Ken & Daria's Your Money Matters

Ken and Daria's Your Money Matters Weekender

The Hidden Horrors of the Bailout Bill

The second time was the charm for the bailout bill, as President Bush signed the historic package into law today following a House vote. So everything is fixed now, right? Not so fast! Take a closer look and you'll see this "rescue" plan is nothing to crow about. The Senate managed to stick some truly outrageous provisions into the bill, and it all boils down to higher taxes for us! Discover what exactly your legislators tried to hide here.

1.	Dolans' Hall of Shame
2.	Protect Your Money Now
3.	5 Bank Secrets
4.	12 Ways to Save Every Day
5.	Don't Make This Costly Mistake!

Super Supermarket Savings!

Food prices are so bad we hate going to the grocery store anymore. Cereal is up 10 percent in the last year. Dairy products have jumped 9.2 percent, and vegetables are up 7.6 percent. To make things worse, the Agriculture Department recently said costs would continue to increase this year to a 20-year high. The answer? No, we don't want you to start fasting. Instead, save big bucks with our insider tips straight from a store manager. Check them out now.

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How Clean Is Your Credit Report? Mortgage rates have been like a yo-yo lately, and this week the 30-year rate hit its highest in a month. When looking to financing, one of your best weapons against high interest rates is a clean credit report. If yours is less than sparkling, don't be discouraged. Here are four steps to polish it up and keep it that way for years to come..

More Workers Losing Sight of the Finish Line The financial crisis is taking on a new victim: retirement. Many workers who thought (and hoped!) that they were nearing the finish line are now left wondering if their nest eggs will hold up as Wall Street and their investments are hit hard. If this is you, now is not the time to panic and fall prey to common myths that could further drain your savings. Stay smart and avoid these 5 pitfalls.

How FDIC Increases Benefit You

The government did get one thing right in the revised bailout plan, and that's the increase in FDIC limits. The amount of funds protected by this insurance was raised to $250,000 from $100,000. With banks continuing to struggle, FDIC coverage is crucial right now and it's important to understand how it works to protect your money. Take our crash course in FDIC 101.

Warning Signs Your Bank is in Trouble

Concern is growing over the health of many banks. Last week, we saw the biggest bank failure in history with Washington Mutual. This week, Wells Fargo bought Wachovia after it narrowly averted another massive failure. How do you know if your bank could be next? Watch for these 5 warning signs that could indicate trouble.

More Job Cuts Planned:
7 Steps to Lower Your Risk

The number of layoffs planned at U.S. companies jumped 33% in September over what it was one year ago. Unfortunately, we don't see the economy getting better anytime soon, so we all need to recession-proof our job. Here are our tips to hang on to your job in these tough times.