Recent content from Kara McGuire
Two books offer insights about managing time and space
Pocketbook insights found in two recent books about improving time management and decluttering a home
McGuire: Reviewing a family's mixed financial record
Some of the 2014 financial goals were no sweat, but inertia wasn't kind to aspirations to review our insurance portfolio or up our game when it came to comparison shopping.
McGuire: Let the ghost of Christmas past guide your holiday budget
Budgeting for the holidays may bring out Scrooge-like tendencies, but be realistic by looking at past spending, and use rewards programs as holiday currency.
McGuire: Sorting through the flood of credit card offers
Beware of the resurgence of credit card offers in the mail. Some may be good deals, but some can be deceptively risky.
Birthday freebies aren't always free
Before accepting, weigh whether you really want the product and what's motivating a company to offer it.
Life insurance: An act of love?
Fewer households own individual life insurance policies these days. And there are plenty of reasons why.
Culling your credit cards can be tricky
If you're paying off balances monthly, it may not matter how many you hold.
Kara McGuire: Best to get taxes done early
Tax time presents a telling picture of your money situation.
A wealth of options for money advice
The financial planning model has been shifting in recent years as new entrants, new pricing structures and new technologies evolve to offer advice to the masses.
Kara McGuire: Seven years of money lessons
Parting words from the Star Tribune's personal finance columnist.
When that gift card is just what you didn't want
I receive at least one gift card each Christmas. Fortunately, the givers are savvy selectors, picking cards for stores or services that I can't wait to use.
Smart savings tools for the new year
If you're like many Americans, saving more tops your resolutions list. Here's a look at some incentives to keep savers on track.
Is your charitable giving plan upside down?
Robyn Schein of the Minneapolis Foundation says many people tend to have their charitable priorities all mixed up, supporting other people's passions through workplace fundraisers and charitable events before they fund the causes or issues they care about most. Here's a breakdown:
March 15: Rowan gets 14 months and a scolding
Judge said she hopes Hecker's ostensible wife finds respect for law while behind bars.
Debt-settlement diligence
Nonprofit foreclosure counselors can help homeowners postpone sheriff's sales and navigate the loan modification process. Nonprofit financial counselors also can meet with strapped consumers to explore debt-payoff options. Knowing that, if you're still looking at for-profit companies in those fields, or hoping to hire a lawyer specializing in debt-settlement or foreclosures, consider:
Lawyer loopholes can strangle consumers
Laws intended to protect financially strapped consumers from greedy scammers have tightened since the recession. But there are still ways for bad actors to find ways to keep doing business.
A grizzly truth: Veteran money manager is scared of the market
But Steve Leuthold says it's the time to buy. He steps back from the fray and offers words of wisdom learned from a 50 year career.
Steve Leuthold
Age: 74
Hard work pays off
The McDonough family of Lindstrom found a financial program that motivated them and never looked back.
What is Financial Peace University?
Created by best-selling author and radio show host Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace University is a 13-week program offered mostly by churches to help congregation members pay off debt, create a budget, save for emergencies and build toward tithing 10 percent.
Planning will help your holiday spending
There are lots of ways to avoid running up your credit cards during the holiday season - if you plan ahead.
With debit card fees history, what's next?
Big banks want to make up lost revenue, blaming regulatory changes. They've already got a few ideas of what they might do.
The alchemy of college price calculations
Colleges are now required to have a price calculator online. But when it come to paying for higher education, nothing is simple.
Tips for using a net price calculator
They can be hard to find. Start by looking on the financial aid or admissions pages. If your search for a "net price calculator'' comes up empty, try looking for a "financial aid estimator'' or a "college cost calculator.''
McGuire: How to protect your kids from ID theft
Misappropriation of a minor's Social Security number can be hard to detect through credit checks.
CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S IDENTITY?
Here's how to contact the three credit bureaus:
McGuire: The high price of loyalty
Why some businesses charge longtime customers more than new ones, and what we can do about it.
Think twice before saving for college
Many parents need to set aside funds for retirement and other long-term needs.
Schools raise the bar for financial education
From required courses to college credit, Minnesota districts are finding ways to teach teens about money.
Time for a retirement re-do?
You can switch your IRA to a Roth IRA and back again with this forgiving strategy.
Women minding the money
Nowadays, women increasingly regard themselves as their family's "chief financial officer."
Reconsidering refinancing
A down housing market can make it tougher to refinance a mortgage. Examine a way to jump the hurdles and evaluate whether refinancing makes sense.
TO REFI OR NOT TO REFI?
If you're looking into a refinance, here are five things to take into account:
The truth about saving for college
Carol Stack thought most financial aid books weren't helpful to families. So she wrote her own.
'Crescendo of news' helps explain stock market's volatility
"I'm getting tired of this," said David Chalupnik, head of equities for Nuveen Asset Management, when I asked him to explain the latest series of erratic stock market moves.
Recession II? Investors watch, wait
Economists and average Minnesota citizens wonder if we're headed into the Great Recession, Part II.
3 buckets, 1 financial future
Budgets shouldn't just keep track of day-to-day spending. They should be a holistic tool that takes care of future goals too.
Young investor, sound advice
An essay winner from Plymouth started picking up lessons in investing early -- and is sharing the wisdom. Plymouth 18-year-old wins national contest for his essay on investing.
Winner's top five tips for investors
Here are essay winner Jack Alexander's five tips for budding investors:
Consumers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a 1,012-person telephone poll in July about the new bureau. The findings:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau celebrates its first birthday; consumers have much to celebrate
Finally there's a sharp-toothed government watchdog for consumers, on the lookout for the types of shenanigans that contributed to the financial crisis
McGuire: More investors turning toward dividend-paying stocks
When interest rates get too low, eyes turn to equity income.
Stable Minnesota dividend payers
The following nine Minnesota companies have conservative payout ratios and a history of at least 25 years of consistently increasing dividends. Dividend yield is annual dividends per share as a percentage of the share price. Payout ratio is the percentage of the firm's earnings that are paid to shareholders as dividends.
Haitian insurance badly shaken
Jaki Gardner, a career insurance regulator, took her expertise from Minnesota to Haiti to help rebuild its insurance system post-earthquake.
Coupon etiquette
Want to use coupons without being rude? Here's a compilation of coupon dos and don'ts from Kara McGuire. Send your own tips to kmcguire@startribune.com.
Bankruptcies down 8% in the first half of the year
In Minnesota and nationwide bankruptcies have fallen against a backdrop of a more fiscally prudent consumer.
What's your best advice for achieving financial freedom?
I posted that question on Twitter. Here are some of the responses:
Prepaid cards go mainstream
Prepaid cards now appeal to the mainstream, as more Americans get used to living with less, or with blemished credit.
Preparing for prepaid cards
Curious about prepaid cards but concerned about fees?
Top leaders: Striving to have their companies reflect their values
But it takes many people devoted to a common goal, regardless of the title on their business cards, to be leaders and to make something great.
Money to-dos when saying 'I do'
You've found your match. But are you a financial fit? Time to talk money.
Graduates: Welcome to the real world
Insurance, income, investing and loans. It's time for college graduates to get on top of their finances.
COLLEGE ADVICE FOR BUDDING SCHOLARS
Fidelity Investments asked college graduates to rank the importance of financial advice geared toward high school students hoping to attend college. Here's what the class of 2011 had to say:
McGuire: Cutting it on commission
A money course for hairstylists teaches principles that benefit commissioned employees from all sorts of fields.
Foreclosure questions?
To find out if your mortgage is a Fannie Mae loan, visit www.fanniemae.com/loanlookup or call 1-800-7FANNIE.
Dialing down the price of gas
If you have a car, you must buy gas. Here are some ways to pay less for fuel.
ATM FEE SAMPLER
Here's a sampling of ATM fees from some of the largest banks and credit unions in Minnesota.
Tools to decipher the cost of college
Compare financial aid offers from various schools: apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/compare_aid.jsp
Kara McGuire: Tips to pass the tuition test
Does your college financial aid award fall short? Don't be afraid to ask 'Is this it?'
Kara McGuire: Plan now for fewer tax-time tears
Filing taxes is much easier if you don't wait to get organized.
Why a stolen e-mail address isn't a crisis
I've learned that my e-mail address has been compromised at least three times in this Epsilon mess. But I'm not losing sleep.
Debit card rewards: By the numbers
Debit card issuers that offered a loyalty program in 2009, up from 53 percent in 2008.
Debit cards going on a diet
Debit rewards programs are going under the knife. But customers can find rewards for doing business most everywhere they turn.
Teen employment, tough gig
Dwindling summer job opportunities make finding a position a difficult job.
