Savings
- Ask the Readers: What will make you feel financially secure? (77 comments)
If you’re a regular reader of Get Rich Slowly, you are focused on getting out of debt, saving, retirement goals – all of those money issues we all deal with. But at what point would you or do you ...Read more »
- How my mom inspired me during a savings slump (52 comments)
This post is from staff writer Kristin Wong. I've been saving up for a big purchase, so I've seriously tightened my budget. Staying within my own strict boundaries has been frustrating. When I ...Read more »
- The tyranny of the 401(k) industrial complex (68 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool's Rule Your Retirement service. Like many living beings ...Read more »
- Are you prepared to buy a home? (48 comments)
This is a post from staff writer April Dykman. For many, owning a home is still "the American dream." According to Gallup's annual Economy and Personal Finance survey, 56 percent of Americans own a...Read more »
- Reader stories: The importance of number crunching (18 comments)
This post is from Corinne Hoener. Corinne is a long-time GRS reader and personal finance geek living in Brooklyn, NY with her partner and two cats. Some reader stories contain general advice; others ...Read more »
- Will you have what you need when you need it? (35 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool's Rule Your Retirement service. Let's say I told you ...Read more »
- I’m 30! Am I where I should be with my finances? (77 comments)
This post is from staff writer Kristin Wong. "I can't believe I'm going to be 30!" I told my Dad at the beginning of the year. I said the same thing when I turned 20, so I knew he would reassure m...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Do you save more or less than your parents? (111 comments)
This post is from Ollie Geiger, a personal finance writer who contributes to MoneyRates.com. Whenever we visit my grandmother-in-law’s house, we always leave with paper towels. Lots of them. ...Read more »
- Saving for college when time is on your side (81 comments)
This post is by staff writer Holly Johnson. According to the Federal Reserve, the average amount of student loan debt carried by a student graduating in 2012 reached a staggering $24,301. And that...Read more »
- Is it possible you don’t need an emergency fund? (83 comments)
This post is from staff writer Lisa Aberle. Common personal finance advice recommends building an emergency fund. In fact, how and why to have an emergency fund has been covered here before. But l...Read more »
- Oops, I may have broken my nest egg (42 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool's Rule Your Retirement service. Financial success can...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: What is the next step? (92 comments)
J.D. wrote about the three stages of personal finance often. His definitions were: The first stage of personal finance involves learning the basics: understanding compound interest, reducing debt...Read more »
- How to plan for a worst-case scenario (46 comments)
As many longtime GRS readers know, a few years ago I quit my job to become a full-time writer. The decision to ditch a job and leap into self-employment always brings up a lot of big questions, ...Read more »
- Taking the semi-retirement plunge without drowning in debt (59 comments)
After spending months working 60 or 70 hours per week, realizing that life is all too short, and preparing for our kids to come home, it's time for a new financial paradigm of my own: I'm semi-retirin...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: What will you give up this month to save $250? (101 comments)
Welcome to February! In early January, we asked people what are their savings goals this year. But reading El Nerdo’s post on Tuesday made me think about how focusing on a short-term goal could help...Read more »
- Reader Stories: Starting to see financial fitness muscle! (31 comments)
This story comes to us from reader EmJay. EmJay's story is the epitome of getting rich slowly, and readers can learn from her effort. This post is part of the Reader Stories series. Some reader sto...Read more »
- And the winners are… (3 comments)
To get your new year’s saving resolutions off to a healthy start, we ran a sweepstakes on the Get Rich Slowly Facebook page. More than 300 (310, to be exact) people told us what their new year’s g...Read more »
- Sweepstakes: What is your New Year’s savings resolution? (4 comments)
The Get Rich Slowly community is a savvy one, and we know you like to save money, find unexpected money and make good investments. But most of all, we know you like to voice your thoughts! To help ...Read more »
- Honey’s financial goals for 2013 (126 comments)
This post is by staff writer Honey Smith. Now that I've taken stock of where I've been in 2012, I'm ready to set goals for 2013. I want my goals to be ambitious enough that meeting them is a true...Read more »
- Driven crazy by car loans (92 comments)
My long commute means my car has a lot of miles on it. Right now, it's cruising up to 180,000 miles and still going strong. While we're hoping to make it to 250,000, approximately 30,000 miles goes ...Read more »
- A few things to consider before becoming an expatriate (23 comments)
This post is from Justin Boyle. Justin is an experienced English tutor and writing coach who works as a designer in the tech industry. He lives in Austin, Texas, and finds a lot of things interestin...Read more »
- 6 financial products that made the nice list (and 6 that didn’t) (37 comments)
How great would it be if you could get a better return on your savings? What if you could get a rate 300 times higher? Of course that'd be great! Who doesn't want more money? But if you just opened...Read more »
- Health savings accounts: An overview, plus some pros and cons (86 comments)
Lately, my dad's been praising the benefits of having a health savings account. This year, he had the opportunity to get the most of his HSA -- bad news for his health, but good news for his wallet ...Read more »
- The really, really, really long-term view…and when you’ll die (50 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. I know it’s the h...Read more »
- Adopting strategies to pay for big expenses (82 comments)
I like the idea of financial independence, and if I'd had my way, we would have started our family once we had college fully funded for each child. Plus, a healthy emergency fund, a do-I-want-to-be-a-...Read more »
- Bid for savings at an auction (48 comments)
This is a guest post from Matt Ainslie. He is a reference librarian and auction animal. His interests include blacksmithing, learning new obscure facts and saving money. He lives with his wife and c...Read more »
- 5 principles of fund investing, as illustrated by a zombie (20 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new...Read more »
- GRS 2.0 (still with cat pictures) (32 comments)
Now that J.D. has said his farewell, I wanted to introduce myself to the Get Rich Slowly community, since my name will be on many of the posts that are not written by staff writers. I am Ellen Cann...Read more »
- How Wall Street eats a third of your savings and makes you work longer (35 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new...Read more »
- Reader Story: Go online to raise money-savvy kids (12 comments)
This post from Doug Lebda is part of the reader stories series. Doug is a personal finance expert, father of three, founder and chairman of Lending Tree, the Lending Tree Foundation and co-founder of ...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: What odd things have you done to save money? (254 comments)
This is a guest post from David Bakke. David is always looking for ways to save money and live frugally. He shares his tips and strategies on Money Crashers Personal Finance. During my journey to e...Read more »
- Reader Story: My Roth IRA Sprint (45 comments)
This guest post from Vermont Moose is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success o...Read more »
- Saving for a Big Purchase (86 comments)
This post is from staff writer Tim Sullivan. I love the jeans I’m wearing. I actually wear them almost four days a week. Chances are that if you see me, I’m wearing these jeans. They’re my on...Read more »
- Reader Story: Falling in Love with the Freedom Fund (61 comments)
This guest post from Lisa Mueller is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success or...Read more »
- Reader Story: What Financial Freedom Really Means (50 comments)
This guest post from Sue is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success or failure....Read more »
- Finding Room for the Spontaneous (82 comments)
This post is by staff writer Tim Sullivan. This past Friday, I got an e-mail from my uncle letting me know the Sox were here in Seattle. Since leaving Chicago, it’s rare that I get to see my hometo...Read more »
- Saving Without a Goal (206 comments)
For the past few months, I've been in a strange place with my financial journey. My retirement needs are met, as are my daily living expenses, so all I need to worry about is saving for short- and med...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: How to Save Money While Making Minimum Wage? (144 comments)
It can be tough to get out of debt and build savings even if your income is above average. If it's average (or less), the challenge becomes even greater. And what if you're earning only minimum wage (...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Income? Or Negative Savings? (92 comments)
I've been fielding reader questions at Get Rich Slowly for almost six years now. In that time, we (you and I) have answered 202 questions, most of which have been about the Big Picture, about things t...Read more »
- How Safe Is Your Cash? (51 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new...Read more »
- Five Easiest Ways to Save Money (94 comments)
This post is by staff writer Sarah Gilbert. This is America Saves Week, and I am writing to you sitting next to a jar. This jar is stuffed full (okay, imagine it gently filled — it's a small jar)...Read more »
- 8 Questions to Help You Save More (63 comments)
This is a guest post by Fiona Lippey. Fiona is the author of the bestselling book The $21 Challenge and founder of Australia's largest frugal website, SimpleSavings.net. If you want to save mo...Read more »
- Reader Story: The Money Fix (59 comments)
This guest post from Christine is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success or fa...Read more »
- Automating Savings on an Irregular Income (24 comments)
This post is from staff writer April Dykman. One of the tenets of personal finance is to pay yourself first. And one of the most sure-fire ways to make sure you do that is to automate your savings:...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: How Much Should I Save (and What Should I Save For)? (107 comments)
Many of the reader questions I get here at Get Rich Slowly follow a familiar formula. The person sends me a breakdown of her income and expenses, also sharing how she's allocating her savings. From th...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: When Is It Okay to Use Your Emergency Fund? (101 comments)
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person in want of a good fortune must be in possession of an emergency fund. Hilarious literary allusions aside, the emergency fund — or rainy-day ...Read more »
- 20 Ways to Spend $20 (77 comments)
This post is from GRS staff writer Donna Freedman. Donna writes a personal finance column for MSN Money, and writes about frugality and intentional living at Surviving And Thriving. Since she just fou...Read more »
- How I Lost 25 Pounds — And How It Can Help Your Finances (35 comments)
This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new...Read more »
- Getting Over the Overdraft: How I Started Saving (56 comments)
This post is by staff writer Tim Sullivan. A few years back, I got a paycheck in the mail and went to deposit it. I left the bank, dropped off a rent check, bought groceries, a sandwich across t...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Staying Motivated to Save? (82 comments)
Sometimes you do everything right — you work hard, you cut back on spending, you invest for retirement — but all of your effort seems for nought. You get sick. You wreck your car. Or, as h...Read more »
- Why Most of Us Won’t Change Banks (73 comments)
This post is from staff writer Sarah Gilbert. Did you ever look at a bank's website and think to yourself, "Why would they give you free bill pay when they charge for everything else?" Even with th...Read more »
- Why Pay Debit Card Fees? Changing Banks, or Not (167 comments)
This post is from staff writer Sarah Gilbert. Bank of America will soon be charging $5 per month for consumers who use its debit cards to access the money in their accounts. This fee, to be charg...Read more »
- Holiday Saving Tips: How to Grow Your Christmas Nest Egg (48 comments)
This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and raising children at Childwild.com. Autumn is here and the leaves are just starting to turn. Belie...Read more »
- Free Money from Banks! (But Watch the Fine Print) (52 comments)
This post is from GRS staff writer Donna Freedman. Donna writes a personal finance column for MSN Money, and writes about frugality and intentional living at Surviving And Thriving. I earned $200 in...Read more »
- Best Savings Accounts for 2013 (100 comments)
J.D. first posted this online savings account article back in March 2007, when interest rates were well over 1 percent. Since then, of course, interest rates at online banks have run under or just at ...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: I’m Getting Older — Should I Save or Should I Travel? (112 comments)
Long-time GRS reader Sheila (aka PawPrint) dropped a line earlier this year because she's facing a financial dilemma. She and her husband want to be responsible — to save for retirement — ...Read more »
- Reader Story: How My Parents and I Partnered on a Win-Win Savings Plan For College (93 comments)
This guest post from Robb Engen is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some reader stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial succe...Read more »
- Reader Story: Saving the American Way…and the Bulgarian Way (96 comments)
This guest post from Rya is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or ...Read more »
- Reader Story: Saving for Something Close to Home (38 comments)
This guest post from Jeanne is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — ...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Saving vs. Debt Reduction (99 comments)
The tone and content at Get Rich Slowly have shifted a lot in the past five years. When I started this site, I was a financial novice. I was learning about smart money management. Now, I'm in what I c...Read more »
- The Most Important Factor in Retirement Savings (67 comments)
"Wanna see something neat?" Kris asked the other night. She was holding the year-end statement from her work-based retirement plan. "Sure," I said. "Show me the money." She handed the statement ...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: The Best Online Bank for Service and Security? (144 comments)
It's been a while since I've written about the best online bank accounts. Usually when I cover online banks, I'm focused on their interest rates, such as in this constantly-updated list of which onlin...Read more »
- Think You Can’t Afford an Emergency Fund? Think Again! (78 comments)
This post is from new GRS staff writer Donna Freedman. Donna writes the Living With Less personal finance column for MSN Money, and writes about frugality and intentional living at Surviving And Thriv...Read more »
- Reader Story: How Our Simple, No-Category, Mostly-Cash Budget Accidentally Paid Off the Car (42 comments)
This guest post from Heather is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success —...Read more »
- Drama in Real Life: When Emergencies Pile Up (76 comments)
This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. Last week, I mentioned that my cat just died. Not ...Read more »
- Reader Story: First Generation White Collar (43 comments)
This guest post from L. Marie Joseph, the Money Monk, is part of the "reader stories" feature at Get Rich Slowly. Some stories contain general advice; others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved ...Read more »
- Emergency Fund vs. Debt Snowball: What’s the Top Priority? (79 comments)
This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. A few weeks ago, in my review of Mary Hunt's Debt-...Read more »
- How to Save: Putting “Pay Yourself First” into Practice (79 comments)
For many people, saving is tough. Between housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, credit-card debt, student loans, and other expenses, there never seems to be enough left to set aside for long-...Read more »
- Money Magic That Really Works (15 comments)
This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. It's Halloween, the season of ghosts, ghouls, and ...Read more »
- The Quest for the Best Budget (38 comments)
This is a guest post from Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new articl...Read more »
- Why Are There No Ads Urging Us to Save? (39 comments)
This is a guest post from Rob Bennett, a long-time GRS reader. Bennett created the first retirement calculator that contains an adjustment for the valuation level that applies on the day the retiremen...Read more »
- Checking Accounts: New Rules, Old Rules, Your Rules (20 comments)
This is a guest post from Richard Barrington, a freelance writer and novelist who spent over 20 years as an investment-industry executive. Barrington is a regular contributor at MoneyRates. Previously...Read more »
- College Savings: The Basics of Saving for College (47 comments)
This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. Got kids? If so, you're probably hoping to send th...Read more »
- Treasury Department to Help Under-Banked Citizens at Tax Time (48 comments)
Every week, I'm bombarded by press releases from companies and publications wanting me to share their products and stories. I'd love to be able to pass this info on to you — at least the stuff t...Read more »
- Does Saving Stimulate the Economy More than Spending? (73 comments)
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. When the 2008-09 financial crisis hit, my husband and I were debt-free and building our savings. We were proud of what we'd accomplished, and I used...Read more »
- Why Are Interest Rates So Low Right Now? (and Where Should You Put Your Money?) (72 comments)
I've been plowing through my e-mail lately in my never-ending quest to reach inbox zero. As a result, I've been answering tons of reader questions. And when I can't answer them (or when I think a coll...Read more »
- The Legal Nomad on Saving for Travel (39 comments)
As you've probably noticed, travel has become a priority in my life. There are number of reasons for this. For one, I love it. I love visiting other cities, other states, other countries. I love seein...Read more »
- How to Help Your Kids Build $25,000 Stock Portfolios (61 comments)
Mary and her husband set out to build a stock portfolio worth $25,000 as a college graduation present for each of their children. That's a lofty goal. How did they do it? In her entry to the GRS video...Read more »
- Three Stories About Banking (19 comments)
As part of my downshifting project, I've spent the past couple of days replying to several hundred stale messages in my inbox. There were plenty of great reader stories, guest posts, and "ask the read...Read more »
- Pay Yourself First with a Coupon Booklet (19 comments)
Is budgeting a hassle? Do you sometimes forget to make your Roth IRA contribution or to transfer this month's installment for the new car you're saving for? Do you wish there were some way to make the...Read more »
- High Interest: How to Choose Between Checking, Savings, and CDs (51 comments)
In a rocky economy, high interest rates are the holy grail of conservative investors, especially those who don't want to to invest in bonds. But in this rocky economy, "high interest" hasn't really me...Read more »
- In Praise of Paying Yourself First (64 comments)
Can you bear with me for one more labored metaphor? As I've mentioned a few times already, I'm in the midst of a successful fitness program. I've lost 20 pounds since the beginning of the year, and, m...Read more »
- The Incredible Shrinking Emergency Fund (141 comments)
The polls that appear in the Get Rich Slowly sidebar are far from scientific, and a lot of the time they don't yield anything interesting. But sometimes they turn out a curious piece of information. ...Read more »
- Grow Your Savings by Paying in Full (62 comments)
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. In the past six months, I've spent more money on personal development than I have in my entire life. I've also spent considerable amounts on laptops...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Am I Being Foolish for Saving So Much? (132 comments)
Some of my favorite questions come from readers who are worried that they're saving too much. This is a great problem to have. For example, Henry wrote recently with this dilemma: I've been readi...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: How Do You Choose a Savings Account? (45 comments)
Here's a little twist to the typical Ask the Readers column. Yesterday, I exchanged e-mail with financial writer Liz Weston. She gave me advice for this Friday's post, and in return she asked the foll...Read more »
- Reader Story: How (and Why) I Moved My Money to a Local Bank (73 comments)
This guest post from Aja is part of the "reader stories" feature here at Get Rich Slowly. Some reader stories contain general "how I did X" advice, and others are examples of how a GRS reader achieved...Read more »
- Fixed Expenses and Flexible Expenses: How to Budget for Both (55 comments)
This post is from new staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. A few months ago, my local bank and I had a fa...Read more »
- What Does It Take to Make You Switch Banks? (170 comments)
This article is by staff writer Adam Baker, whose own blog featured the hit post 42 Ways to Radically Simplify Your Financial Life. When I was 14 years old, I opened my very first checking account ...Read more »
- New from the IRS! Use Your Tax Refund to Buy Savings Bonds (29 comments)
Here's something cool I learned at Mapgirl's Fiscal Challenge. Apparently you can now use your tax refund to automatically buy I-series bonds from the U.S. government. As recently as three years ag...Read more »
- How to Get the Best Rates on Your Savings — Safely (64 comments)
Over the past year, one of the frequent questions I get is: "Where I can safely invest my money to get a decent return?" For example, Joseph wrote in November: Around February/March I should have $...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Life After a Maxed-Out IRA? (82 comments)
It's been a long time since we had an Ask the Readers around here. Time to remedy that situation! Jeff recently wrote with a question about saving. The lucky dog has saved so much that he doesn't know...Read more »
- Don’t Let Irregular Expenses Wreck Your Budget (or Drain Your Emergency Fund) (111 comments)
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. Right before our Thanksgiving trip, the AC went out on our vehicle. $600 later, we had a functioning AC. What a way to start a camping trip. Th...Read more »
- The Personal Finance Hour, Episode 27: Banking for Fun and Profit (1 comment)
On today's episode of The Personal Finance Hour, I'll join Jim from Bargaineering to discuss the wonderful of banking. We'll talk about online banks, offline banks, high interest savings accounts, cur...Read more »
- Is There a Generation Gap in Saving? (122 comments)
I'm old-school: I went to the bank to make a deposit today. (I make most of my deposits in person, inside the branch.) While I waited, I chatted with the teller, whom I know from many previous visits....Read more »
- The Personal Finance Hour, Episode 24: Saving for Retirement (6 comments)
It's National Save for Retirement Week! All week, Get Rich Slowly will feature articles about retirement planning. This morning, I wrote about how important it is to pay yourself first. April and ...Read more »
- Pay Yourself First (55 comments)
This article is the fourth of a fourteen-part series that explores the core tenets of Get Rich Slowly. It's also a part of National Save for Retirement Week. One of the oldest rules of personal fi...Read more »
- How Much Should You Have in Savings? (117 comments)
A couple of weeks ago, we had a fine discussion about how much we should save for retirement. But how much should we have saved for today? How much should we have in cash reserves? As I write my ow...Read more »
- When Is It Okay to Finance Fun? (103 comments)
At AskMetafilter last week, a user asked a question I've been thinking about a lot lately. Now that I have my finances firmly under control, now that I'm building wealth, is it ever okay to finance fu...Read more »
- Sound Saving and Investing: Taking the Road to Riches Step-by-Step (28 comments)
This is a guest post from Richard Barrington, a freelance writer and novelist who spent over 20 years as an investment industry executive. Barrington is a regular contributor at MoneyRates. Previously...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: How Much Should You Save for Retirement? (152 comments)
How much should you save for retirement? Carla dropped me a line because she's puzzled where the standard "save 10% of your income for retirement" advice originated. She's afraid that ten percent isn'...Read more »
- 11 Ways to Spice Up Your Emergency Fund (77 comments)
This article is by Adam Baker, a GRS Staff Writer. In addition to writing for Get Rich Slowly, Baker blogs over at Man Vs. Debt, where he discusses ways to simplify your financial life. A thriving ...Read more »
- Compound Interest: One Percent Can Make All the Difference (42 comments)
How many of you consider the effects of compound interest (or "compound returns", if you prefer) when you make financial decisions? I mention the concept from time-to-time — and I've even devote...Read more »
- How to Choose the Right Bank Account (53 comments)
On my first day of college, I chose a checking account because the bank was handing out free Frisbees. This was my only bank account for nearly 20 years. Eventually I opened a savings account at th...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: What Happens *After* You Use Your Emergency Savings? (64 comments)
A comfortable "rainy day" fund is a key component to most personal financial plans. The experts don't agree on the exact amount to keep in an emergency fund — advice ranges from three to twelve ...Read more »
- What If You Don’t Plan to Retire? Save Anyhow! (49 comments)
This is a guest post from Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the advisor for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new articl...Read more »
- Saving for the Short Term (49 comments)
Dave wrote yesterday with a common question. He's looking for a low-risk investment with decent returns, but not having any luck finding one. He writes: I currently have a Money Market Savings ac...Read more »
- An Introduction to Money Market Accounts & How to Find The Best Rates (51 comments)
I've been moving large sums of money between my bank accounts recently. I'm shuffling funds from my business account to my personal account to my high-yield savings account in an attempt to get each d...Read more »
- The Fall and Rise of Personal Savings (58 comments)
Americans are beginning to save again, or so the media is reporting. The personal saving rate has jumped from 0.4% in 2007 to a whopping 6.9% in May. But what does that mean? Is it a good thing? And h...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Save More or See the World? (166 comments)
I've written a lot lately about finding balance. It's important to save for the future, but how do you balance that with enjoying today? Each of us has to address that question in our own way. A reade...Read more »
- Good-Bye, Microsoft Money! 16 Powerful Personal Finance Programs (275 comments)
As of today, Microsoft Money is no longer available for purchase. Microsoft has essentially conceded that there's no demand for the product. From the website: With banks, brokerage firms and Web site...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: How to Handle a Windfall? (79 comments)
It's been a while since we touched on the subject of windfalls: money that unexpectedly falls into your lap. It's been so long, in fact, that I've started to receive questions about them, including th...Read more »
- Online Banking: 13 Choices for Higher Interest Rates and Increased Security (86 comments)
In its July 2009 issue, Consumer Reports Money Adviser published a brief overview of the best online banking options according to their research. "Online banking, despite a rocky start, is becoming th...Read more »
- How to Find the Right CD or Money Market Account (21 comments)
This is a guest post from Richard Barrington, a Chartered Financial Analyst and 20-year veteran of the financial industry. Barrington blogs regularly at MoneyRates. Conservative savings vehicles su...Read more »
- How Much Do You Need to Save for Retirement? (103 comments)
I've had several conversations in the past month with people who are wondering how much to save for retirement. They're worried they won't have enough. (And the recent market turmoil only makes matter...Read more »
- 25 Useful Financial Rules of Thumb (98 comments)
Lately I've found myself using more and more financial rules of thumb. A rule of thumb is a general guideline, an easy way to approximate a value quickly. It's not meant to be completely accurate. On ...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Should I Chase Higher Interest Rates? (88 comments)
Almost eighteen months ago, I wrote a post listing the best on-line high-yield savings accounts. Over 750 comments later, the discussion is still going strong. Kyle recently chimed in with a question ...Read more »
- What’s the Reason for Saving and Investing? (35 comments)
Yesterday, in his final piece for The Wall Street Journal, Jonathan Clements shared what he learned from writing 1,008 columns about personal finance in 26 years. What is the reason for all this ...Read more »
- The Extraordinary Power of Compound Interest (89 comments)
If you’re young, you may not think you need to open a retirement account. You probably think it’s easier to worry about it five years from now. Or ten. You’re wrong. No matter what your age, now...Read more »
- April is Financial Literacy Month (7 comments)
Though April 2008 isn't officially National Financial Literacy Month in the United States, many organizations are still treating it as such. (Here in Oregon, for example, it is again statewide financi...Read more »
- Free at Last! Saying Good-Bye to 20 Years of Debt (243 comments)
Twenty years ago I was a freshman in college. I was a poor kid from a poor family, but my roommates came from wealth. In order to fit in, I went out and picked up a department store credit card. I bou...Read more »
- Letter to a Godchild: Passing on Financial Wisdom (42 comments)
This is a guest post from Suzanne S. I’m English and live in California. My goddaughter recently graduated in England (with a degree in Art). I’m one of those who regrets not starting off wit...Read more »
- Can You Have a Savings Account in a Roth IRA? (24 comments)
Yesterday, Brent wrote with a question regarding the types of investments one can have in a Roth IRA: Is there such a thing as a Roth IRA "savings" account that gets rates comparable to a good "reg...Read more »
- Money Day: Your Personal Finance Holiday (21 comments)
I opened my first checking account on the day I entered college. During registration, local banks set up tables at one end of the room. They all seemed the same to me. I chose the bank that gave me a ...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: What’s the Best Way to Save for a Down Payment? (50 comments)
When I asked recently for topics you'd like to see covered at Get Rich Slowly, many of you expressed interest in learning more about how to purchase a home. Jason sent the following question: ...Read more »
- More Money: 5 Ways to Earn Extra Cash in Your Spare Time (64 comments)
The discussion yesterday about how to earn money when you've lost your job got me thinking about ways to earn extra income outside regular employment. None of these are quick fixes, but they're ways t...Read more »
- Saving and Investing: The Power of Compounding (21 comments)
This is part two in a series that will occupy the "money hacks" slot at Get Rich Slowly during April, which is National Financial Literacy Month. Albert Einstein reportedly called compound interest...Read more »
- Saving and Investing: Introduction (5 comments)
This is the first in a series that will occupy the "Money Hacks" slot at Get Rich Slowly during April, which is National Financial Literacy Month. While browsing YouTube a couple weeks ago, I stumb...Read more »
- Which Online High-Yield Money Market & High-Interest Savings Account is Best? (1748 comments)
Savings Account Rates Updated May 14, 2013 Version of Original Post Below The rates on this page are current as of May 14, 2013. Rates are low right now, but they'll rise as the economic crisi...Read more »
- Ask the Readers: Save for a Down Payment, or Put Money into Home Equity? (27 comments)
Matt has a question about the best way to save for upgrading his house: My wife and I bought a small house before our wedding, and we know that eventually (say, within the next five years) we'll ...Read more »
- How and Why to Start an Emergency Fund (87 comments)
"Pay off your debt." "Max out your IRA." "Buy a house." "Get a new job." Personal finance advisers bombard us with a litany of things we ought to do in order to achieve financial independence. It's ov...Read more »
