Two books offer insights about managing time and space

Pocketbook insights found in two recent books about improving time management and decluttering a home

Kara McGuire: Saving for college on the six-year plan

McGuire: Reviewing a family's mixed financial record

Some of the 2014 financial goals were no sweat, but inertia wasn't kind to aspirations to review our insurance portfolio or up our game when it came to comparison shopping.

The list of scams is a mile long

Effective, low-cost ways to monitor credit accounts

McGuire: Let the ghost of Christmas past guide your holiday budget

Budgeting for the holidays may bring out Scrooge-like tendencies, but be realistic by looking at past spending, and use rewards programs as holiday currency.

McGuire: Sorting through the flood of credit card offers

Beware of the resurgence of credit card offers in the mail. Some may be good deals, but some can be deceptively risky.

Birthday freebies aren't always free

Before accepting, weigh whether you really want the product and what's motivating a company to offer it.

Life insurance: An act of love?

Fewer households own individual life insurance policies these days. And there are plenty of reasons why.

Culling your credit cards can be tricky

If you're paying off balances monthly, it may not matter how many you hold.