We’ve heard from thousands of you about your money goals and we’re so impressed with how many of you want to save more and pay down your debt. But to stay on track throughout the year, you have to be able to answer these three simple credit questions. Question #1: Am I in financial denial? This is a tough, but necessary question to ask yourself. Some telltale signs of financial denial include avoiding your bills, feeling anxious or stressed out whenever money comes up, and fighting with your...

We’re two weeks into 2019: how are you doing with your resolutions? Only 9% of us will accomplish our New Year’s resolutions, but if you’re vowing to clean out your email inbox and feel more organized, there are a few ways to tackle the task. Whether you’re team “Inbox zero” or “Inbox infinity,” we all receive and send an average of 126 emails a day. (Yahoo Mail offers the most free storage: so if you stockpile your emails, you’ll have 1 terabyte of storage to use. Outlook and Google drive...

To prepare for the tax filing season that begins Jan. 28, the IRS has called back 46,000 employees, or 57% of its workforce. But they won’t be paid until the partial government shutdown is over. The question is, how long can they work without getting paid? If the IRS workers end up following the TSA workers who have been calling out sick, tax refunds likely can’t be processed in a timely manner. There is, however, a bit of relief for some taxpayers this week: the IRS said it would waive the...

Your questions answered: In this weekly personal finance segment on The First Trade, we answer audience questions from our Money Mailbag. Q: Will going to a ‘debt eraser’ affect my credit score? Does having my debt negotiated down ruin my score? – Gerri It’s a great question, especially for those in debt who think their options are limited. But most financial advisors will advise against going this route because there are so many shady debt consolidation programs that can cause you more pain...

It’s almost the end of January and keeping our financial resolutions in check will only get harder as the year goes on. As we reach the end of the Yahoo Finance January No-Spend Challenge, we talked to financial experts for their tips on how to stay motivated and financially on track for the rest of this month and beyond. Set SMART Goals Financial expert author Chris Hogan says it’s important to set SMART goals when focusing on your financial resolutions. SMART stands for specific,...