A lot of people equate the Federal Reserve's actions with changes in consumer interest rates but there's not a direct connection or really an indirect connection, ... Personal Finance for Dummies.

I think people feel comfortable that we're near the end of the interest rate (raising) cycle.

Some people think they've got to have a brilliant business idea, but they don't. There are new tax preparers and dry cleaners going into business all the time,

When preparing their 2001 return, there are some basic tax planning issues unemployed people don't often think of. People need to be mindful of what tax bracket they're in, which may...have changed.

A lot of people who get laid off from corporate jobs end up doing some freelance work, ... But people who are coming from a job with a paycheck are not knowledgeable about the expenses they can file on Schedule C. They should familiarize themselves with those deductions. If they have considerable self-employment income, they can set up a Keogh or SEP IRA to shelter some of the income from taxes.

A major illness or some other unavoidable problem can cause people to fall short of their financial goals, but more often than not, long-standing barriers to dealing well with money are to blame. I've worked with more people who need to overcome significant obstacles in their attitudes and behaviors concerning money than those who just need a bit of sound financial advice.