While 2010 marked the end to a very fascinating decade, the year itself did have its own shares of ups and downs. Looking back at some of the biggest 2010 stories, you’d see the economy and stock market carried over some momentum from last year’s recovery effort, and the recession was declared officially over. On the other hand, unemployment still hovered around 10 percent, the housing market failed to bounce back and Americans are slowly starting to spend again.

There were also major cultural events that didn’t really a direct personal finance impact on 2010, but did take hold of the nation’s attention. You may remember the NBC late night fiasco where Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien tussled over The Tonight Show. There was Avatar, which led to a flood of 3-D movies. The Apple iPad was introduced, and Larry King abdicated his throne on CNN.

Right now, many of us have been “scared straight” by the recent recession. We are spending less and saving more, paying down debt and changing some of our poor financial habits. Further, while concerns about the economy are abating to some degree, many people still feel the pinch. As a result, many people are still solidly in saving mode.

But the recession will end sometime, and the urgency to save will likely fade. For the sake of your finances, though, you should remain in recession savings mode. Here are some things to be aware of as you start feeling better about your financial situation and the economy:

This is the final installment of our financial myth-busting series. We’ll close by going over the myths associated with investing. Be sure to check out the rest of the series.

When it comes to financial myths, there is no category with more mistaken beliefs than investments. Whether you’re talking about investing for retirement, in the stock market or even more sophisticated assets like real estate, commodities or bonds, there are so many “experts” with varying opinions that it’s hard to grasp just a few that really work for your strategy.

Santa’s sleigh may be powered by magical reindeer, but what if he had to go with another economical option to get around the globe every Christmas? Maybe Santa could benefit from switching to a hybrid. After all, we’ve talked a lot about saving and avoiding common money mistakes this holiday season, but you might find that expanding your concept of “holiday budgeting” will help you continue to save money well into the next year and beyond.

For example, while you’ve been applying your excellent budgeting skills while getting gifts for Christmas, have you stopped to think about all the money you’ve been spending just driving between shopping malls? Take a lesson from someone who does quite a bit of traveling during Christmas and see how much you could save by changing vehicles.

By Casey Bond

This is the fourth installment of our financial myth-busting series. Today, we will be targeting typical misconceptions about credit. Be sure to check out the rest of the series.

We’ve watched the quick rise and fall of the Kardashian Kard, a prepaid credit card that was promoted by the Kardashian sisters, only to be pulled from the market after a few short weeks. So why was this card considered  to be predatory, and even when dealing with legitimate credit products, is it ever a good idea to allow type of card–or even a standard credit card–to be used by children? If so, how young is too young?

Why the Kardashian Kard Was Considered Predatory

Christmas time is here, and with it comes one of the biggest personal finance challenges of the year. How do you juggle all the holiday costs and not look like a Grinch? It can be hard to maintain your frugal senses when everyone around you is into the spirit of giving, but just because you show your generous side doesn’t mean you have to go broke doing it.

Every year, millions of people make the same Christmas money mistakes that seem great but leave a horrible holiday hangover to kick off the new year. This year, avoid these common missteps lest you want your finances to be haunted by ghosts of Christmas past:

This is the third installment of our financial myth-busting series. Below, we’ll dispel some of the most common student loan myths. Be sure to check out the rest of the series.

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding student loans and you’ve probably heard a lot of myths. So to get you on track to the truth, let’s explore the false information currently out there.

The holiday season is supposed to be a joyous occasion that gives us a chance kick back, relax, eat some food and hang out with family. So why is it that we always end up feeling like we’ve barely survived when it’s all over?

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the spirit of the season and forget that life will resume as normal starting January 2nd. This means you might have a bit too much champagne too many nights in a row, or blow six months’ salary in one gift-shopping trip. So while we can’t keep you on the straight and narrow in every way, we can at least provide you with some tips for avoiding a debt hangover in 2011.

This is the second installment of our financial myth-busting series. We will be targeting typical misconceptions about mortgage loans. Be sure to check out the first part of the series, which covered myths about debt.

Obtaining a good home loan can often get complicated when first-time home buyers–and even buyers with home-owning experience–confuse certain mortgage facts with fiction.