Whew!
Last year at this time, we were wondering if it could get any worse.
It did. Trouble in the subprime market exploded into an across-the-board rout. The credit crunch evolved into a global financial crisis. Markets tanked. Mighty institutions fell. Recession took hold. Layoffs began to mount just as the holiday season got under way. Few people have been left untouched. And still, we don't know if we're through the worst of it.
If you're living in a house worth less than you owe on it, you aren't alone. Ditto if your retirement savings are down by double digits. Or if you're earning nearly zero interest on your savings, and yet unable to borrow at historically low rates. Or if you're looking for a job or worried about keeping the one you have.
All of which has given rise to the newest new normal. Exuberance and excess have made way for prudence and pragmatism. Frugality is, once again, a virtue. To help you settle into this strange new world, our reporters have dug deep into their beats. Modeled on Personal Journal's regular Quick Fix feature, the advice here covers a lot of ground, but shares a common theme: helping you make your dollars work harder.
Continued...
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