Depositors who banked with alleged fraudster Allen Stanford should start seeing some of their money in a year.

Saving the system still involves retention bonuses, hedge funds, credit cards and stress tests.

Here are four strategies ETF investors should use to protect their capital during a downturn.

If you can get good numbers, here's a way to handicap banks going belly-up.

The asset-management firm posted worse-than-expected Q3 earnings amid the credit crisis.

The foreign exchange market truly never sleeps, but you can if your timing is right.

The past few years have been a wild ride for investors. 2008 was the year of the crash and the broad markets fell anywhere from 30-50% during the year. 2009 didn't start out much better and stocks continued to fall until March 9th. On March 9th the markets rallied anywhere from 40-60% over the next year. While this rally didn't erase all of the losses we saw in 2008, it has eased the pain a bit if you still have money in the market. The problem is that many people began to pull their money out of the market in late 2008 or early 2009 after finally having enough. In hindsight, that was probably a bad idea since that money then missed out on the rally over the next year. This is why it's a dangerous game to play when you feel you're able to time the market by jumping in and out. Usually, by the time you are ready to pull out during a down market the damage has already been done, and then by the time you're ready to get back into the market the rally has already passed you by. We don't have a crystal ball to tell us what the next year holds, but that doesn't mean you need to be left in the dark. In a bear market there are some strategies you can use to minimize the damage. If the economy and uncertainty of the market has kept you out completely and you aren't ready to jump in just yet, you can actually get started investing with just a small amount of money. Either way, the market will continue moving with or without you. It's up to you to decide how to navigate it.The Anniversary of the Recent Market Rally originally appeared on About.com Financial Planning on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 08:55:02.Permalink | Comment | Email this

A budget creates the foundation for even the most simple financial plan. Without a budget it's hard to keep track of where you're money is going, how much you're spending, and where opportunities for savings might lie. Even though budgeting is one of the first and most important aspects of a financial plan, very few people actually create and follow one. For many, following a budget sounds like a chore. It creates images of tedious expense tracking, cutting out all of the fun things in your life, and being forced to count every penny. Fortunately, that doesn't have to be the case. Budgeting can be as simple or complex as you make it, but no matter how you create your budget if you follow it, you'll be on your way to financial independence. Here's a collection of resources to help you with your budget.Budgeting 101 originally appeared on About.com Financial Planning on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 10:37:05.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Saving money is an elusive goal for many, but if you follow a few simple secrets it isn't as hard as you might think. Granted, there's no silver bullet that will magically put money into your savings account, but there are a few things you can do to make saving money that much easier. It really comes down to three things: Budgeting Paying yourself first Spending less than you earn Does it seem like common sense? Well, it really is, but that doesn't mean it's easy to do. Here's how you can tackle the three secrets to saving money so that you begin building wealth and get out of debt.The Secret to Saving Money originally appeared on About.com Financial Planning on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 21:29:20.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Credit card debt is one of the biggest problems most people face when trying to get a handle on their finances. Credit cards make it easy to spend more money than you have, and then the crippling interest rates and fees make it seem impossible to get out from under. While there isn't an instant cure for credit card debt, there are steps you can take to put yourself on a path to becoming debt free. It takes a little planning, a little budgeting, and some time, but if you keep at it you'll find that you're getting out of debt faster than you had imagined. Here's the process to help you eliminate your credit card debt.Eliminate Credit Card Debt originally appeared on About.com Financial Planning on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 19:09:41.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Overspending and accumulating significant amounts of credit card debt isn't always easy to resolve. Over time, this problem can become an addiction that goes beyond simply affecting your finances. Just like any addiction, this behavior can negatively affect your performance at work, your relationships with friends and family, and even reduce your quality of life. If you or someone you know is in this situation, there is help available. Debtors Anonymous is a nonprofit organization that provides free group meetings that are modeled after the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program. This type of group session and structure may be very well what is needed to finally break the spending habit. Learn more about Debtors Anonymous and how they can help.Struggling with Debt? Debtors Anonymous Can Help originally appeared on About.com Financial Planning on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 20:23:43.Permalink | Comment | Email this

As you've probably heard, Monday was the first day under the new credit card rules outlined by the CARD Act. These rules have a far-reaching impact that will affect almost every consumer. Some of the biggest changes have to do with over limit fees and interest rate increases. These were two methods that credit card companies used to generate billions in revenue each year. Have you ever wondered why there's a credit limit on your card if you're able to still make a purchase that puts you over the limit? For the most part, it was so credit card companies could stick you with a $35 or higher over the limit fee. Granted, you shouldn't go over your limit anyway since that can severely impact your credit score, but the fact that they allowed you to go over your limit and then charge you a fee to do so was a sore spot for many people. Now, that has all changed. The ability to spend above and beyond your credit limit is now an opt-in feature, so if you want to be able to charge more than your limit (which I don't recommend) you have to call your card company and request it. Not only was the over the limit fee a costly mistake for people, but the dirty trick of raising interest rates without warning and even applying it to your existing balance was even worse. Instead of just costing you a one-time fee for maybe $35 the increased interest could literally cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Thankfully, this is another rule that has changed to benefit consumers. Now credit card companies cannot raise the rate on existing balances. So, if you have a $2,000 balance that you acquired while your interest rate was 12% and your card company wants to increase your interest rate to 25% that new rate will only apply to new purchases, not your existing $2,000 balance. For details on the rest of the changes and how they will affect you be sure to check out the detailed guide outlining the CARD Act.New Credit Card Rules Take Effect This Week originally appeared on About.com Financial Planning on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 11:51:47.Permalink | Comment | Email this