ArcaMax

There's no doubt that credit cards are convenient. They're compact, easy to carry and work just about anywhere. And that's the problem. What seems like no big deal on a daily basis can add up to one whopping surprise at the end of the month.

In the event you have fallen into a mind-numbing "coma" that has you swiping the plastic with abandon, ...Read more

Just months before she died at age 101, Phyllis Hood was facing a prospect she never imagined possible — running out of money.

The longtime Beaver County, Pennsylvania, nurse had spent decades caring for others. She lived frugally, attended Presbyterian church faithfully and saved diligently for retirement, her family said.

Yet, by early ...Read more

Every summer starts with good intentions: This will be the year we stay ahead of things. The year we don't waste food, lose track of sunscreen, or make six emergency grocery runs a week because nobody knows what's for dinner.

And then suddenly it's July, the refrigerator is full, the counters are cluttered, nobody can find the sunscreen, and ...Read more

Q: My insurance company just told me it will not renew my homeowners policy, and a few days later, my mortgage company warned that it will buy “lender-placed” insurance if I do not show proof of a new policy. I have never filed a claim in my life. What do I do, and is this force-placed insurance really as bad as it sounds? — Marcus

A: It ...Read more

Today is a good day to reach into my virtual mailbag and pull out letters from two of my dear readers.

Dear Mary: We are homeowners with about $175,000 in equity, which we will need to buy a bigger house in the future. Our home needs some expensive improvements (new windows, updated kitchen, siding), none of which are urgent, but which will be ...Read more

Homeowners beware. These days, home loan scam artists are lurking around every corner. They're hungry, they're determined and they're coming after your equity.

Unscrupulous loan peddlers are known as predatory lenders because of their uncanny resemblance to vultures. These loans encourage people to consolidate their debts and suggest this will ...Read more

In today's offering of tips from your fellow readers, you're going to get a bonus: a new vocabulary word. Read on.

My dream is to own a second home in Sweden, and to be able to purchase it without a long-term mortgage. I found a picture of the home I dream of and hung it where I will see it often during the day. This has "dreamwashed" my mind, ...Read more

Every summer, right about the time the house starts feeling like a toaster oven with furniture, people begin searching for bigger solutions.

A stronger fan. A portable air conditioner. Blackout curtains that look like military equipment. Somebody with a decent advertising budget trying to sell a "cooling mattress" for the price of a used car.

...Read more

Q: My condominium association is threatening to foreclose on my home over an unpaid assessment of $380 from last year. I had a financial hiccup, and, by the time I had the money, the interest, late fees, and their attorney’s fees had grown to more than $3,000. Can they really take my home over this? — Diane

A: It is terrifying to receive a ...Read more

I call it my mailbag, but in truth its my email inbox and lately, it's been loading up with creative tips from you, my clever readers!

CREATIVE GIFTING

My teenage grandchildren don't want "stuff" anymore -- they want cash! And I understand; being a teenager can be expensive. But I don't want to just hand them money. For Christmas last year I ...Read more

Before you cut up an expired credit card -- or toss that silly fake one you got as junk mail -- consider all the great things you can do with it!

1. Bookmark. It'll keep your place and act as a handy straightedge for underlining or highlighting.

2. Glass scraper. A credit card is just the right size to scrape ice from your car's windows and ...Read more