Investing in your retirement has never been more important than it is now. With the current state of the economy, there’s not much of a reason to have faith that you’re social security payments will provide much stability to you in your golden years. With the rising costs of living and pretty much everything else, social security contributions can’t and won’t keep up with inflation, and what may barely pay your bills now certainly won’t pay them when you’re 65.

I’m not sure how many banks do this, but it’s good to be aware of them if yours does. I bank with Citibank and am enrolled in itsThank-You Network rewards program. And while these programs certainly don’t offer anything incredibly exciting when it comes to redeeming your points for gifts, it’s most definitely worth spending a few minutes setting up an account.

Contrary to what you may believe, all checking accounts are not created equally. Nowadays, it’s much easier to find banks that offer lots of free features that will save you money and make your life a lot easier in the process. Check out the top 5 features that you should be on the lookout for in a checking account.

Budgeting is one of those rare art forms that a lot of people never learn how to master. And although vital to managing your money (or lack thereof), it’s become something of a lost relic when it comes to younger generations understanding and practicing budgeting at an early age.

A few months ago, I noticed that my paycheck didn’t seem to go as far as it normally did – even when I was making less money. I sat down one evening, pulled up my online bank statements and started categorizing every expense for the last 30 days. What I found out was pretty shocking to me.