Carol Ann Carnese never considered herself an anxious person. Except when it came to wet wood.
Another index to keep an eye on in these economically turbulent times is the "anxiety index": It goes up when markets go down and people get upset and worried about their future.
Before the turbulent economy sends you running into the arms of a financial adviser, make sure you know all your options.
I'm going to come right out and cop to this -- I have been dumped more times than I can count. You'd think that after the 5,234th time, I'd be a tad more resilient, but nah. I have mourned certain dead relationships for longer than they went on in the first place and made an idiot of myself over men so patently unworthy, it's a wonder I haven't had my feminist card revoked.
Soldiers and families who deal with enough stress during 12-month deployment to Iraq say they're now keeping a little closer eye on their finances.
First came the health problems. Then, unable to work, Ada Noda watched the bills pile up. And then, suffocating in debt, the 80-year-old did something she never thought she'd be forced to do.
The great English writer E.M. Forster may have valued connection above all else, but for us 21st-century folks, disconnection is as necessary as connection for creating a healthy, happy life.
Investors who look at a brokerage or 401(k) account balance these days may well want to yank every last cent out of the markets. Unless they need that money soon, they ought to stifle that urge.
QUESTION: I just lost my job. What are the best options for preserving some form of health insurance?
Forget everything you've heard about frankness, sharing your feelings, getting him to express his. New research into the male mind makes it clear that discussion may be the fastest way to shut down communication. (Oh, you noticed that, have you?)
Carol Ann Carnese never considered herself an anxious person. Except when it came to wet wood.
Another index to keep an eye on in these economically turbulent times is the "anxiety index": It goes up when markets go down and people get upset and worried about their future.
Before the turbulent economy sends you running into the arms of a financial adviser, make sure you know all your options.
I'm going to come right out and cop to this -- I have been dumped more times than I can count. You'd think that after the 5,234th time, I'd be a tad more resilient, but nah. I have mourned certain dead relationships for longer than they went on in the first place and made an idiot of myself over men so patently unworthy, it's a wonder I haven't had my feminist card revoked.
Soldiers and families who deal with enough stress during 12-month deployment to Iraq say they're now keeping a little closer eye on their finances.
First came the health problems. Then, unable to work, Ada Noda watched the bills pile up. And then, suffocating in debt, the 80-year-old did something she never thought she'd be forced to do.
The great English writer E.M. Forster may have valued connection above all else, but for us 21st-century folks, disconnection is as necessary as connection for creating a healthy, happy life.
Investors who look at a brokerage or 401(k) account balance these days may well want to yank every last cent out of the markets. Unless they need that money soon, they ought to stifle that urge.
QUESTION: I just lost my job. What are the best options for preserving some form of health insurance?
Forget everything you've heard about frankness, sharing your feelings, getting him to express his. New research into the male mind makes it clear that discussion may be the fastest way to shut down communication. (Oh, you noticed that, have you?)
As an account manager for credit card giant MBNA, Cate Colombo spent four years speaking to customers, answering questions about interest rates and waiving late fees.
Have you ever just not been in the mood to go out on yet another first date, but force yourself to do it anyway? You talk yourself into it, reasoning, "What if he's the one and instead of meeting him, I stayed home to eat cereal out of the box and watch 'Gossip Girl?'"
Here are the answers to some of the biggest relationship dilemmas.
Lost your job? Turned white laundry pink? The right initial response can make all the difference in these 14 surprising situations.
During an evening out at a San Francisco bar some years ago, Matt Colling and a friend ended up buying drinks all around. But when it came time to pay the $100 tab, Colling was on his own.
In addition to changing leaves, for many of us, fall means we're handed a packet of materials and asked to ponder our medical benefits as part of open enrollment season.
Congressional leaders met with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday to work on a new bailout plan to stem the ongoing financial crisis.
Central banks around the world are pumping billions of dollars into money markets in a coordinated bid to calm global financial upheaval.
Everybody has a "type." Personally, I like a man with a big schnozz -- bonus points if he's got a collection of acne scars a lá Tommy Lee Jones.
The Federal Reserve Board announced an $85 billion plan Tuesday to bail out troubled insurance giant American International Group Inc.
After her divorce three years ago, Lori Hilliard was filled with rage, pain and sadness -- until a few simple words from Mister Rogers put things into perspective.
Willa Shalit has been put on this earth, I think, to allow the rest of us to pretend that our most grasping, selfish impulses are actually noble.
After her divorce three years ago, Lori Hilliard was filled with rage, pain and sadness -- until a few simple words from Mister Rogers put things into perspective.
It was the day before Christmas, and I was reading "Newsweek's" cover story on diet and fertility when I stood up, ripped the roof off a gingerbread house, and ate it, like Godzilla.
Slack-jawed and seething, Patti Davis couldn't believe what her boyfriend was showing her: video footage of a naked romp the two had enjoyed the previous winter, taken by a hidden camera he had used to tape them without her consent.
Despite what that old chestnut love story will have you believe, love doesn't mean never having to say you're sorry.
QUESTION: How will recent declines in the price of oil affect how much I pay for everyday products?
It took a little time, but my daughter and I have finally got our Sunday mornings down to a system. Just as the light starts inching through our blinds and the pigeons start making those peculiar pigeony noises and the hungover 22-year-olds start cursing whoever invented the Jell-O shot, Julia wakes me with words that come in a rush from her heart: "Did you buy me anything?" And "Are you going to buy me anything?" And my personal favorite: "Would you like a list of things you could buy me?"
Although he wasn't the neighborhood Lothario, and he didn't have a significant other, Jason Eskridge opted to have a vasectomy when he was 27.
Real Simple is taking on readers' top-six financial concerns and, with step-by-step plans, cutting them down to size.
When Barrie Worflar of Bloomfield, New Jersey, was unexpectedly laid off in April 2007 from his job as assistant branch manager of a bank, he found work as a representative in a benefits call center. He also took a $10,000 pay cut.
With fuel prices taking a bigger bite out of budgets, and no sign of an imminent price decline, you may be considering an offer for a gasoline rewards card.
When her colleague at a Cleveland construction company fixed up Bethany Billi, the guy she was about to date seemed like a winner - on paper.
Back when our moms were on the market, they could tell right off the bat if the foxy soda jerk was unavailable because back then married men never went anywhere without their rings.
Hanging back, dropping hints, and generally mousing around gets you nowhere and drives other people nuts. Here's what you should do instead.
Hanging back, dropping hints, and generally mousing around gets you nowhere and drives other people nuts. Here's what you should do instead.
By 6:30 p.m. every stool at the bar is taken. It's a Thursday night at the White Horse Tavern, a well-worn watering hole in the shadows of lower Manhattan's financial district, and the regulars have found a refuge.
On an overcast spring morning in southeast Georgia, Sonny Graham drank some coffee and headed out the door for another day in the family landscaping business and to take his 9-year-old stepson to the dentist. But Graham made a detour to the backyard shed that he'd built.
Ricky Murray was having a miserable year long before a storm named Gustav started threatening the Gulf Coast area. Now he's afraid he will lose his family because of a previous hurricane.
While his friends spend their money on video games and candy, Nicholas Sella saves most of his $8 weekly allowance, investing part in stocks and stashing the rest into a savings account.
As I'm sure you're well aware, there are many good reasons to have sex. In fact, sometimes you don't need any reason at all -- other than, say, loving your partner.
While she was studying in Brazil during college, the one thing Stephanie Gerson longed to do before leaving was spend time in the thick of the Amazon rain forest. Unfortunately, she couldn't find a tour that would take her past the forest's edge.
Many people dream of winning the lottery or striking it rich, but in reality, 70 percent of people who become instantly wealthy squander their money away within a few years.
Bob Johnson was close to his aunt growing up. But when she learned he was gay, she began making hurtful comments; eventually, they drifted apart. Then Johnson, 43, was diagnosed with colon cancer. Relatives flocked to his side -- except for his aunt.
Most Americans have auto insurance, health insurance, dental insurance, homeowners or renters insurance, life insurance, maybe disability insurance.
When your relationship is full of drama created by his mama, the road to romance can feel like a traffic jam -- with her in the driver's seat.
When Stephen Leach gave up his Rockaway, New Jersey, condo at age 48 to move back in with Mom and Dad, it was out of need -- his parents', not his.
The abandoned ashes are stacked floor to ceiling in the basement of the Graham, Putnam and Mahoney Funeral Parlors, tucked neatly on wooden shelves and tables and in an unused dumbwaiter.
We all see them and swear we're not one of those so-called "helicopter parents" who hover over their kids, micromanaging every aspect of their lives.
I had the flu. But not just any flu. No, this was the kind of bug that forces a normally rational human being to dial information and beg the operator for Jack Kevorkian's home phone number.
The cost remains high, and a good lawyer is essential. Yet despite complications, the idea of becoming a biological dad with help from a surrogate mother is gaining allure among gay men as the status of "married with children" grows ever more possible.
After weathering a troublesome roommate situation for a year, Dave Sotelo, 26, was ready to move out. His girlfriend, Ngoc Nguyen, had the perfect solution: moving in together.
Just as Americans grow more reliant on credit cards to help pay monthly bills, they're being hit with a one-two punch: Card companies are reducing borrowing limits for tens of thousands of consumers, which then can lead to lower credit scores.
A young man I know, still in love with his girlfriend, tried to go along with her plea to remain friends after she told him that she wanted the freedom to see other men.
Color me cynical ladies, but let's face it -- no matter how great your relationship might be going at the moment, chances are it's going to end. And while breaking up is never pleasant, why make the inevitable anymore painful than it has to be?
Last year you were feared. Teachers whispered behind your back. Several times you stomped out, threatening to go to the school board. The principal ignored more of your calls than she picked up. You were "that parent."
Elizabeth Blackney says her heart goes out to Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards, because she's been there, too.
Raise your hand if you remember that 1970s anthem "I Am Woman."
"I'm having 'em, so I wanna raise 'em." That's the philosophy that led Jenna Kagan to stop working when her daughter was born nine years ago. Two sons soon followed, and their mother remains firm in her belief that staying home with them is best.
When it comes to the natural highs, Gracienne Myers says sex just doesn't cut it. Shoes, on the other hand, get her heart racing.
Remember back when the mere mention of his name would give you a white-hot jolt to the heart? The sound of his voice was like an exquisite punch to the gut? His hand brushed against yours, and you'd get a warm swelling in the heart region?
Much has been made of the whole "what do women want/what do men want" thing. I think it's actually pretty simple: Women want men to know what women want. And men want women not to want anything.
As fruit and vegetable prices soar, you can save money by taking some extra time in the produce aisle to make sure bad apples aren't sneaking into your grocery cart.
One portion of macaroni and cheese. One slice of chocolate cake. One pair of svelte black pants. Do some very simple, if highly emotional, addition and subtraction, and you arrive at a whole new way to see yourself.
One of my girlfriends recently got engaged. Before we could even bask in her happiness, the conversation turned to the dreaded guest list.
QUESTION. I've heard there are insurance policies that I can buy for my new engagement ring, digital camera or golf clubs that may not be covered by other insurance I hold. When is it a good idea to get one of these policies?
After watching the price of her favorite bread rising too quickly, Michele Shores decided it was time for a fresh approach.
You can hardly turn on the TV or surf the Web these days without reading about some celebrity or politician canoodling with some other person who's married to still another person altogether.
For years after their 1988 divorce, Denise Patrick, 48, and her ex-husband had a great relationship. They sat together at their kids' sporting events, hung out on weekends and attended each other's parties.
When Cappie and Don Perras saw their stock market investments tank this year, they decided to tighten their belts. They drive fuel efficient cars around their Connecticut town and eat at cheaper restaurants if they eat out at all. To avoid impulse buying, they avoid the mall. And for now, at least, they've put away the credit cards.
If you're a parent in the midst of a divorce -- or even if you have been divorced for years --we have an urgent message for you: If you talk to your children about divorce the wrong way, they could internalize their pain and blame themselves for the divorce.
When Cory Watson, a 23-year-old pharmacy technician from Paradise, California, noticed that a tax refund had been deposited into the joint checking account he maintains with his wife, he did two things. First, he headed to the mall where he quickly spent the $100 on new DVDs. Second, he kept his mouth shut.
Donna and David Sloat love to travel. When they got a postcard that claimed they could get 50 percent off the price of cruises and 75 percent off condo vacations, they were intrigued.
These days, not many people are smiling when they see their 401(k) statements. But they'd be downright outraged if they saw the fees that are automatically deducted from their returns. The Labor Department is proposing a rule that would require employers to disclose to workers the fees and expenses charged by mutual funds and other investments in a chart or similar format.
It slams into you like a kick in the head. You're browsing through some snapshots, you see a shot of some old lady's hands, then suddenly -- wham! --you realize those hands are yours.
Pamela Rainey Lawler and Denis Lawler of Philadelphia have handled the travails of being married 38 years without seeing eye to eye on a lot of things. The upcoming presidential election is no different. Pamela, a 58-year-old self-described "left-left" Democrat, will be voting for Barack Obama. Denis, a 60-year-old longtime Republican, plans to vote for John McCain.
Time can be on your side -- if you re-shape your schedule. With the help of a dozen psychologists, researchers, and coaches, we came up with a three-part plan to reseize the day.
Lord knows that there are a lot of wacky people running out there, and for some annoying reason women get slammed (unfairly, if you ask me) with the crazy card more often than men.
As the mother of a toddler, Stephanie Delger has learned how to pick her battles.
Gas stations across the country are increasingly offering discounts for fuel purchases made with cash as high oil prices eat into their profits.
QUESTION: When I use my debit card to buy gas at the pump, I've noticed that a hold gets put on funds in my account for a few days -- sometimes for more than what I purchased. What gives? Is there any way to avoid this?
If someone brutally murdered someone you love, would you have the courage to confront them? Would you even want to? For some victims of violent crimes, these meetings are vital to the healing process.
After a long stint of online dating, Gemma Halliday had finally found the needle in the haystack she'd been looking for: an attractive, gainfully employed guy with "nothing weird or scary about him" -- or so she thought.
What's it like to be a 30-something woman in America today? From religious choices to parental pressures, a successful single woman in Washington, D.C. and a devoted mother of four open up.
Individual U.S. investors aren't happy with the current bear market, but they're not panicking, and most are sticking with their investment strategies, according to a sampling of financial planners across the country.
Since ancient times, humans have created personal care products with very strange ingredients, like crocodile excrement and arsenic.
Locking lips. Making out. Smooching. Kissing. It sounds so pleasant and easy, yet do a little research and you'll soon discover that while everyone may be doing it, few are doing it well.
When it comes to women, says Mark Tardif, 44, sometimes it's hard to tell what they're thinking. Last year, the college administrator from Waterville, Maine, met an attractive woman at a conference and was having a great conversation over a glass of wine.
Americans are raiding their already fragile retirement piggy banks to weather financial hardships such as unemployment, medical emergencies and buying a home.
The whispers and pointing started as soon as Sara Price reached her assigned table at her friend's wedding reception in Houston last January. Did she have raccoon eyes from crying during the ceremony? Mismatched shoes? A giant stain on her blouse?
Every gym has its share of grunters, groaners, heavy sweaters and hygiene queens. And then there are the aerobics assailants.
The unholy trinity of Photoshop, spell check and the Internet mean that even the most illiterate, personality-deficient, hideous troll can land a first date, much to a lady's disappointment.
Mortgage crisis. Failing economy. Debt. The buzz words that have been circulating lately are more than just an issue for the upcoming election -- they can also affect your personal pocketbook. So what should you do with your money in this kind of market?
You could fill entire football stadiums with all the things that I don't know. I don't know how to make paella. I don't know how to do algebra or iron pleats or ski. I don't know how to sing on key, accept a compliment, interact at a party consisting of more than eight people or kill a lobster ... which brings us back to my paella issues.
Teenagers and preteens endure significant levels of different types of abuse in dating relationships -- particularly among those who become sexually active at a young age -- and most parents are unaware of what is going on in those relationships, a survey released Tuesday said.
A chance remark. An offhand cruelty. A well-intended suggestion that went wrong. If you think what parents say about their children's appearances doesn't leave a mark, think again. Four attractive, engaging, intelligent, vibrant women remember the worst (and the best) of it.
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