through refinancing the reverse mortgage. But, I've called some places and have been told ...

Once you negotiate the price of your new car, you may be surprised when you're presented with a final sales number that is hundreds, perhaps even thousands, higher than you originally negotiated. The bulk ...

Dear Tax Talk, I withdrew $38,000 from my Roth IRA last year due to unemployment to pay living expenses, medical premiums and bills. Is there a way to avoid paying an early withdrawal penalty? -- Janet ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best mortgage rates in your area. Mortgages 3.71% (30-year fixed) 0.34 (average points) Mortgage rates climbed for the second ...

Dear Retirement Adviser, I typically make about $55,000 a year. I will turn 66 years old in September 2014 and will retire the following year. Can I get Social Security starting in January 2014 and avoid ...

Life Insurance How To Track Unclaimed Life Insurance Money While some people leave records behind in a superbly organized "in case of my demise" file, it's not unusual for others to pass away ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best auto rates in your area. Auto Loans 4.12% (60-month, new car) 4.69% (36-month, used car) Auto loan rates were flat ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best credit card offers available. Credit Cards 13.02% (all fixed) 15.24% (all variable) Credit card rates were unchanged ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Compare CD rates nationally and in your area. CDs 0.25% (1-year CD yields) 0.78% (5-year CD yields) Rates on certificates of deposit ...

Mortgage interest rates popped up again this week. 30 year fixed rate mortgage 3 month trend The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.71 percent compared with 3.6 percent last week, according ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best home equity rates in your area. Home Equity 5.12% (line of credit) 6.1% (loan) Rates on loans backed by home equity ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I make pretty good money, but my credit score is low. What's the fastest way to raise my score? I've looked for help through credit repair places, but I haven't decided whether they're ...

One of the most frequently cited admonitions to individual investors is, "Don't try to time financial markets." To time the market means trying to buy assets in it near the end of a slump and ...

Taxes Investment Taxes When It's Ok To Tap Your IRA You've been saving diligently for your retirement, but now you need some of that cash to cover today's expenses. Can you get to it without incurring ...

Dear Dr. Don, Do employer contributions to a 401(k) plan count against the maximum limits you can contribute to the plan? Do they affect the amount you can put into a traditional or Roth IRA? -- Pat Plans ...

Good manners are at the root of our civilization, yet they're often viewed as overly restrictive, involving old-fashioned notions such as charm school and ballroom dancing classes. In fact, your behavior ...

As health insurance transforms itself, patients will feel the side effects.

When you book a vacation, you hope the worst will never happen. But travel insurance and assistance companies will tell you the worst happens almost every day. "In about 90 percent of our cases, something ...

Dear Bankruptcy Adviser, A woman at my bank said I should buy a car to build credit after my bankruptcy. Is this a good idea? What is the best way to rebuild my credit? -- Jamie Dear Jamie, While you can ...

Is your bank snooping on you? Increasingly, the likely answer is yes. Banks are harnessing new tools to dig into your financial psyche. Credit bureaus and software companies are rolling out more data-digging ...

Dear Dr. Don, My sister co-signed a Sallie Mae student loan for her daughter. Unfortunately, this student did not finish school, apparently is not working, and we don't even know where she is. My sister's ...

Dear Tax Talk, We are in the process of being foreclosed upon on my primary home and our one and only rental house. Our tax adviser said that we may be able to claim insolvency. Otherwise we will probably ...

Auto Leasing A Car Better For Senior Citizens? Leasing a car may not be on a senior citizen's radar screen, but it may be a better option than buying a new car for some. Seniors on fixed incomes who want ...

Dear Retirement Adviser, I have a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.99 percent, and it will be paid off in 2018, right before I turn 65. I should have no debt by the time I retire if things go as I plan. ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I own my home and have no mortgage or note. I have no debts except a student loan of about $11,000, and I can pay that off right now. I've always wanted to be debt-free, and I could ...

Planning for your passing can make it easier for everyone.

Dear Insurance Adviser, My neighbor's pool and pond have made a trench in my backyard. Whenever he drains them, we cannot use our yard. Is this something my home insurance can cover? -- Noreen Dear Noreen, ...

Here are some up-and-coming destinations where retirees can easily live on an income of $2,000 a month.

If you've been looking at your bills and wondering where you can cut costs, start with getting your car insurance policy re-quoted or changing the coverage. However, shopping only by price can be tricky ...

Dear Driving for Dollars, I'm getting ready to buy a car. How do I find the best auto loan rate in my area so I know I'm being treated fairly when I do the paperwork at the dealership? -- Dolores Dear ...

Median existing single-family home values are on the rise in much of the United States, increasing 11.3 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the first quarter of 2012, to $176,600, according ...

Dear Dr. Don, I have three $50 Series EE savings bonds issued to me (at my childhood address) back in June 1986. They were academic awards in grade school. I have no idea what to do with them. How do I ...

Imagine paying off five credit cards and instead of finding relief, you are haunted by those same accounts wrongly recorded as uncollectible on your credit report. Welcome to Beverly Ortiz's life. In 2009, ...

Foreclosure filings were down 5 percent nationally from March to April. According to RealtyTrac, a California-based firm that tracks foreclosures, these states had the highest rates of foreclosure in April. ...

Some of the prettiest, most touristy states in the nation are also some of the toughest on retirees.

Everyone wants lower property taxes. Beware scams in which companies charge fees to dispute your property assessment. In many cases, you can challenge your property assessment on your own, free of charge, ...

It's no secret that pension plans around the country are in trouble. The old-fashioned defined benefit plans in both the public and private sectors face funding shortages, and some radical solutions have ...

Dear Dr. Don, I am 28 years old, earning $23,000 a year, so I currently live at home. I have a 401(k) plan that I've been contributing into, for a little over three years. It's worth about $8,500, and ...

The beloved family doctor who once coordinated your medical care, took late-night phone calls and guided you reassuringly through the health care maze largely disappeared about the time the iconic TV series ...

Dear Credit Card Adviser, I recently opened a store credit card with the intention of purchasing a television for my new apartment. When the sales associate told me I was approved, I was excited until ...