Jason Alderman’s Practical Money Matters

September 05, 2008
Understanding debit cards
Fifteen years ago, only a few million Americans carried debit cards. Today, more than 80 percent of us use them to withdraw cash, pay bills and make purchases at stores, restaurants and other merchants worldwide.

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August 29, 2008
Protect your personal finances during divorce
Divorce is often referred to as the No. 2 most stressful life event, second only to death of a spouse. And no wonder: Besides its obvious emotional impacts, getting divorced can also be a financial nightmare as you're forced to deal with nagging details like separating your finances, acquiring your own health insurance and deciding who will claim the kids as tax deductions.

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August 22, 2008
Borrowing from retirement accounts a costly mistake
The current housing crisis and other economic woes are taking their toll on people's wallets. Caught between escalating mortgage payments and rising fuel and food costs, many folks are having difficulty paying their bills. Not so long ago, some people probably would've just taken out a home equity loan, but with property values plummeting, their equity may already be exhausted – not to mention, those loans are now harder to get. Which leads me to cite a disturbing behavior that's on the rise: Tapping long–term retirement savings accounts to pay short–term bills.

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Trial and error is the hardest and most expensive way to learn money-management skills. Yet that's the only option available to many consumers, who graduated without even basic skills like balancing a checkbook.

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Check in with Jean Chatzky's Practical Money Series every week to learn valuable advice and useful tips for financial freedom. You'll find videos, online tools and information on everything from budgeting and buying a home to marriage and retirement planning.

Get Jason Alderman’s Practical Money Matters on important topics–like foiling financial scam artists, catching up on retirement savings, and teaching your kids good money management skills.

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