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Cheapskate

To Save Kibble, I Sacrificed My Knee
Columnist Neal Templin reflects on some of the dumb things he's done to save money that ended up costing him.
- Discuss: Have your money-saving tactics backfired?

U.S.
Happiness Is a Warm Snowblower
Harsh winter weather and frugal spending may have cast a pall on most retail sales, but the snowblower is proving recession-resistant.
- A Snowthrower Smackdown
- Video: Handling the Hefty Duty of Hurling Snow
Health Industry
Paying Relatives to Look After Elderly
Caring for a family member is a responsibility many people bear. It can also be a source of income.
Money
Credit Scores May Be Offered More Widely
Consumers may soon be able to get free credit scores through their bank or credit union.
Education
Families Seek Help With College
The college-advisory business is booming. Test-prep classes have become the norm, and more parents are hiring educational consultants.
Family Money
Identifying Blue Chips, Post-Meltdown
Many big names have tumbled. But market professionals believe there are still blue-chip stocks.
ROI
Cutting Monthly Bills? Turn to the Web
Forget the whiz-bang innovations of tweets and liveblogging. From Hulu to VoIP, technology can help you trim your bills, writes Brett Arends.
Wealth Manager
Next Benefit to Face Ax: Matching Gifts
Hit hard by the recession, many companies are taking the ax to their charitable matching gifts and volunteer programs.
Money
Funds Stashed Cash to Ease Pain
While many mutual-fund managers boldly charge into stocks regardless of market conditions, others have kept their powder dry by holding more in cash.
Common Sense
When to Buy -- and Sell -- Stocks
For followers of the Common Sense system of buying lower and selling higher, last week's short-lived rally in the Nasdaq represented one of the occasions to sell higher.
Personal Finance
Banks Make Rewards Plans Less Rewarding
The latest currency devaluation is happening in your bank's and credit card's reward programs.
Money
Bear Mauls 'Safe' Target Funds, Too
Target-date mutual funds are billed as a one-stop solution for investors saving for retirement. But the past year's market turmoil shows they're not one-size-fits-all.
Subscriber Content Read Preview

Who's News
Yale's Investor Keeps Playbook
David Swensen, CIO of Yale's endowment, shares his take on the financial crisis, Madoff, and ill-fated efforts to mimic Yale's investment strategy.
ROI
Should You Refinance?
Yes – if you plan to stay awhile. But homeowners should consider alternative ways to save money long-term, writes Brett Arends.
Politics and Policy
Obama Plans to Keep Estate Tax
Obama and congressional leaders plan to move soon to block the estate tax from disappearing in 2010.

Yoder & Son

Is a T-shirt Basic Clothing?
Steve or Isaac weigh who should be responsible for buying concert T-shirts.
Tax Report
New Laws May Help Many Taxpayers
New Year's Day brought relief for most taxpayers, especially upper-income ones -- even as Obama is proposing new tax cuts as part of his stimulus package.
Crunchonomics
A Survival Guide for the Downturn
A collection of recent Journal articles and past advice on what readers can do to secure their family finances, careers, retirement savings and homes during financial turmoil.
The Intelligent Investor
Where Ezra Merkin Lost His Way
Last fall, money manager J. Ezra Merkin told a room full of value investors that he was "in the business of buying broken promises." Now, after Merkin revealed losses tied to Madoff, investors wonder how he ended up in this mess.

The Wallet

The Wealth Report

Journal Community
- Ask & Answer ▶
“Are investments in mutual funds protected by the SIPC just as brokerage accounts are?”

Family Finance

College Bills Wallop Families
As the economy shrinks, many students and their parents are struggling to make payments for the second half of the academic year.
Nothing Says Christmas Like a Used Bicycle
In Tough Times, Nannies Get the Ax

Insurance

Surprise Health Bills Incite Anger
What to do if you're hit by balance billing, a practice that can leave insured patients with an unexpected medical bill.
Beware of Out-of-Pocket Costs
Is Your AIG Policy Safe?

Investing

Still Connected — at a Lower Price
The shaky economy is putting many Americans in saving mode. One place they might look to trim their budgets: monthly Internet, TV and phone bills.
A Pro Thinks the Worst Is Past
ECB to Lower Key Rate Again

Loans & Credit

'Underwater' vs. Foreclosure
Why most people who owe more than a property's worth will still keep their homes.
Debt-Relief Firms Attract Complaints
Your Cash: How Safe Is Safe?

Taxes

Home-State Muni Funds Carry Risks
For investors in municipal-bond funds, choosing a fund tied to a single state can mean extra tax savings, but some advisers say it's not worth the risk.
Tips for Dodging an Audit
Tax Liabilities Mount for Affluent in Harsh Economy

Retirement Planning

Roth Is a Good Way to Hedge on Your Future Taxes
Investing in a Roth 401(k) account is almost always a good way to hedge your bets against the potential for higher taxes in the future, according to several financial planners and accountants.
Pension Funds Rethink Strategy
Subscriber Content Read Preview

Converting to Roth IRA Has Advantages

Columns

R.o.i.
By Brett Arends
Cutting Monthly Bills? Turn to the Web
Ask encore
By Kelly Greene
Converting to a Roth May Not Help

Tax report
By Tom Herman
Tips for Dodging an Audit
The intelligent investor
By Jason Zweig
Where Ezra Merkin Lost His Way

Real Estate

Hamptons Summer Rentals See Price Cuts
The recession is no day at the beach, even in New York's ritzy Hamptons and nearby Shelter Island. Asking rents for these three prime properties for Memorial Day through Labor Day are a bit lower this year than in 2008.
Foreclosure Filings Up 81% in 2008
Subscriber Content Read Preview

Savannah Smile

Autos

The Hot New Car Is Your Old Car
Cars used to be trendy accessories, but the scarcity of attractive terms for financing and leasing means that more people are keeping their cars longer.
Detroit Auto Show Photos
Gas Engines Get Upgrade, Challenge Hybrids

Fitness & Health

Peanut Probe Focuses on Georgia Plant
Safety inspectors are focusing on a peanut-processing plant in Georgia as the possible source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 425 people and may have caused five deaths.
Subscriber Content Read Preview

Genentech Has Strong Quarter
Subscriber Content Read Preview

Coke Sued Over Vitaminwater Ads

Careers

The Library, a Cozy Place to Look for a Job
Recession-weary patrons are flocking to the library to update résumés, scan for job listings, and find entertainment.
Candidates Singing Own Praises Fall Flat
Making the Most of a Negative Review

SmartMoney Stock Screen

High Yields
Sudden high-yielders are well-known names with sturdy balance sheets, modest valuations and a shot at preserving or even increasing their sales and profits this year.
Tips for Dodging an Audit
The IRS is auditing more upper-income Americans even as the agency has trimmed its overall audit rate. Here are some of the things that can trigger an audit.
- Video: Audit Triggers When Filing Your Taxes
Best of 2008
SmartMoney.com has compiled its third annual ranking of the fund industry's best offerings. Here are a few of the winners.
Tax Liabilities Mount for Affluent in Harsh Economy
Tax experts say IRS assistance for financially distressed taxpayers is unlikely to provide much help for affluent people who've been laid off.
Converting to a Roth May Not Help
Moving battered assets from a traditional individual retirement account to a Roth can help some, but not all, investors.
Does Paying for a Gym Make You a Dumbbell?
Gym memberships are worth it if you use them. But you can keep in good shape spending a lot less money, writes Neal Templin.
- The Wallet: Can You Really Stay Fit on a Budget?
New Rules Could Mean More Investor Complaints Get a Hearing
The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved new arbitration rules that limit securities firms from filing frivolous motions to dismiss investor complaints.
Gadgets for Leaner Times
Vendors at this year's Consumer Electronics Show are offering products with an eye toward helping users save money. Here's a look at some of the money-conscious gadgets.

Market Data

* at close Source: Dow Jones, Reuters
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