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• Don't Forget to Take These Tax Deductions and Credits

  

  Taxpayers can breathe a sigh of relief after crucial credits and deductions were extended. Now, what were they again?

• How to Manage Your 'Interest-Free Loan to Uncle Sam'

  

  Americans get an average tax refund of $2,700. If you don’t need that extra $225 a month, you can continue to treat your windfall as an interest-free loan to Uncle Sam.

• Where You Can Go Wrong With a Do-It-Yourself Will

  

  It is possible to write a will yourself, but if you're planning anything complicated, it might have all the authority of a notarized grocery list.

• The Car That Beat the Minivans For Cheapest to Insure

  

  For years, minivans have dominated Insure.com's list of the 20 least expensive cars to insure. Not this year.

• 5 Ways to Counter the Impact of the Payroll Tax Hike

  

  Making up for this year's hike in Social Security taxes require some careful planning. Five ways to cut expenses and increase earnings so the hit isn't such a blow.

• How Obamacare Changes Health Benefits This Year

  

  A preview of new out-of-pocket costs and newfangled ways you'll be getting your medicine as employers get ready for Obamacare to start in earnest.

• Think Only the Rich Will Pay More Taxes? You're Wrong

  

  The death of the temporary payroll tax cut means everyone will see a bigger tax bite out of their paychecks this year.

• For Taxpayers Making More Than $250,000, a New Math

  

  Despite its well-publicized cutoff at incomes of $400,000 and up, the fiscal cliff deal could increase taxes on people making less.

• Rise in Incomes Widens and Picks Up Steam

  

  On average, incomes were up 5.2 percent across all metropolitan areas in 2011.

• Returning Veterans' Biggest Financial Folly: Fear of Risk

  

  Veterans returning from combat are cautious when it comes to taking ordinary risks with their money.

• Dealing With Doctors Who Take Only Cash

  

  As insurance red tape becomes more onerous, more primary care physicians are opting to charge patients a yearly fee for service.

• Borrowing to Build Your Own Home

  

  Local banks are more comfortable making home construction loans. But qualifying is more complicated than for a conventional mortgage.

• Why Adjustable Rates May Save Us in Housing Busts

  

  A new report from adds some firm data to the debate over how to keep struggling homeowners from defaulting on their mortgages.

• Estate Tax Going Up, but Only for 'People Not Paying Attention'

  

  Behind the estate tax rate, IRS tax rules seem to bend to accommodate successful investors who want to preserve their wealth for another generation.

• American Personal Finances Get Passing Grade — Barely

  

  The average American is no longer financially distressed, according to one study. Now families are waiting for the national economy to do its part.

• Recovery May Not Come in Time for Gen X

  

  Many Gen Xers fear they will never make up ground lost in the deep economic downturn of 2007 to 2009.

• The Death of Equities Seems Exaggerated

  

  Investors want to be defensive, but have come to realize that the risk of stocks beats the alternative.

• 401(k)s Roar Back to a Twelve-Year High: Fidelity

  

  Employee 401(k) accounts grew more than 4 percent in the third quarter as a rising stock market boosted investment returns.

• 'Rare Good News' on Health Care Retirement Savings: Study

  

  Now that Obama care appears to be here to stay, it’s time to make plans based on the changes in the Affordable Care Act.

• Secrets of High Credit Scorers

  

  More than 50 million people have scores of 785 or higher, and they exhibit “strikingly similar” credit habits.