Help The Middle ClassNews and Information For The Heart Of America
How to Cut College Costs Before Freshman Year (Mainstreet)
It’s bad enough that tuition for a four-year college can cost north of $100,000 – but that’s all the more reason parents should take a hard look at not just college costs, but also at the cost of preparing for college. With SAT tests, study guides, tutoring and advanced placement exams, not to mention fees [...]
New Gallup Poll Shows Reasons People Oppose Health Care Reform (Newsweek)
One number in this new Gallup poll on health-care reform caught my eye, because, oddly, it has good news for both sides of the debate. Gallup asked the 48% of people who oppose health care reform about why they’re against the Democrats’; plans. The most popular reason, cited by 20% of people, was a concern [...]
Senate Passes $140 Billion Bill Extending Jobless Claims (CNN)
The Senate on Wednesday approved a wide-ranging bill that would push back the deadline to file for extended unemployment insurance until year-end and extends dozens of expired tax breaks.
The bill, passed by a 62-36 vote, is the latest job creation effort to go before lawmakers, though it contains virtually no new initiatives to boost employment. [...]
Retirement Savings In Danger – Most Americans Unprepared (CNN.com)
The percentage of American workers with virtually no retirement savings grew for the third straight year, according to a survey released Tuesday.
The percentage of workers who said they have less than $10,000 in savings grew to 43% in 2010, from 39% in 2009, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s annual Retirement Confidence Survey. That [...]
13 Great Ways to Live Well On Less Money (MSN.com)
Every dollar you spend has consequences elsewhere in your life. Remembering that will change the ways you spend and save.
Can you remember life before $100 sneakers and $5 coffee, when people actually lived on what they earned and still had a little something socked away for a rainy day?
“People moan and groan about why they [...]
Tips For First-Time Home Buyers – 2010 (US News and World Report
2010 First-Time Home Buyers’ Guide – US News and World Report.
How To Save Money On Health Care (CNN Video & Text)
When Heather Staples’ 6-year-old daughter, Sophia, fell and cut her eyebrow, Staples knew her daughter might need stitches. But instead of running straight to an emergency room, Staples took a few minutes to compare prices at nearby emergency rooms.
“I have a high-deductible plan, so I knew that I would be paying for the charges out [...]
Best Time Of The Year To Buy Certain Products (Yahoo! Shopping)
Sales used to be relatively predictable. A popular 1975 book could say with assurance that luggage went on sale in March and the best month to buy a baby carriage was January or August. But these days, with stores pumping out weekly sales circulars and manufacturers introducing new models as fast as they can get [...]
SPRING BREAK ADVISE: Texas Police Warn Students ‘Stay Out of Mexico’ (CNN)
The Texas Department of Public Safety took the unprecedented step Thursday of telling college students not to visit Mexican border cities during spring break because they are just too dangerous.
Several universities issued similar warnings last year, but this was the first time the Texas law enforcement agency had issued the specific advisory against travel, said [...]
Jobless Claims Down, But Economy Stilled Mixed (USA Today)
New claims for unemployment benefits fell last week in a sign that layoffs may be easing as the economy slowly recovers, but economic reports are mixed.
The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for unemployment insurance fell 29,000 to a seasonally adjusted 469,000. That nearly matches estimates of 470,000.
Still, improvement in the job market is [...]
