By Jennifer Calonia

High-interest savings accounts have been the modern day vehicle driving America’s households to keep money in a savings account and capitalize on compounding interest rates. SmartyPig has been a long-standing leader in offering better savings account rates nationwide in comparison to its competitors.

However, since 2009, SmartyPig interest rates have been on a steady and steep decline.

By Jennifer Calonia

Saving money year-round is a goal that many households hope to achieve, but it’s not always so easy when you finally try to get to it. One of the top ways to save money is through a new crop of online do-it-yourself sites, known as DIY sites, which help consumers save big with hands-on projects on a small and large scale.

By Kristina

It seems like everywhere we turn, someone is telling us how to be frugal, how to save money and how to live a frugal life. I am honestly very tired of hearing about how to be frugal with every single thing I do. I am not an extravagant spender, I do save regularly and I also work in personal finance, but to tell you the truth, I hate being called “frugal.”

photo: Ken Mayer

By Stacey Bumpus

Major banking institutions and their lack of reserve capital played a significant role in the financial crisis of 2008–no one can dispute this. So to ensure that something as catastrophic doesn’t happen in the future, the government has set a number of rules and requirements in place for banks to follow.

By Beth McKenna

The 2011 U.S. stock market was a roller coaster of a ride, but ended in nearly the same place as it started. The S&P 500 index ended 2011 down about 1.1% (or up 0.9%, when dividends are included).

Of course, the average masks the huge gulf between winning and losing stocks.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this week that it will extend this year’s tax filing deadline to April 17, giving taxpayers two extra days to file. In a separate announcement, the IRS says it plans to increase audits on the nation’s top earners to crack down on offshore tax evaders.

By Jennifer Calonia

The start of a fresh year often brings new hope to budding entrepreneurs, as well as those beginning creative get-out-of-debt initiatives after the holidays. However, funding a business is no easy feat, which is why Kickstarter.com is gaining recognition as the latest entrepreneurial platform.

By Peter Anderson

As the new year begins, many of us are looking back on the preceding year, examining our goals and figuring out what resolutions we want to set for the new year, like lose weight or get out of debt. The problem is that many of us set goals to make changes in our lives, but so few of us actually succeed.

By Stacey Bumpus

While you’re supposed to be appreciative of gifts someone has spent the time and money to give you, there’s nothing fun about stacking up a closet full of bad Christmas presents you’ll never use.

Sound Advice from Jeff York

With loan interest rates at record lows, you might be considering rearranging your debt to help your monthly budget. Lowering the interest cost on your consumer loans means you pay less—right? Well, not always. Consolidating debt can make good sense, but what is good in the short run may actually cost you more in the long run.