Do you have a secret savings account? If so, you’re in the majority. Long ago, one of my financial planning instructors, who’d been in the business over 30 years, said that most of his clients kept a clandestine cache of cash.

My ears perked up at this. Having come from the credit counseling world, I knew that a good portion of couples I had worked with had underground debt. But a little something extra that they were tucking away for emergencies or luxuries? Fascinating!

This post comes from Michael, chief editor of DoughRoller.net, which helps consumers find the best online banks available today.

Refinancing refers to replacing existing debt with a new debt obligation structured under different terms. The most common consumer refinancing is for a home mortgage. As home prices have continued to fall, many homeowners have turned to mortgage refinancing to receive more favorable rates on their loans.

Financial emergencies can strike at any time, and unfortunately, they usually come with little to no warning. Job loss, vehicle or home repairs, medical expenses and other major events can quickly consume your emergency fund and leave you looking for a way to get by. But you don’t have to panic. Here are some tips for dealing with a financial crisis, starting with preparation:

Prepare Before Disaster Strikes

It sounds like a great idea: Spend money now to save energy and watch the savings add up over the long haul.

Except when it doesn’t work.

What do Woody Allen and personal finance have to do with each other, you ask? Maybe not a whole lot, but if we dissect his films closely, there are definitely lessons to be learned.

The over opinionated Woody Allen is constantly placing social criticisms, personal quips, and when examined closely, financial advice into his movies. By extracting these gems from across the span of his films and bringing them together, we can gain insight into some valuable tips on spending, saving and more.

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You might recognize the name Todd Davis from LifeLock commercials and billboards. In fact, you may also recognize his Social Security number from the same places. Davis is the CEO of LifeLock identity theft protection, who demonstrated his unwavering loyalty to the product by publicizing his SSN in order to prove how fail-safe it was.

What’s This All About?

Our recent Holidays and Money group writing project is getting a lot of buzz with our partners, and you can read all of the participating blog posts on this page. We’ll be updating it regularly until the project ends on November 30th.

If you’re a blogger, and you’d like to participate, check out our project announcement page here to learn more. The topic we’ve chosen is Holidays and Money, and it’s open to all types of blogs.

Hey Everybody – it’s time again for the next Go Banking Rates writing project! This month’s theme is geared toward the upcoming holiday season, so everyone should be able to add their two cents. Plus, you can earn your place as Readers’ Choice winner of Favorite PF Blog Writer!

The Topic:

Photo by Jeff Turner (Repres)

By Casey Bond

Your bank cards are becoming obsolete. Evolving credit card technology is changing the way we use plastic, something that really hasn’t changed for over five decades. Imagine, if you will, a world where you can access two accounts with just one card, or use your rewards points at the register just by pressing a button. Even better, imagine paying for stuff with a wave of your phone. Yes, your phone.

You might not have heard of them yet, but it won’t be long before your bank starts sending you credit card offers built around this new technology. While most companies have credit card apps for mobile phones and user-friendly payment options online, the actual process of sliding and signing to pay hasn’t really progressed until now.