How to Budget Without Regular Paychecks

Successful budgeting tends to depend on two things: careful planning and a steady income. The first, anyone can do. The second may not be so simple. If you’re self-employed, you might be asking yourself, “But I don’t have a regular paycheck coming in — can I even set up a budget? Should I bother?” You can. […]


The Latest Occupational Hazard? Binge Working

This post comes from Jacqui Kenyon at our partner site LearnVest. Have you ever gotten absorbed in a project on your laptop, only to look at the clock to see that three hours have passed? TODAY Money calls it the “hypnotic effects of technology, ” and it’s just one of several factors contributing to a new […]


What the CIA Knows About Your Finances

This post comes from Julia Chang at our partner site LearnVest. First it was your phone records; now it could be your financial transactions. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Central Intelligence Agency is collecting data from U.S. money-transfer companies such as Western Union in an effort to find or track suspected funding for terrorists. […]


5 Ways to Keep Email From Taking Over Your Life

This post comes from Cathie Ericson at our partner site LearnVest. Do you feel like you spend half your day processing emails instead of actually working? You aren’t alone. Marsha Egan, C.E.O. of InboxDetox.com and author of “Inbox Detox and the Habit of Email Excellence, ” says that a full inbox is “an immediate source of […]


Are You LinkedIn Optimized?

This post comes from Shana Lebowitz at our partner site LearnVest. What if you had the chance to impress 277 million professionals at once—convincing them you’re exactly what each of their organizations is missing? As it turns out, you already have that opportunity on LinkedIn. According to a 2013 Jobvite survey, 96% of recruiters use the professional […]


5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Considering Homeownership

This post comes from Sean T. Johnston at our partner site Zing! Being a renter has its advantages. For the most part, you don’t need to concern yourself with costly indoor or outdoor maintenance. When your lease is up, you can just leave. You don’t have to worry about selling the property. But as convenient as […]


Fannie Mae is Ending the Home Path Program

This post comes from Mike Nickele at our partner site Zing! I’ve got some good news and some bad news on the housing front. First, the good news: The market is ticking up and the inventory of foreclosed homes is dwindling. The bad news: For just that reason, Fannie Mae is ending its HomePath program. Fannie […]


Moving ASAP? Follow These Steps!

This post comes from Anthony Fontana at our partner site Zing! Is there anything worse than moving? Before you call me lazy, I’m not talking about moving from the couch to the refrigerator for a beverage. I’m talking about moving from one home to another. It’s a pain, right? Not only do you have to find a […]


A Home Warranty Can Be a Great Safety Net for First-Time Home Buyers

This post comes from Mike Nickele at our partner site Zing! First-time home buyers have enough to worry about, like finding the right house for the right price, coming up with a sensible down payment and securing a mortgage. After putting down a hefty sum for the purchase, many first-timers may not have the extra cash […]


Burglary Explained by Burglars

This guest post from our partner site Zing! was written by Tim Krebs, corporate communications manager for Protect America Home Security. Tim regularly contributes to the Protect America Home and Life Blog and covers a variety of homeowner-related topics. Protect America recently released its “Interview with a Burglar” eBook, which visualizes some of the data found […]