Michelle Singletary

Articles by Michelle Singletary

The Color of Money: Can the Fed end my hatred of gift cards? (November 19, 2009)

Overdraft fees: Finally, fair warning (November 15, 2009)

Congress's throwaway on 'first-time' home buyers (November 12, 2009)

The Color of Money: MoneyGram settles charges of abetting fraud (November 8, 2009)

Color of Money: Adult children's finances can be parents' business (November 5, 2009)

The Color of Money: The bilingual language of personal finance (November 1, 2009)

The Color of Money: Report on debt collectors calls for reform (October 29, 2009)

Students wisely turn from private loans (October 25, 2009)

The Color of Money: Getting a degree without going broke (October 22, 2009)

Dow 10,000: Proceed With Caution (October 18, 2009)

The Color of Money: Don't Ignore Open Enrollment (October 15, 2009)

The Color of Money: Underlining the 'Free' in 'Free Credit Report' (October 11, 2009)

Weather the 401(k) Storm (October 8, 2009)

Personal Finance Newsletter: Cliffs Notes for Your Money (October 4, 2009)

The Color of Money: Keep the Interest Rate or Keep the Credit Card? (October 1, 2009)

The Color of Money: Overdraft 'Protection' Is Anything But (September 27, 2009)

The Color of Money: Now's the Time to Prepare for Next Year's Tax Returns (September 24, 2009)

Well Educated and Flat Broke: Student Loans Take a Toll (September 20, 2009)

The Color of Money: Family Bonds and Financial Burdens (September 17, 2009)

Depleted Savings and a Big Pay Cut, But at Least There's Pay Once Again (September 13, 2009)

A Foreclosure Notice Adds to Bowie Couple's Troubles (September 13, 2009)

The Color of Money Challenge (September 13, 2009)

The Color of Money: Playing Investment Games With Life and Death (September 10, 2009)

The Color of Money: 'Enough' Is One Word to Live By (September 6, 2009)

The Color of Money: Stay on Top of New Rules to Help Borrowers (September 3, 2009)

Ignoring Your Census Form Is a Pretty Costly Decision (August 30, 2009)

The Color of Money: Smaller Credit Lines Shouldn't Hurt Scores Much (August 27, 2009)

Tiny Typos Can Add Up To a Big X On Your Rsum (August 23, 2009)

The Color of Money: A Recession's Real-Life Spending Quandaries (August 20, 2009)

Know the Rules of the Credit Card Game (August 16, 2009)

The Color of Money: U.S. Should Offer Tax Relief to People Who Borrowed From Their 401(k) (August 13, 2009)

The Color of Money: Will 401(k)s Wither Without a Match? (August 9, 2009)

The Color of Money: For the Fortunate, Consider What You Can Afford Before Filing for Unemployment (August 6, 2009)

The Color of Money: Unemployed Must Take Charge (August 2, 2009)

The Color of Money: Fake Checks and Cloned Cars (July 30, 2009)

The Color of Money: When Target-Date Funds Miss the Mark (July 26, 2009)

The Color of Money: Beware Foreclosure Rescue Scams (July 23, 2009)

The Color of Money: 'Cash for Clunkers' Is a Lemon (July 19, 2009)

The Color of Money: Stop Scam Artists From Fleecing the Elderly (July 16, 2009)

Putting Minority Investing Habits In Context (July 12, 2009)

The Color of Money: Jackson's Death Reminds Us to Be Prepared (July 9, 2009)

The Color of Money: Asset Allocation Made Simple (July 5, 2009)

The Right Direction Starts With the Right Decisions (June 28, 2009)

The Mindset To Make It Through: Tips on Surviving the Recession (June 21, 2009)

Michelle Singletary's Color of Money Challenge: Waiting for Work (June 14, 2009)

Michelle Singletary's Color of Money (June 11, 2009)

Insight From Inside the Mortgage Crisis (June 7, 2009)

Michelle Singletary's Color of Money (June 4, 2009)

Parents Need To Take Charge Of New Power (May 31, 2009)

Michelle Singletary's Color of Money (May 28, 2009)

Revealing the Hidden Cost Of Credit Cards (May 24, 2009)

Necessity or Luxury? Please Redefine. (May 21, 2009)

A Final Lesson: Repay Student Debt Quickly (May 17, 2009)

Be Careful Online: Not Everyone Is a True 'Friend' (May 14, 2009)

529 College-Savings Plans Require Vigilance (May 10, 2009)

Easy Credit: Our Nation's Downfall (May 7, 2009)

How Madoff Became an Equal Opportunity Thief (May 3, 2009)

Damage Control for Your Credit Score (April 30, 2009)

Taking a Swing At the Bullies Behind the Plastic (April 26, 2009)

Michelle Singletary's Color of Money (April 23, 2009)

The Color of Money: Tips for the Overqualified Job-Seeker (April 19, 2009)

April 15 Is Over, but Tax Decisions Occur Year-Round (April 16, 2009)

The Color of Money: Debt Collectors (April 12, 2009)

Before the Feature Film, a Message on Foreclosure Scams (April 9, 2009)

The Color of Money Book Club: Recommended Reading for Children (April 5, 2009)

Michelle Singletary's The Color of Money (April 2, 2009)

Down but Not Out: Overcoming Job Loss (March 29, 2009)

It's Time to Retire Mandatory Overdraft Fees (March 26, 2009)

Affordable Housing Initiative Hits the Web (March 22, 2009)

Serious Overtones to Jon Stewart's Smack Down (March 19, 2009)

A Call To Share Our Abundance (March 15, 2009)

At Tax Time, Seek Help From the Right Places (March 12, 2009)

Surviving the Greatest Financial Crisis of Our Time (March 8, 2009)

Helping Laid-Off Workers Pay for Health Insurance (March 5, 2009)

Hey, Bailout Snivelers: Hush. You Don't Need It. (March 1, 2009)

Before You Buy, Study Rules for New Tax Credits (February 26, 2009)

You Can Benefit, but Don't Get Caught by Details (February 22, 2009)

A Powder Keg: Debt and Unemployment (February 19, 2009)

IRS Tries Walking in Our Shoes (February 15, 2009)

Consumers Lose in This Love Triangle (February 12, 2009)

Short on Cash? Invest in the Relationship (February 8, 2009)

The Confusion Over Required Withdrawals (February 5, 2009)

An Open Challenge To Dust Yourself Off (January 25, 2009)

Tax Cuts Are Short-Term Fix for Long-Term Problem (January 22, 2009)

This Year, Electronic Filing Is Free for All (January 18, 2009)

IRA Change Helps Retirees Ride Out the Storm (January 15, 2009)

Ponzi's Original Swindle (January 11, 2009)

Congress Should Resolve to Simplify the Tax Code (January 8, 2009)

It's Time to Drop The Consumer Label (January 4, 2009)

Beware of False Promises on Debt (January 1, 2009)

Do Your Part To Get Credit Under Control (December 28, 2008)

A Recession Lesson: Reduce Your Debt (December 25, 2008)

Michelle Singletary: The Color of Money (December 21, 2008)

Overcharged and Over a Barrel (December 18, 2008)

Less Debt? Hooah! (December 14, 2008)

Regulation Could Be Recession's Silver Lining (December 11, 2008)

Book Club Advice, All Wrapped Up (December 7, 2008)

Attention, Shoppers: Where's Your Humanity? (December 4, 2008)

Hard Times Hit Santa, Too (November 30, 2008)

Buyer, Beware of Retailers' Bankruptcy Filings (November 27, 2008)

Keep On Giving: Times Are Even Tighter For Others (November 23, 2008)

American Taxpayers Are Getting Played (November 20, 2008)

Mortgage 'Reform' Is Just a Small Step Forward (November 16, 2008)

The Unemployed Could Use a Hand, Too (November 13, 2008)

The Change That Hasn't Come (November 9, 2008)

The End of Easy Credit (November 6, 2008)

Recession-Proof Jobs (November 2, 2008)

Minority Workers Could Use Investment Boost (October 30, 2008)

Our Wobbly Retirement Reality (October 26, 2008)

Don't Miss This Chance to Pick a Better Health Plan (October 23, 2008)

A Program to Keep the Roof Over Your Head -- but It Will Cost You in the Long Run (October 19, 2008)

Another Street Where Credit Needs to Keep Flowing (October 16, 2008)

Blame Game Gets Nasty When It Targets the Poor (October 12, 2008)

Know the Rules to Keep Your Cash Safe (October 9, 2008)

Failure This Big Wasn't Born Yesterday (October 5, 2008)

Chart a Road Map to Weather Rocky Times (October 2, 2008)

Charting Their Rise Out of Debt (September 28, 2008)

Bailout Needs a Bridge to Main Street (September 25, 2008)

What Happens When We Forget To Diversify (September 21, 2008)

With Good and Bad Advice Flowing, Learn to Discern (September 18, 2008)

Be Wary of Buying When Shares Tank (September 14, 2008)

A Bid to Rescue Homeownership (September 11, 2008)

A Teen Girl's Guide to Managing Wealth (September 7, 2008)

A Class-Action Settlement for Nearly Every Consumer (September 4, 2008)

A Question Not of Elitism But of Empathy (August 31, 2008)

A Wake-Up Call on Home Equity Loans (August 28, 2008)

Despite Strides, Women Still Tripped Up by Confidence Gap (August 24, 2008)

Keeping the IRS in Check (August 21, 2008)

Before You Take That New Housing Credit . . . (August 17, 2008)

Think of Tax Credit as 15-Year Loan, And Rethink Whether You Need It (August 14, 2008)

Help for Seniors Who Have Reverse Mortgages (August 10, 2008)

Parking the Leasing Lifestyle (August 7, 2008)

Don't Fall for the Mortgage Rip-Offs (August 3, 2008)

Unwrapped, Housing Tax 'Credit' Is Really a Loan (July 31, 2008)

The Blessings of Living in a 'Mental Recession' (July 27, 2008)

Court Ruling Tightens Investors' Safety Net (July 24, 2008)

Raiding the Retirement Stash (July 20, 2008)

A Helping Hand for Harried Homeowners (July 17, 2008)

Creditors Garnishing Protected Funds (July 13, 2008)

'Gas-Saving' Additives Only Subtract From Your Wallet (July 10, 2008)

For the Big Bucks, Try a Little Yuk Yuk (July 6, 2008)

Whip Inflation Now, Before It Whips You (July 3, 2008)

Obama Knows Firsthand About Consumer Debt (June 29, 2008)

After College, A Crash Course In Finance (June 22, 2008)

Don't Drag That Mortgage With You Into Old Age (June 15, 2008)

Staying Out of the Red Despite the Pink Slip (June 12, 2008)

3 Families, 4 Months, $26,000 Paid (June 8, 2008)

A Bummer Summer for Job-Seeking Teens (June 5, 2008)

Unwelcome Change, Or a Chance (June 1, 2008)

This Wedding Season, the Gift of Gall (May 29, 2008)

Fuel-Efficient Or Financially Prudent (May 25, 2008)

Moral of Downturn Story: Piggies Must Be Fed (May 22, 2008)

He Gets His Old Room but Not for Free, Not Forever (May 18, 2008)

Credit Cards Cost, No Matter What (May 15, 2008)

Let's Make It Cool to Save (May 11, 2008)

Your Losing Hand (May 8, 2008)

Your Debt, But Not All Your Fault (May 4, 2008)

Brokers in the Fast-and-Loose Lane? Run Their Licenses. (May 1, 2008)

Prosecute the Mortgage Sharks (April 27, 2008)

Study Up on College Loans Before Learning About Debt the Hard Way (April 24, 2008)

It's Better To File Late Than to File Later (April 20, 2008)

Save and Pay as You Go (April 17, 2008)

Pay Your Dues When Your Parents Age (April 13, 2008)

Take the Snail Out of the Rebate Mail (April 10, 2008)

All Too Personal Finances (April 6, 2008)

Awaiting the Stimulus? Check Your Numbers. (April 3, 2008)

Debt Addicts Get A Dose of Reality (March 30, 2008)

Cheaper to Keep Her and Pay Off the Loan (March 27, 2008)

Ignoring the Calls Won't Make Debt Go Away (March 23, 2008)

Your Big Fat Foolish Wedding (March 20, 2008)

Lack of Insurance Hits Us All (March 16, 2008)

If You Lend, Be Prepared to Lose (March 13, 2008)

Use Your Foolish Refund Wisely (March 9, 2008)

What Debt Collectors Can't Do (March 6, 2008)

Inside the Mind Of a Debtor Nation (March 2, 2008)

Deals That Give You the Business (February 28, 2008)

The Wrong Questions About the Mortgage Market (February 24, 2008)

Rebate Fact and Fiction (February 21, 2008)

Enlisting Help In Financial Boot Camp (February 17, 2008)

Online, Dear Valentines, The Wolves Talk of Love (February 14, 2008)

King's Dream Deferred, One More Victim of the Subprime Mortgage Crisis (February 10, 2008)

Be Happy With What You Can Afford (February 7, 2008)

Slaying the 'Enoughasaurus' And Embracing Frugality (February 3, 2008)

A Tax Rebate? Feed Piggy. (January 31, 2008)

Dinars for Dupes (January 27, 2008)

You Can Ride It Out, Baby (January 24, 2008)

One Candidate and the Economy (January 20, 2008)

Tax Refunds Can Be Worth Their Wait in Gold (January 17, 2008)

You Can Lend P2P, but Can You Collect? (January 13, 2008)

The Gift of Tax Assistance (January 10, 2008)

Whose Turn Is It To Pay the Check? (January 6, 2008)

A $200 Surrender to the Tax Pro (January 3, 2008)

Make a List You Can't Miss (December 30, 2007)

Can't Win With Your Eyes Shut (December 27, 2007)

Four People. One Year. A Lot Less Debt. (December 23, 2007)

Shrinking the Savings Bonds Limit (December 20, 2007)

Anti-Scam Message Hits YouTube (December 16, 2007)

Preparing for the Word We Dare Not Say (December 13, 2007)

A Subpar Plan to Save Subprime Borrowers (December 9, 2007)

Quiet Your Inner Scrooge (December 6, 2007)

Taking the Right Lesson From Scrooge (December 2, 2007)

Give It Again, Sam (November 29, 2007)

Reinforce Savings Or Attack Debt? Advice for a Soldier (November 25, 2007)

Identify Your Habits to Shop Intelligently (November 22, 2007)

The Pulpit And the Bling-Bling (November 18, 2007)

A Way to Freeze Out the ID Thieves (November 15, 2007)

Too Rich To Be Poor-Mouthing? (November 11, 2007)

Swindlers' List: Dieters, Debtors and You (November 8, 2007)

Working the Frequent-Flier System (November 4, 2007)

Getting to Know Identity Thieves (November 1, 2007)

College Loans, The Price Of Procrastination (October 28, 2007)

Credit Repair and the Tools of Ignorance (October 25, 2007)

Study on Savings By Blacks and Whites Reveals Shades of Gray (October 21, 2007)

The Extra Credit Students Don't Need (October 18, 2007)

The Get-Rich Pitch, Then the Letdown (October 14, 2007)

Where to Stash Your Emergency Cash (October 11, 2007)

Moves That Save, And Parents Who Won't (October 7, 2007)

The Littlest Victims of ID Theft (October 4, 2007)

Help for Home Buyers From the Inside (September 30, 2007)

An Early Look at Open Enrollment (September 27, 2007)

A Better Price Size For Kids (September 23, 2007)

Your 401(k) Giveaway (September 20, 2007)

This Year's Winner: Don't Flush Good Water After Bad (September 16, 2007)

Free Food for Pigeons (September 13, 2007)

Some Mortgage Originators Skip State Licensing (September 9, 2007)

You Know What They Say About a Free Lunch (September 6, 2007)

Do Your Bank Account a Favor: Drop the Doughnut (September 2, 2007)

A Mortgage Is for Paying Off (August 30, 2007)

A 400 Percent Return In 7 Days? Riiiight. (August 26, 2007)

Laid Off? Cut Back and Get Back Out There. (August 23, 2007)

A 3-D Take on the Market: Defense, Diversification and Discipline (August 19, 2007)

Keep a 10-Foot Pole's Distance (August 16, 2007)

First Step in Managing a Crazy Boss: Start Talking (August 12, 2007)

Leave the Job, and Maybe the Retirement Money (August 9, 2007)

Working Harder To Pay Down Debt (August 5, 2007)

Your Car and Your Credit (August 2, 2007)

Go to College And Earn Your C.E.O. (July 29, 2007)

Pomp and Student-Loan Circumstances (July 26, 2007)

Microwaving Contacts, And Other Mega-Goofs (July 21, 2007)

They Want You to Go Over Your Debit Limit (July 19, 2007)

Conservation Saves More Than the Environment (July 15, 2007)

A Credit Score You've Earned (July 12, 2007)

The Management Fruitcake Sampler (July 8, 2007)

Declaring Financial Independence (July 5, 2007)

Before You Insure For Long-Term Care (July 1, 2007)

Slaying the Debt Monster (June 24, 2007)

If You Take on Your Broker, You're Likely to Lose (June 17, 2007)

A Good Place to Start (June 14, 2007)

Budget By the Old Envelope System (June 10, 2007)

A Security Freeze Can Protect Your Credit But Take Some Time to Thaw (June 7, 2007)

How Grads Can Climb Out Of the Hole (June 3, 2007)

When Relying on Online Brokers, Beware 'Move It or Lose It' Scams (May 31, 2007)

Beware Of Movers Who Take You For a Ride (May 27, 2007)

From Pros and Cons, a Clear Choice (May 24, 2007)

Grads' Study Assignment: Loan Consolidation (May 19, 2007)

How They'll Try to Sucker You, From 1 to 10 (May 17, 2007)

$2,500 for 4 Pots, And Other Mega-Mistakes (May 13, 2007)

Minorities, the Auto Loan Losers (May 10, 2007)

Answering to An IRS Audit, And Other Inside Advice (May 6, 2007)

These Stamps Are Forever, but the Savings Are Not (May 3, 2007)

Cars Worth Less Than the Loans (April 29, 2007)

The Three Worlds of Mortgage Lending (April 26, 2007)

Can't Pay The Loan but Won't Pick Up the Phone (April 22, 2007)

Bad Refunds and Worse AMTs (April 19, 2007)

Readying Teens to Live Within Means (April 15, 2007)

Being Your Own Boss Isn't All Play and No Work (April 12, 2007)

These Little Piggies Save at Home (April 8, 2007)

Taking Inventory of Home Office Deductions (April 5, 2007)

How Are They Doing? (April 1, 2007)

It's Spring-Cleaning Time for Finances (March 29, 2007)

Gift Cards That Shrink Stink (March 25, 2007)

If You Can't Pay Taxes, Not Filing Is the Worst Option (March 22, 2007)

Loan Loser: Home-Financing a Car (March 18, 2007)

Technology Sinks the Check Float (March 15, 2007)

How They Rig The Credit Card Game (March 11, 2007)

Make Wise Use of Windfalls (March 8, 2007)

A Horror Movie For Our Times (March 4, 2007)

Don't Get Pulled In by Tax Scams (March 1, 2007)

Payday Loans: Costly Cash (February 25, 2007)

Tax Questions, Untangled (February 22, 2007)

Fake Checks That Make You Pay (February 18, 2007)

Better to Stop Data Thieves Cold (February 15, 2007)

Financial Infidelity (February 11, 2007)

Putting a Freeze on Identity Theft (February 8, 2007)

Athletes Black and Blind (February 4, 2007)

Kick the Tobacco Habit And Stop Sending Your Money Up in Smoke (February 1, 2007)

Beware the Scholarship Hucksters (January 28, 2007)

Make the Grade in Paying for Child's College Career (January 25, 2007)

Insurance for Furry Friends (January 21, 2007)

Fewer Ads for Free Filers (January 18, 2007)

Budgeters Begin With Self-Denial (January 14, 2007)

Your Tax Return, With Some Change (January 11, 2007)

Through College Avoiding Debt (January 7, 2007)

If You Got a Gift From Your Boss, Take Note (January 4, 2007)

Resolved to Save in '07 (December 31, 2006)

Your Debt and Budget Questions Answered (December 28, 2006)

The Gift of Gratitude (December 24, 2006)

Knotty Family Ties (December 21, 2006)

The Do's And Don'ts Of Regifting (December 17, 2006)

The Umbrella, a Holiday Party Essential (December 14, 2006)

Return Fraud Earns Retailers' Wrath (December 10, 2006)

Are You Financially Healthy? Do the Math. (December 7, 2006)

529 Plans, By the Book (December 3, 2006)

Before the New Year, Tie Up Some Loose Ends (November 30, 2006)

Give Books That Make a Difference (November 26, 2006)

Stay Out of the Red On Black Friday (November 23, 2006)

Bankruptcy Law Says Thou Shalt Not Tithe (November 19, 2006)

Consolidation Can Be Consolation (November 16, 2006)

Beware the Trap Of Ribbon and Wrap (November 12, 2006)

Next Payday, Double-Check (November 9, 2006)

A Crash Course In How to Pay For College (November 5, 2006)

Under Certain Terms, This Life Insurance Pays Off (November 2, 2006)

College Costs: A Tough Equation (October 29, 2006)

Your Health Plan's Dependent Clauses (October 26, 2006)

Before You Get Sick, Shop Around (October 22, 2006)

Putting Health Options in Alphabetical Order (October 19, 2006)

Caveat Cardholder: Read the Fine Print (October 15, 2006)

Extend 'Payday Loan' Protections to All Borrowers (October 12, 2006)

Debt, a 3-Way Loser (October 8, 2006)

The Health-Care Homework Headache (October 5, 2006)

Shop Smart For Insurance (October 1, 2006)

Revisions to Savings Rules Proposed (September 28, 2006)

Lesson for Students: The Best Debt Is None (September 24, 2006)

Get Ready to Get Bumped (September 21, 2006)

Putting a Price On Your Life (September 17, 2006)

Some Answers to Your Budgeting Questions (September 14, 2006)

It Pays to Do the Math In the Budget Game (September 10, 2006)

Spending Tax Dollars to Collect Them (September 7, 2006)

Contentment Without a Car (September 3, 2006)

Just Getting By Just Isn't Enough (August 31, 2006)

School Fundraising? Phooey! (August 27, 2006)

Dumpster-Diving Advice Doesn't Fly (August 24, 2006)

The Debt Is Yours Alone (August 20, 2006)

Don't Tie College Savings to Potential Aid (August 17, 2006)

Debts Forgiven, Taxes Increased (August 13, 2006)

Saving for College Just Got a Little Easier (August 10, 2006)

Ask the Guidebook (August 6, 2006)

'Fessing Up and Settling Up (August 3, 2006)

Give Torn Stockings Another Run, And Other Tips for the Frugal (July 30, 2006)

What's Mine Is Ours, Not All Yours (July 27, 2006)

Piggybackers Take You for a Ride (July 23, 2006)

Compromising on Past-Due Taxes (July 20, 2006)

The Race Savings Gap (July 16, 2006)

Books: Colleges' Budget-Busters (July 13, 2006)

Lessons From Wealthy and Wise Parents (July 9, 2006)

Debunking Myths About Couples and Credit (July 6, 2006)