Is it time to take the money out from under the mattress?
The market rollercoaster ride has caused many Americans to pull their money out of the market. While the money has not necessarily gone under the mattress or in the coffee can, billions of dollars are sitting on the sidelines or in money market funds that offer little to no yield. Thrivent Financial offers advice about what financial products might be worth checking out now.

What You Should Know When Shopping for a Water Heater
How often do you think about your water heater? You use it every day, usually multiple times a day. When was the last time you thought about how much energy it consumes or how well it's doing its job? Choosing the right water heater for your home and regularly maintaining it can help reduce your energy bills. What's more, you can actually get a tax break for choosing an energy-efficient water heater.

More students taking advantage of online education
As computers evolved from occupying a huge air-conditioned room to being so small they fit into the palm of your hand, how you use them has too. One of the largest growing fields for online usage is education. More than 3.9 million college students took at least one online course in the fall of 2007.

Protecting your rebuilt nest egg: ID theft basics for boomers
If you're a baby boomer, you may be in better financial shape than people in other generations. But you might also feel greater pressure to preserve the wealth you've retained and protect your ability to continue saving for retirement. Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing threats to the financial health of Americans.

How to Keep Allergies from Ruining the Fun at Playdates
Playdates help youngsters learn socialization and cooperation skills, they're fun for kids and give mothers a chance to mingle and share advice. But what do you do if your child has allergies, or you're hosting a playdate with a young allergy sufferer as a guest? Here's some practical advice for keeping allergies from spoiling the fun.

Ways to go natural, healthier this cleaning season
A clean home is a healthy home, right? Not necessarily. As you gear up for the cleaning season, pause to consider the impact chemical-based cleaners and other products can have on your health, your family's health and your environment.

Dress for success and comfort at work
Wondering what to wear at the office as the temperature climbs this summer? Fashion experts at The Art Institutes have some words to live by when dressing for success at your workplace.

American Hardwoods: Nature's 'Greenest' Choice
When it comes to "greening" a new or existing home, many consumers simply do not have the facts about American hardwood as an environmentally-friendly building material choice. Wood misconceptions abound. Here are the answers to your most common concerns.

Five Recession Solutions for Your 401(k)
Do you cringe every time you open your 401(k) statement? If you're feeling the temptation of pulling your money, you're not alone. But before you do so, you need to think strategically. Here are some must-know tips.

Organize Debt Consolidation Quickly and Easily
The downturn in the economy has been a wake-up call to many debt-heavy consumers. More than ever before Americans are examining their options for paying off debt faster, or lowering sky-high rates.

Top 5 Ways to Save Water at Home
Less than 3 percent of the Earth's water is fresh water and much of that is inaccessible to people. Additionally, at least 36 states anticipate experiencing water shortages by 2013, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So, if you could easily save water and save money at the same time, why wouldn't you?

Out of Work? Tips for 'Chance Entrepreneurs' Starting their own Business
If you've been sending lots of resumes and getting the runaround, you're not alone. According to the U.S. Labor Department, unemployment is the highest level in 25 years.

Spending on your home can save in the long run
Now that warmer weather is here, people are gearing up to make some repairs and updates to their homes. From new roofs and siding to adding state-of-art kitchen and other household appliances, people have more options than ever when it comes to making purchases that can help them save money and the environment.

Easy ways to protect your landscape from deer
When Bambi invites all his friends to dinner, make sure it's not in your yard. If you don't protect your landscaping, Bambi and his friends will be crunching tulips like candy and popping peas right off the vine. Here's what you can do at your home.

On foot and online, step up for Parkinson's Disease
Every April people living with Parkinson's disease, along with their families and friends, gather in New York City's Central Park to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's disease research.

Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse by Teens: Recognize and React
Every day, millions of Americans appropriately use prescription medicines to improve their health. But what happens when a teenager or child misuses these products? How can parents recognize and respond to the signs of potential prescription drug abuse?