2009 Could Be Better Than You Think

Your Money

• ROI

  

  12 Lessons for Investors From 2008

  Here are a dozen lessons that investors can take away after the terrible times of 2008.

• Smart Money

  

  New Rules Come to Cardholders' Aid

  The Fed gave consumers some relief when it voted this month to enact a new set of regulations governing the credit-card industry.

• Investing

  

  Goodbye 2008 …

  After years when the housing bubble inflated and Americans' debt soared, it came back to earth in 2008.

  • …and Hello New Year

• Careers

  

  Avoiding the Ax: Where the Jobs Are

  While the employment landscape looks sparse right now, the outlook for 2009 isn't uniformly bleak -- and is downright bright in some recession-resistant industries.

• Family Finances

  

  Creative (and Fast) Ways to Donate

  Donating to charities can be an easy and creative way to trim your 2008 tax bill.

• Real Estate

  

  So What Do You Have To Do For a Loan?

  As Washington and Wall Street try to get money flowing, people are learning what happens when buy-now, pay-later gives way to no-credit, no-way.

• The Intelligent Investor

  

  Fiscal Stress Can Be Family-Room Topic

  This holiday season, as you clean up under the Christmas tree or put away the menorah, set some time aside to talk about how the financial crisis may affect your family.

• FAMILY FINANCES

  How to Avoid Shady Advisers

  There are lessons to be learned from Madoff's alleged Ponzi scheme. Here's a guide to protecting yourself when you choose a financial adviser.

• MARKETWATCH

  

  Is Added Warranty Worth the Cost?

  Here's the gamble about purchasing a warranty on new products: If something goes wrong with the merchandise, you acted wisely. But if the item operates exactly the way it's supposed to, your "investment" is money tossed out the window.

• Technology

  

  Putting Your Money Where Your Mouse Is

  Consumers are growing comfortable with managing more of their financial life online, and financial-service sites are increasingly offering applications that serve those needs.

• Personal Finance

  

  College Bills Wallop Families

  As the economy shrinks, many students and their parents are struggling to make payments for the second half of the academic year.

• Cheapskate

  

  Nothing Says Christmas Like a Used Bicycle

  This year, times are tough. But when Neal Templin and his wife discuss having a modest Christmas, the idea falls flat with her family.

• Work & Family

  Families Cut Back on Day Care

  Behind the drumbeat of grim economic news, parents are pulling small children out of paid child care.

  The Juggle: Working from home with kids in tow.

• Tax Report

  

  The Big Questions for Your 2008 Taxes

  Here are answers to some reader queries about taxes in a time of financial turmoil, as well as some additional tax-savvy moves to consider.

• Business

  Credit Cards Help You Save, Cut Debt

  Banks and brokerages are enhancing their credit-card reward programs to help customers save more for retirement and reduce their debt.

• Smart Money

  

  How You Can Rebuild Your Wealth

  Even as consumers wrestle with new concerns after enduring this year's economic downturn, they're finding opportunities to rebuild the wealth they lost.

• Subscriber Content Read Preview

  Yoder & Son

  

  The Joys of Paying for Things Yourself

  It often feels better to pay for things out of my own pocket, instead of looking to parents for handouts.

• MarketWatch

  'Peer' Loans Ease the Credit Crunch

  The days of a simple handshake deal and dancing around lending money to family and friends are gone, as peer loans fill the vacuum of the credit crisis.

• Encore

  

  No Time Like the Holidays for Family Business

  The holidays are the perfect time for discussing issues such as savings and family care, as December is one of the few times different generations gather under one roof.

• On Style

  

  A Deal-Hunter's Guide to the Galaxy

  Amid the many sales, there's an art to finding the deepest discounts and knowing the best time to buy.

  • Podcast: Benefits for the Bargain-Hunter
  • Holiday Sales blog: Discount Fashion Gamble

• Cheapskate

  

  We Owe $2,000 on Your Credit Card?

  Neal Templin on the marital-harmony component of his and his wife's financial decision-making arrangement.

• Family Money

  

  Which Deals Offer Lasting Delight?

  The array of deals on big-ticket items is tempting. But will snagging that awesome price make you any happier?

• Common Sense

  Coping With Losers in Your Portfolio

  Avoid a common syndrome, which is to sell the biggest losers, then chase the best performing stocks.

• Health Costs

  Aim to Save Next Year

  Next year, resolve to save money on medical expenditures by following a few simple rules whenever possible.

• Real Estate

  Self-Employed Are Frozen Out of Mortgages

  The government's efforts to jump-start lending are bypassing the self-employed.

• Intelligent Investor

  

  Save Your Nest Egg, Hold On to Stocks

  Instead of cutting back your stockholdings, which Uncle Sam already has done for you, consider other ways to shore up your retirement.

  • Video: Advice for Market-Skittish Retirees

• ROI

  

  Brand-Name Stocks, Bargain Bin Prices

  Much like the nation's major retailers, the New York Stock Exchange is holding an incredible sale. Brett Arends points out some of the market's best buys.

• Cheapskate

  

  A Grocery Battle Plan

  Neal Templin provides a cheapskate's guide to grocery shopping. Even in this tough terrain, it's still possible to cut your food bill.

  Video: The Cheapskate Guide to Shopping

• Money

  Lending Money to Your Uncle

  The appeal of family loans has grown as interest rates have fallen and banks have made it tougher to obtain financing.

• Education

  

  MIT Professor Explains the Crisis to the Masses

  Business school professor Simon Johnson set out to make sense of the financial mess for students – and for the rest of us.

• ROI

  A Little-Known Tax Break for 529s

  A little-known tax break could help families saving for education recoup some of the losses seen in their 529 plans.

• House Talk

  

  Outgrown Your House? How to Make Room

  Tips on smart ways to remodel for those unwilling to trade up during the slump.

• Smart Money

  

  Retailers Offer New Payment Choices

  For the holiday shopping season, retailers are offering a slew of payment options to cash-strapped consumers. But will these new methods end up costing shoppers more?

• Money

  

  How to Make a Spending Plan

  People hate budgets because they seem confining. But a realistic spending plan is the very tonic many need right now.

  • Crunchonomics: A Downturn Survival Guide
  • The Wallet: What's Your ATM Fix?

• ROI

  

  Now's the Time for Portfolio Do-Over

  The good news amid the crisis: Diversifying your portfolio is cheaper and easier than ever before. Brett Arends has some suggestions.

  • Crunchonomics: A Downturn Survival Guide

• Money

  

  The Buck Is Back

  With investors rushing to sell everything and shove the proceeds into dollars, the greenback is king of the hill again -- at least for now.

• Autos

  

  Keeping a Car Longer

  Tips and advice on the best ways to keep a car, truck or SUV running reliably and efficiently for a long time on the smallest possible budget.

  • Discuss: Keeping Your Car Longer?

• ROI

  How to Calm Your Portfolio

  Market fluctuations causing you stress? With bonds and other investments going cheaply, it's a good time to diversify.

• Your Home

• Your Money Matters

  

  The Future for Home Prices

  Many Americans still see real estate as their best shot at wealth. In survey after survey, people expect prices to bounce back -- in some cases, as soon as six months from now. But those hoping for a quick rebound are likely to be disappointed.

• Smart Money

  

  Tips to Shop Closeouts

  Massive cutbacks in shoppers' spending have wreaked havoc on retailers -- one day a store's open for business, the next it's gone.

• House Talk

  

  Short Sale May Be an Option

  Stuck with home loans and no means for paying them. A short sale can offer a way out for consumers faced with a home worth less than their debt.

• House Talk

  

  Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Home?

  Give what's happening in the financial markets, it's hard to know whether to jump in and take advantage of today's lower prices, or wait to see how things play out on Wall Street. June Fletcher helps sort it out.

• About the House

  

  Saving Energy on the Cheap

  There are easy methods to conserve energy without investing a lot of money upfront.

• House Talk

  

  How to Buy a Foreclosed Home

  Buyers must be willing to do more sleuthing on their own to find the best deals. Here are some tips to get started.

• House Talk

  Credit Frozen: What To Do?

  Across the U.S., lenders are slashing home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). June Fletcher on what to do if your loan is put on ice.

• Your Business

• Author Talk

  

  How to Rally Workers for Tough 2009

  Workers are burned out and anxious after a brutal year. How can managers rally them for more tough times ahead?

  • Discuss: Best ways to motivate employees?

• Subscriber Content Read Preview

  Management

  

  How to Lay People Off

  Laying people off is one of the toughest things a manager has to do. Here's how to do it right.

  • Podcast: Advice on how to do layoffs

• Subscriber Content Read Preview

  Management

  In Crisis, Leaders Must Communicate

  With so many businesses in turmoil, it's more important than ever for company leaders to communicate clearly to employees – but that's not happening, according to a new study.

  • Video: Communicating in crisis

• Financing

  

  How to Cope With the Credit Crunch

  The financial crisis is making it difficult for small businesses to secure credit. A look at alternatives for getting extra cash to run a business in this economy.

• Small Business

  

  Looking for Cost Cuts in New Places

  Small companies often have to get creative to find waste where little exists. Here's a look at four companies that did so without sacrificing necessities.

• 

  In Chaos Lies Opportunity

  Like dangerous curves on a racetrack, economic downturns create opportunities for companies to move into leadership positions, argue Bain & Company's Darrell Rigby and Steve Ellis.

• Lessons from 1987

  This season's economic turmoil reminds many Wall Street observers of 1987's market crash. Then as now, readers wanted to know how to protect their money, whether they could shield their holdings and, finally, where to invest:

  • Some Say Buy Stocks; Others Say Don't. All Agree: Stay Calm
  • Risk Taking -- It's Time to Reassess
  • Market Tumble Could Require Changes in Wills
  • To Weather a Crash, It Helps a Little To Be 80 Years
  • Personal Finance --- Investmentspeak
  • 'Sell Rules' Can Help Investors Decide When the Time Is Best to Dump a Stock