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Budget Planner
Nicole Dow's profile page
Nicole Dow is a former senior writer for The Penny Hoarder.
Apr 6, 2026
Budget Planner
Paycheck Budgeting: An Alternative to the Monthly Budget
Managing your money with a paycheck budget helps you accurately allocate the cash you have on hand instead of trying to plan bills and spending a month at a time.
Apr 18, 2026
Investing
3 Good Reasons and 3 Not-So-Good Reasons to Sell a Stock
Your stock is up by 20 percent, maybe even 50 or 100 percent. Should you take the money and run? What about if your stock is down? Should you ride it out and hope for the best, or is it time to take a loss and avoid it getting even worse? All these questions are...
Apr 18, 2026
Investing
Dear Penny: I’m Getting $165K in Child Support. Do I Pay Down My Kids’ Loans?
Dear K., Sure, it’s possible to get returns that are higher than the interest you’re paying. In an average year, an S&P 500 index fund produces returns of about 10%, which is probably a lot more than the interest rates on your loans. Of course, you could also lose money, as we’re all painfully aware...
Apr 18, 2026
Budget Planner
Stephanie Bolling's profile page
Stephanie Bolling is a former staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
Apr 18, 2026
Investing
Why the S&P 500 Just Hit a Record Even Though the Economy Is in Shambles
Congress is deadlocked over the next stimulus bill. Officially, 10.2% of people are unemployed, though economists say the actual number is much higher. Expanded unemployment benefits expired last month, leaving millions of people unable to pay their bills. So with so much economic turmoil, why is the stock market on fire? The S&P 500 set...
Apr 18, 2026
Budget Planner
How to Build a Realistic Two-Week Grocery Budget
A realistic two-week grocery budget covers 14 days of meals, snacks and household basics without forcing you into last-minute store runs. For many households, that lands somewhere between $150 and $300, but the right number depends on household size, where you live, how often you cook and whether you’re feeding kids or covering special diets....
Apr 18, 2026
Retirement
How Seniors Can Save Money on Hearing Aids (Because Medicare Covers Basically Nothing)
Affording hearing aids is challenging if you’re an older American on Medicare. That’s because Original Medicare — which covers a majority of beneficiaries — doesn’t cover hearing aids, fittings or hearing exams. That’s right — not a dime. And hearing aids are expensive: The average cost for one pair ranges from $3,000 to $7,000. About...
Apr 4, 2026
Insurance
Small Business Owners Are Losing Opportunities by Not Spending $5 on This Insurance
Being a small business owner is hard. Not having insurance makes it harder. It’s not usually required by law, and it’s expensive, but a lot of contracts demand it. A company called Thimble lets you buy insurance on-demand — whether it’s for an hour, a day, a month, or more — starting right now.
Apr 4, 2026
Retirement
How to Collect Social Security while Working and Not Get in Trouble
As simple words go, “retirement’’ carries a lot of weight and a lot of baggage. Now that retirement is bouncing around in your mind, and you entertain the thought of giving up your day job, you ask yourself: Is my retirement income and Social Security going to be enough for my preferred lifestyle? What am...
Apr 18, 2026
Retirement
Dear Penny: Can I Take Social Security Now and Then Stop Benefits in 2021?
Dear A., When you start taking Social Security benefits, you have 12 months to withdraw your application, which will stop your payments. But you’ll also have to pay back all the Social Security money you’ve received. So I’d urge you not to take this approach if at all possible. The problem is that we just...
Apr 18, 2026
Budget Planner
11 Ways to Cut the Cord and Save on Streaming Subscriptions (79)
Do high cable bills have you ready to cut the cord? Here’s how to watch TV without cable, so you can save money and still watch all your favorite shows.
Apr 4, 2026