For richer or poorer

Kevin Krauskopf of the St. Joseph News-Press interviews Dan Danford and family financial education specialist Rebecca Travnichek about what couples can do together to avoid financial fallouts. They suggest getting help when you need it, communicating about finances often, setting mutual goals, knowing where your money is going, being honest with one another, setting ground rules, and considering getting separate checking accounts.

Considering the fact that money is a leading cause of divorce, it's crucial that couples work through their finances and stay on the same page.

Read the full article here.

Low interest rates = high opportunity

A recent article on MSN Money suggests 7 "smart moves" while interest rates are so low:

1) Buy a home or rental property

2) Refinance your home

3) Buy a car

4) Give money away

5) Review investments

6) Lock in student loan rates

7) Pay off credit card debt

Click here to read the full article for information on each.

The best ways to eliminate debt

Dan Danford, CFP® and Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Family Investment Center, answers this week's episode of Money Made Easy.

A popular way to eliminate debt is through the "debt snowball," which suggests that you pay off your smallest debt first instead of focusing on paying off the one with the highest interest.

Danford espouses Dave Ramsey's motto of paying off the smallest debt first, then move on to the next smallest debt. He says this method combines the financial need to eliminate debt with the psychological need to find an easier way to do so.

Old rules no longer apply

In Tuesday's Globe and Mail, Roma Luciw discusses the old rules and new norms of personal finance, then answers questions about what has changed and why.

Click here to read the full article "Not your parents' personal finance rules."

Danford in SmartMoney

Anna Prior of SmartMoney Magazine interviews Dan Danford of Family Investment Center and other financial planners about proper portfolio mixes for investors in different life stages.

Click here to read the article, "Perfect Portfolios: Your Next Move in This Market."

Danford in the New York Times

Dan Danford, Founder/CEO of Family Investment Center, helped New York Times journalist Tara Siegel-Bernard with this important story about financial issues for 50+ workers. As we're helping several families with this exact problem right now, we thought it would be of interest to several readers.

Read the full article.

Financial fitness plan 2012

"Most couch potatoes will never compete in a triathlon. But they don't need to. Just a few minutes of exercise a day can help the formerly inert shed pounds, boost their energy levels and live longer. If you're already getting a little exercise, a little more can get you truly fit.

The same is true with money. You probably won't transform yourself from a train wreck into a billionaire. With some effort, though, you can pay down debt, build up savings and look forward to a more comfortable financial future."

- Liz Weston in her MSN Money article, "Get financially fit in 2012"

Weston lists five things you can do to help reduce debt, boost savings, and cut expenses:

1) Get your priorities straight.

2) Implement a plan to deal with your debt.

3) Review your expenses.

4) Create your survival plan.

5) Protect what you've got.

Read the full article to find out how.