Author Archive | Randal Birkey

It’s tough enough to teach kids how to manage money wisely, but now Hasbro has announced plans for a new version of its popular The Game of Life board game in which play money will be replaced by a Visa-branded card. According to _Kiplinger’s Personal Finance_ magazine, in the new version, called Twists & Turns, […]

Just as today’s wants quickly morph into tomorrow’s needs, bad money moves often turn into recommended money moves. As reported on _MSN_ recently, borrowing against your home equity or retirement savings used to be considered bad ideas. But today many lenders routinely promote home equity loans as good ways to pay off credit card debt […]

While a million bucks certainly doesn’t buy what it used to, an 8/15 _USA Today_ story said it remains the monetary benchmark of having “truly made it.” As a result, millionaire madness continues to permeate our culture. Game shows with million dollar prizes are among the biggest hits, books offering to teach us the “Secrets […]

When Sid Kirchheimer decided to write about smarter spending, he turned to an unusual source: “reformed scammers.” The resulting book, “Scam Proof Your Life”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&path=ASIN/1402730411&tag=wwwfinancia00-20&camp=1789&creative=9325, includes money-saving insights from an assortment of former con artists and other schemers. It also includes honest insiders’ tips on how to get better deals on everything from homes to healthcare. […]

An _MSNBC_ article on 8/11 highlighted the trouble many college kids get themselves into after signing up for their first credit card at college

The start of a new school year may not seem like a holiday to school kids, but for retailers the back-to-school shopping season, now in full swing, is the second biggest

Organic products, once limited to specialty food stores, have become mainstream. With so many products now labeled as organic, and especially because of their higher prices, it’s important to know which ones are worth the extra cost. A New York Times article on 7/29 cited a that helps shoppers make informed choices. The study recommends […]

Banks and other financial institutions are going after kids’ lemonade stand money. According to an article in the 7/29-30 issue of the Wall Street Journal, many financial service providers are offering everything from stick-on tattoos to iPods to entice kids to bank with them. And they’re offering more than just passbook savings accounts. Today, kids […]

Many people complain about the “consumer treadmill,” but few are willing to actually step off. An article on MSN recently profiled someone who did. Judith Levine spent a year buying only essentials—no movies, no restaurant meals, no ice cream. While her spending sabbatical enabled her to pay off nearly $8,000 in credit card debt, she […]

With fuel prices at record highs, filling the gas tank is starting to feel more like an investment than an expense. For some ideas on how to save on gas, a 7/26 posting on Businessweek Online said the most important steps are all pretty simple: keep our tires properly inflated, accelerate and brake gently, slow […]