The freshness of spring motivates a lot of people to throw open the windows and doors, and do a thorough spring cleaning. It’s a great way to take stock of what you have, organize it so everything’s more accessible, and ditch the clutter that’s keeping you from enjoying your space. While you’re at it, why not dive into a bit of spring cleaning for your finances, too?

You have wants. You have needs. And you have two ways of paying for them – pull out the credit card or use the money you have set aside. Which would you prefer?

It’s a safe bet that most people would choose to have a stash of cash from which they could pay for everything from impulse purchases to long-term financial goals. But how do you save when there are bills to pay and the paycheck only goes so far?

Each day you provide personal information to companies with the expectation that they will protect it. Unfortunately, that trust is sometimes misplaced. It seems like the stories about data breaches keep popping up. While you can’t control the security companies put in place, you can take steps to limit the damage to you personally.

If you believe you may be the victim of a breach, here are some things you can do to protect yourself...

You’re never too young to learn about money. It’s important to have the right skills to save and buy the things you want. Here are some tips to help you become a money ninja!

Establishing good financial habits early is the key to a lifetime of financial health. No one is born knowing how to manage their money, and it’s up to parents, schools and community organizations to provide the right lessons at the right time for kids. The teen years—ideally before your youngster heads off to explore their independence at college or in the working world after high school—is the opportune time to teach money management best practices.
The following “10 Commandments of Teen Finance” are a good place to start.