BROWSE HOW TOs

Check Out All Categories

Personal Finance

Find answers to nagging financial questions, from taxes and stocks, to real estate and insurance. Saving money for a new home or your kid’s college tuition? Planning for retirement? eHow can help. Learn the tricks of the trade for saving, budgeting and building wealth. Our experts cull together a range of experience in real estate, investing and money management to provide the best source of personal financial guidance available online. Repair credit, master IRS forms, maximize ROI or insure your car, home and health by following eHow’s expert instructions.

Categories in Personal Finance

Articles in Personal Finance

How to act when the IRS says you owe money.

By 3Amy Jaine

3 comments

When you get a letter saying you owe money to the IRS do not panic. Stay calm and follow these steps. Remember the IRS is not always right, but at they same time they are not out to get you. Follow these steps, if you are having problems ... more »

How to Add and Remove Joint Ownership to Investments

By jpwhickson

0 comments

There are many good reasons to add or remove joint ownership to a mutual fund, investment account or annuity. Adding or removing a joint owner can be something that you dread and may want to put off, but it doesn’t have to be that intimidating. ... more »

How to Adjust Tax Withholding

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

0 comments

If you discover that the tax withholding from your regular paycheck is either too high or too low, you can adjust the withholding amounts up or down by filing a new Form W-4 with your employer. If you are making estimated tax payments in addition ... more »

How to Apply for Credit

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

0 comments

Banks and other financial institutions are in the business of lending money to individuals for big purchases--a house, a car, college--and even small purchases--new furniture, appliances. If you're ready to make a purchase and don't have the cash ... more »

How to Apply UsFastCash Payday Loan

By vraths

0 comments

At some point in time, everyone falls into a situation where they may need money instantly for a bad credit cash emergency. Many factors can cause this state of disarray, including unexpected bills, medical emergencies, or even a bad ... more »

How to Assess Late Rent Fees

By Tippy

0 comments

Of all the issues that face a property manager, late payments top the list. When a tenant is consistently late with his rent, it can strain the relationship. Assessing a late fee is reasonable and for some tenants, a good incentive to pay on ... more »

How to Avoid Bill Collectors

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

0 comments

Part of growing up and becoming an adult includes taking on the responsibility of working and paying day-to-day living expenses, better known as bills. Through organization and commitment, you can avoid bill collectors calling your house at all ... more »

How to Avoid Buying Useless Florida Swampland

By Virginia Allain

0 comments

Everyone wants their little space in paradise. If you don't check the background before buying land in Florida (or elsewhere), you could end up with a useless property. Here's advice from the Lake County (FL) Property Appraiser's Office and ... more »

How to Avoid Credit Repair Services That Offer Suspicious Solutions?

By hilarybowman

0 comments

There are many credit repair services out there offering magic solutions. They claim that they can erase your negative entries even if they are legitimate, they claim that they can offer you a new credit history to start over and many other ... more »

How to Avoid Foreclosure in the middle of the Subprime Housing Crisis

By David Sarokin

0 comments

Things are getting tough out there, and record numbers of homeowners are finding it harder to make their mortgage payments on time. It's not just those holding subprime loans either; foreclosures are rising in all mortgage categories. ... more »

How to Avoid Homelessness

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

1 comments

The prospect of being homeless is terrifying. There are few necessities as important as having a home to go to each night. Sadly, the path from having a home of your own to being homeless can be a slippery slope. But with some planning and ... more »

How to Avoid Paying Private Mortgage Insurance

By WriterGig

2 comments

When I first got my home loan, private mortgage insurance accounted for $60 of my $730 monthly payment. Like many first time homeowners, I didn't even realize I would be paying that much extra each month until I got my first mortgage statement. ... more »

How to Avoid the "IRS 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund" Email Scam

By David Sarokin

2 comments

WARNING! The IRS does not send out emails asking you for personal information like your social security number, bank accounts, or credit card numbers. Millions of emails are going out pretending to be from the IRS. They look very official and ... more »

How to Balance Your Checkbook

By drieger

0 comments

Learn how to finally balance your checking account every month. From finding errors in your check register to accounting for bank charges you will always know where you stand with your cash flow... more »

How to be a Good Landlord

By AHermitt

6 comments

Unfortunately, landlords have bad reputations. Tenants accuse property owners of collecting the rent and neglecting repairs. Landlords are assumed to be slumlords until proven otherwise. Taking special steps to be a good landlord will win the ... more »

How to Be a Good Tenant

By AHermitt

1 comments

Being a good tenant has many benefits. It makes your landlord want to keep you around, which means your lease renewals will not come with large rent increases. Your landlord may honor your requests faster. Being a good tenant can also increase ... more »

How to be Feed a Family on a Budget

By Christina Ellis

4 comments

In this day and age even two income households struggle to make ends meet. With alittle effort, your family can enjoy better meals and you can save hundreds of dollars a year on food expenses... more »

How to become a millionaire

By Wirchnianski

0 comments

Becoming a millionaire has nothing to do with a recession, depression, education, age or gender. So why is it that we find this task of becoming a millionaire so challenging? The answer is simpler than you think... more »

How to Become Homeless

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

0 comments

Believe it or not, over two million people become homeless during a given year. You can become homeless by choice or for necessity's sake. For whatever reason, if you're determined to become homeless, you need to fight the urge to live a ... more »

How to Begin Financial Planning in College

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

0 comments

College students have it tough nowadays. Gone are the days when one could work part time and pay for college. Now students leave with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt and that says nothing about credit card debt that plagues many ... more »

How to Begin Living in a New Home

By Al Jacobs

3 comments

Home ownership, a vital element in The American Dream, is a blessing. Unfortunately, it also contains the seeds of financial misfortune, perhaps never more graphically depicted than in a 1986 Tom Hanks movie, The Money Pit, in which a young ... more »

How to Bet on Premium Bonds

By Garry Crystal, eHow UK

0 comments

It’s over 50 years since Premium Bonds first went on sale and with 24 million customers buying the bonds, there seems to be little decrease in sales. With online purchases it is now easier than it has ever been to bet on Premium Bonds... more »

How to Budget for a Home Security System

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

0 comments

Probably the most important thing in a person's life is their family. A close seconds is your home. When you need to keep both your home and your family safe, invest a little bit of money into buying a home security system... more »

How to Budget Wisely

By favefive

1 comments

Making a budget work for you can be a challenge. If you stay organized and budget wisely, you should be able to stay within your budget and be able to save for the future... more »

How to Build a Relationship With Your Tenant

By AHermitt

0 comments

Landlords and tenants tend to have fewer problems when they have a good relationship. Tenants are less likely to pay a landlord late if they respect and care about them. Tenants are less likely to destroy property when they like the landlords. ... more »