In the wake of an independent actuarial study that found the FHA’s insurance fund reserves far below the congressionally mandated minimum, the agency...

You’ve survived the year by scrimping, saving and cutting to the bone. But now you face a big test: buying that special something for your son or...

I’ve used quite a bit of ink over the years on the subject of saving for college. And for good reason: Tuition, room and board at a four-year, in-state...

Sam in Boston built his mutual fund portfolio years ago but has long since stopped working with the financial adviser who set it up. Renee in Santa Barbara,...

Q:What is the outlook for my investment in Liz Claiborne Inc.?—P.V., via the Internet Answer: Sales of this famous women’s clothing maker have...

Freshmen can avoid money woes College freshmen, listen up. Get your financial life on track this first semester—or you may wind up making mistakes...

How does it work? When will it be available? First things first: The new credit is available now. It took effect the day President Barack Obama signed...

Ihave long had a thing for a perfectly sacked grocery bag. Four corners neat and square, cans on the bottom, bread on top. Light as a feather. It has been...

When you think of life’s big expenses, what comes to mind? College, for one. A home, a car, certainly retirement. And if you are planning to get...

Congress didn’t actually vote to end the confusion over mutual fund share classes last week, but lawmakers took a step that ultimately could go a...

“This is a pretty significant amount of money to return to consumers,“ said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. The money the FTC is getting from MoneyGram...

Q:My shares of Aetna Inc. have been disappointing. Please shed some light on prospects.—T.B., via the Internet Answer: Health care continues to be...

Crooks set sights on bank ATMs Stop and look before inserting your card into an ATM machine. Crooks have been tampering with automated teller machines...

Remember when the “good-faith estimates” your lender gave you upfront said closing costs would be about $2,000, but somehow they ballooned...

Scareware won’t shield computers Thieves in the cyber underworld are making a ton of money pedaling scareware—rogue security software—to...

The JCPenney Afterschool Fund has awarded six grants totaling $30,226 to support after-school care at the Chickahominy, Downtown, North Richmond, Patrick...

Red flags while job hunting Unemployed and feeling desperate? This is no time to drop your guard and inadvertently expose your personal data to identity...

A primer on spousal credit debt If your spouse dies and leaves behind credit-card debt, do you have to pay it? Maybe, maybe not: If it’s a joint...

The largest single gift to any girls’ independent school—$31 million—has been bequeathed to Chatham Hall by alumna Elizabeth Beckwith...

The pitches are especially attractive to homebuyers and mortgage applicants because they offer a way to raise credit scores enough to get loan applications...

NEW YORK As Bart Cleveland talks to employees of his ad agency, he sees the strain. “We’re really keenly aware of what the economy is doing...

Web sites manage social loans Do friends or relatives ever hit you up for a loan because they know you have a nest egg? Then they don’t repay the...

The form authorizes a loan officer or mortgage investor to get electronic transcripts from the Internal Revenue Service covering multiple years of your...

The WRVA Alden Aaroe Shoe Fund isn’t just for shoes anymore. Donations of more than $60,000 this year helped more than 800 children get off to a...

Keep an eye on your credit score If you manage your credit well, you shouldn’t be angst-ridden about achieving a perfect credit score. You don’t...