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If you've been thinking of consolidating debt or renovating your kitchen, this may be the time to act while interest rates still are low. Tapping the equity in your home can be an inexpensive way to access money. There are three basic ways to do this: Take out a home-equity loan, set up a revolving line of credit, or refinance your first mortgage and take out some extra equity. SmartMoney.com lists the pros and cons of each method.
Summertime is vacation time for many people, but as prices rise with demand, finding a good deal can be tricky. SmarterLiving.com lists five top bargain destinations for this summer, including Hawaii, which likely will have lower prices and smaller crowds than during the popular winter tourist season.
Are you ready to make a career change? People who do so effectively are aware of the personal and professional risks, the financial necessitates and the time they'll need to dedicate to a new field of work. Kiplinger.com has a 20-question quiz that can help you determine if you're ready to make a change and what your next steps should be.
American farmers will cultivate almost 100-million acres of genetically modified crops this year, and there's a ready market for the corn, soybeans and other crops, Wired reports. This kind of food can fight disease better and has longer shelf life, Wired says.
Strong demand for contemporary art from a new generation of collectors is driving up prices, Barron's reports. Some members of the art world expect prices to continue to rise, particularly for photographs and drawings.
Go ahead and gripe - it's good for morale. Harvard Business Review says complaining about the job or the company is especially good, even when nothing is done about it. The publication says, "These small rituals of negativity draw people together" and help strengthen social bonds.
- Compiled from Times wires and Web sites