Some of the practical and performable routine maintenance tasks that vehicle owners can do themselves to save money.

Materials covered in the Saving and Investing for Life: Protecting Your Investment include: understanding and selecting your financial team, their professional designations and how to avoid investment scams.

Materials covered in the Saving and Investing for Life: Principles of Investing include: selecting the best investment options and determining your personal investment risk-tolerance level.

Materials covered in Saving and Investing for Life: Investment Options include: learning to develop SMART financial goals, your options for saving for emergency funds, comparing college savings plans and learning to read a financial page.

Materials covered in this unit include: learning the difference between good debt and bad debt; calculating your net worth; developing a debt repayment and a saving-spending plan; and planning your emergency fund.

Being frugal is important for managing in tough t.imes, and going "green" with resource conservation can also help the bottom line in your budget.

Terms Home Buyers and Home Owners Need to Know and useful housing related Web sites.

People are filing their 2008 income tax returns earlier this year, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Early filing statistics also show that the average individual refund is up. Reasons for larger refunds may include benefits from tax breaks such as the first-time homebuyer credit. If you haven’t filed yet, there is still time.

You’re not alone if you’re experiencing financial pain during these tough times. The number of people claiming unemployment benefits has reached a record number, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Dozens of big businesses have announced massive layoffs. Some workers are keeping their jobs but finding their salaries cut. Retirees watch while their nest eggs dwindle in value.

Financial Survival Tips for the Recession