Plastic Penalties

Steep default rates are the credit-card industry’s dirty little secret.

The Martins: Millionaires in the Making
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) For most of us retirement comes at the end of our career. But for Jeff Martin, 34, retirement from the Army is just over the horizon. Martin is five years away from being able to leave the Army with a pension of half his current $5940 monthly income.

Extreme Savers: Greg and Tara Black
No cell phones. Dial-up Internet. Before Greg and Tara Black spend a buck for something, they make sure they really need it.

A Curious Reaction
The CVS-Caremark deal didn’t trade as planned. That’s an opportunity.

8 mouths - 1 big financial challenge
Nathan Schenkel is only four, but he already has a nickname: Spawn of Satan. And that’s what his mother calls him. Teasingly, of course.

The retirement plan Uncle Sam has right
Considering the mess that Social Security and Medicare are in, the federal government is probably the last place you’d look for insights about retirement planning.

‘Should I pay for my boyfriend’s insurance?’
Question: My boyfriend and I have lived together for 10 years (no kids), and we get along fine. Recently he found out I can add him to the health insurance I get from the company I work for part-time. He wants me to do this to save him money, but I don’t want to.

Rethinking Your Finances
Experts predicted that money habits would change after 9/11. But did they really?

What Now for Real Estate?
The events of 9/11 fueled America’s greatest real estate boom. Five years later, it may be over.

The Marchbanks
If the idea of saving away 25 percent of your paycheck makes you think of a severely cramped lifestyle, meet the Marchbanks of Dallas, Texas.