The holiday meals are long digested, and the presents seem like a distant memory when your January credit card statements come flooding in and break you out of a post-holiday stupor. If you spent more than you planned to make the season merry and bright, some budget triage is probably in order to get back on track.

With 2014 screeching to an end, it’s time to do a last minute assessment of your tax situation. Once the New Year arrives, opportunities to take advantage of tax breaks for this year disappear. Before you break out the bubbly and sing “Auld Lang Syne,” ensure you save as much as possible on this year’s taxes by tending to these financial tasks.

Whether your idea of retiring early is traveling the world, sticking close to home and spending time with friends and family or writing the great American novel, many of the principles for reaching the early retirement goal are the same no matter what the destination may be.

Hosting a dinner party at your house featuring tasty food and lively conversation gives you an event you can look forward to. But get-togethers can get costly, especially if you planned on serving food and drinks to your guests. But don’t worry, It is still possible to wow friends and family with a fantastic party, without straining your personal budget.

Managing your personal finances successfully should definitely be on the top of your to do list. You know that a well-ordered financial house makes for a smoother, happier life, but the idea of getting your finances in order can be a bit daunting.

If your nerves are in tatters from screening calls and your thumb is sore from hitting ignore on your cell phone, it’s time to pull your head out of the sand. Get familiar with your rights when it comes to debt collection.

The worst has happened to you financially—you lost your job. Before you let the “what ifs” take over and start panicking, stop, take a deep breath, and read this primer on what to do right now to protect your finances.

Ready to buy a new home, but not sure if your credit is in good enough shape to qualify you? Preparing your credit to apply for a mortgage and get a loan with a favorable interest rate requires keeping these 10 tips in mind.

President Obama recently provided some potential relief to student loan borrowers. Introduced this past June, the plan caps student loan repayments at a more comfortable 10 percent of a borrower’s monthly discretionary income. Then after 20 years in what’s known as the Pay As You Earn program, any remaining student loan debt is forgiven.

When I heard recently that the schools in my area are phasing out teaching handwriting, I have to admit to uttering a few expletives. Not because of the long hours I stood hunched over lined paper writing the alphabet or watching my kids grip their pencils and grit their teeth and do the same. But because as a writer, it just seems so wrong.