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Going to the Super Bowl costs about as much as a nice vacation. If you've ever wondered exactly how much it costs, we've got the answer, plus some tips to help you get there a little cheaper. In my family, half of us are Patriots fans (myself included) and the other half are Jaguar fans - so last weekend's playoff game was an intense one! Unfortunately, all of us will be watching the Super Bowl from our couches with chili and beer in hand rather than with the thousands of fans in the stadium. It's easy to understand why, since the Super Bowl is very expensive. But, is there a way to get there cheaper? The answer is yes - but cheaper still doesn't mean cheap. Here's the true cost going to the Super Bowl. Cost of the tickets Be warned, some Super Bowl tickets cost the same as a brand new car or a pretty nice vacation package. This varies year after year, however. This year's prices actually dropped 25 percent after the Vikings lost to the Eagles. Current...

100 percent stocks can be a risky investment strategy - unless you're young and can handle the ups and down of the market for a decade or two. Does that sound like insanity? Or even irritational exuberance? It certainly hits at both. But based on the numbers, investing 100 percent in stocks until your 40 really can be the best investment strategy for young people. The long-term trend is clear that stocks rise over the decades, even if they have a few bad years along the way. If you're under 40, you have enough time to capitalize on the long-term uptrend, as well as to ride out the inevitable declines along the way. Capitalizing on the long-term trend Between 1928 and 2016 the S&P 500 had an average return of right around 10 percent. Few asset classes of any kind have come that close for so long. Meanwhile, the 88-year time frame covers a healthy human life span. In even given decade, stocks can and do crash. If you have no more than a decade to plan for, you certainly...

Traveling abroad is an exciting experience, but knowing how to handle your finances when you're over there is important for a smooth trip. Here are 5 tips for traveling abroad. Are you planning an international trip? You might think it'll be easy to pay for everything with your credit or debit card - after all, we live in the age of convenience. But paying with plastic isn't always the best choice when it comes to convenience and safety. Not to mention what it could cost you in fees. Read these five tips before you get to the airport and you'll be rewarded with a cheaper, easier travel experience. 1. Get a credit card with no foreign transaction fee You've probably thought about getting an international roaming plan for your cell phone, but have you considered whether your credit cards are optimized for overseas use? Credit cards have different features, perks, and fees. You may already have a couple cards in your wallet, they may not be the best ones fo...

Your credit stays yours, even after you get married. But, your credit score still affects your partner, especially if you want to apply for a mortgage. Here's everything you need to know about couples' credit. My husband and I run our finances like a well-oiled machine. We know our roles, share our goals, and both have credit scores over 800. We're looking to buy our first home in 2018, and things couldn't be better. But it wasn't always this way. When we got engaged and decided to combine our finances, I came across something shocking -- my finance had no credit score. He didn't just have a low score, but literally had no credit history to speak of. He had spent his entire adult life paying for everything with cash or a debit card, and had never taken out any kind of a loan or applied for a credit card. I explained to him that credit score factor into more than just whether or not you're approved for a loan. A poor credit score can affect your j...

As usual, there are retirement plan changes in 2018. Income limits and deductibles have gone up - benefiting most. Here's all the changes you need to be aware of. The beginning of a new year is once again ushering in changes to IRS retirement plan regulations. It's mostly good news, since the changes are predominantly in taxpayers' favor. Here's a rundown of the changes that will apply for 2018. 401(k), 403(b), and most 457 Plans, and the Federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) The annual contribution for employer-sponsored plans is increasing from $18,000  in 2017, to $18,500 in 2018. The catch-up provision for taxpayers 50 and older remains unchanged at $6,000. The total maximum contribution by older taxpayers effectively increases the $24,500. Changes with IRA plans The basic contribution of $5,500 is not changing, nor is the catch-up provision of $1,000 for taxpayers over 50 and older ($6,500 combined maximum). Contributions to a SIMPLE IRA also remain unchanged, at...

Fuel costs have been fluctuating recently -- if you're looking to save money at the pump, check out our picks for the best gas rewards credit cards. At some point we've all complained about the price of gas. And I can't tell you how many times I've heard my grandparents and even my parents talk about how upset they were when the price of gas went up over a dollar - how times have changed. While I don't have the answer to how to get older generations to stop boring you with stories about how much cheaper things used to be, I can share a simple way to save at the gas pump: consider a cash rewards credit card that offers cash back at gas stations. Best Gas Credit Cards Discover it Chrome Like all Discover cards, you get one percent cash back on all purchases with this card. That gets bumped up to two percent at gas stations and restaurants up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. At the end of your first year as an account holder, Discover will matc...

Cashback and rewards apps are the new rewards cards, which were the new coupons. These apps are changing the way consumers shop and save. Here are our top 10 favorites. As kids, many of us saw our parents clipping coupons and taking advantage of sales to help save money. Even if your parents weren't expressly focused on saving at the grocery store, their financial decisions would have helped your family thrive through the thick and thin. Today, clipping coupons is not realistic. It's time-consuming, and one could also argue that coupons are a waste of paper. In most cases, flyers and coupon books barely make it through the door before being thrown into the trash or recycle bin. If ten years ago, we were obsessed with rewards cards like Air Miles, today, we see those rewards shift to the smartphone and mobile platform. Cashback and rewards apps are the new rewards cards, which were the new coupons. These apps are changing the way consumers shop and save. Why you shoul...