As the U.S. economy slows, more and more Americans are cutting back on spending to in order to save money, according to a recent nationwide survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.Twenty-five percent of respondents in the survey of 1,026 adults said they were spending wisely or not spending as much as a means of saving money.

As employers look for more ways to help their employees save for retirement, Charles Schwab has released new data showing an increase in the number of plan sponsors making the Roth 401k available to employees. As of December 31, 2007, 35 percent of Schwab-administered retirement plans were offering the Roth 401k, a significant increase from 26 percent at the end of 2006. This number is also well above the industry average of around 22 percent, according to a Profit Sharing/401k Council of America 2007 Roth 401k survey.

While half of Americans don't think it's possible for a middle income family to retire, the gap between men and women's sentiments on the subject continues to widen, according to a new survey by Country Financial.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed civil fraud charges against two promoters who illegally made millions selling a get-rich-quick stock trading system they touted on TV and at investor workshops at hotels in dozens of cities nationwide.The Commission's complaint alleges that Linda Woolf and David Gengler, both of Utah, duped seniors and others who had attended free introductory seminars into believing they would make extraordinary stock market profits if they bought expensive "Teach Me to Trade" (TMTT) classes, mentoring, and computer software.In order to con victims into p

Throw conventional wisdom and industry fault lines out the window. Financial services firms, insurers, and healthcare payers admit they will need to add new capabilities as they prepare to serve baby boomers, who will control some $40 trillion in retirement assets by 2020.Boomers, who make up the wealthiest generation in history, face tremendous uncertainties about how they will fund their retirement, and how wealthy they will be during those years.

A national survey conducted earlier this month found that about half of all U.S. households report adequate savings progress. Only 53 percent say that they save at least 5 percent of their income, while only 57 percent of those not retired say they are saving enough for a retirement with a "desirable standard of living." The survey was released Monday at a press conference during the second annual America Saves Week, in which more than 80 major governmental, non-profit, and industry organizations are participating.

Last week we learned about setting up goals for your budget. This week we begin with a discussion about how to calculate the cost of your goals, and then we get busy creating the actual budget.Calculate the Annual Cost of Each Goal

You like the same movies and you finish each other's sentences, but where do you and your significant other stand on important financial issues?

Amid daily headlines of a worsening housing crisis, debt-burdened homeowners are looking to two pieces of congressional action that could ease the pain.Monday's headlines stated that new home sales fell by 26 percent last year, which is the biggest drop since 1963, the U.S. Department of Commerce says. And last week's headlines said sales of previously owned single-family homes took a dive - the biggest annual drop in 25 years.