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Money Matters

Personal Finance Basics

Adriene Hill Aug 1, 2013

This July, Marketplace Money got back to financial basics with four shows dedicated to core personal finance concepts like banking, investing, saving and credit.

If you’re in need of some basic training, or have specific questions, explore the episodes below.

Marketplace Money for Friday, July 12, 2013: Personal Finance 101
The next time you hold a dollar in your hand, consider this: money is just paper. It only has value because we all believe it does. But with that belief comes a whole lot of complications. In this episode, we examine our relationship with money, how it’s changed over time and what it might look like in the future.

Marketplace Money for Friday, July 19, 2013: Saving
Saving is probably the most simple concept in personal finance. There’s no algorithm. No elaborate jargon. Just take a portion of what you earn and put it aside. But that’s the finance part of it. The personal is where we run into trouble. In this show, we take a look at how we save, strategies for savings and more.

Marketplace Money for Friday, July 26, 2013:Investing
Bonds, stocks, diversification, index funds, active vs. passive. Investing is one of those financial topics that requires understanding a whole lot of terms. Then, you have to understand yourself. How much risk do you want to take? How much confidence do you have? What’s your time horizon? We go beyond the jargon and offer a guide to investing.

Marketplace Money for Friday, August 2, 2013: Credit and Debt
We wrap up our series  with a look at one of the most important money relationships you have. It takes maintenance, self-awareness, and self-control.  It’s your life with credit and debt.   How do you build or rebuild a credit history? How many cards should you have? And what’s the best card for you?  We get the lowdown on credit and debt. 

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