The best option is to pay cash for your next car, but I realize that many people are not in a position to do that. According to Kelley Blue Book, the present average cost for a new vehicle in the United States is more than $37,000 (and this only includes so called 'light vehicles' and not trucks). Whether new or used, apurchasing a car is the second largest purchase most people make (after housing). Where Should You Finance Your Car? Most people get their financing at the dealership. The mistake here is not understanding that the largest profit center for... Read more →

The cost of auto insurance can vary widely based on a large number of factors. It is easy, however, to get in a rut and simply pay the bill month after month without considering other options. 7 Ways To Lower Your Auto Insurance Bill 1. Ask For A Discount Many times you don't even have to move your coverage to another company to save money. If you simply contact your current insurance carrier and let them know that you are about to start shopping them out, there is a good chance they will offer you a discount. For this call... Read more →

Credit Sesame is a fantastic and free online service that provides consumers with a host of tools to manage and improve their finances. Unlike many similar sites, they do not offer a free trial which is followed up by a $10 per month charge - it is free and continues to be free without any strings attached. There is one feature, in particular, that I want draw your attention to, their credit scoring module. Not only do you gain access to your credit score, but they provide a great amount of detail which explains your score, and offers suggestions on... Read more →

According to an article over at USA Today, a lot of American car buyers are doing it wrong. Car buying, that is. Specifically, the article, reflecting information gleaned from the popular automotive resource site Edmunds.com, points out that with the number of individuals financing their new rides for many years, but trading them in after just a couple, are doing themselves a distinct financial disservice. Perhaps the best reason to finance a car, rather than lease, is so that, at some point, you can drive a car that no longer has a financial obligation attached to it. You’ve heard those... Read more →

The story of dozens of nude celebrity pictures reportedly hacked from Apple's iCloud has captured the headlines since the weekend. Personally, I am not the least bit concerned about someone hacking my iCloud account in search of my naked pictures, because there are none. Today it may be stolen pictures, but tomorrow it could very well be your bank account. In fact, some reports suggest that these same hackers may also have private financial information on these very celebrities (similarly to what happened last year when Hillary Clinton, Tiger Woods, Ashton Kutcher, Bill Gates, Mitt Romney and others had their... Read more →

I have received this question many times and I wish there was a perfect answer. Of course, there is no greater control over a teenager than to have the authority to take away their car, but having your name on the title can be very risky. In the event of an accident, the driver and the owner of the vehicle can be sued. By putting the title of the car in your child’s name, it would be difficult for you to end up being sued if they were at fault in an accident. There are still some legal theories upon... Read more →