Janet Bodnar
Janet Bodnar is editor-at-large of Kiplinger's Personal Finance, a position she assumed after retiring as editor of the magazine after eight years at the helm. She is a nationally recognized expert on the subjects of women and money, children's and family finances, and financial literacy. She is the author of two books, Money Smart Women and Raising Money Smart Kids. As editor-at-large, she writes two popular columns for Kiplinger, "Money Smart Women" and "Living in Retirement." Bodnar is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and is a member of its Board of Trustees. She received her master's degree from Columbia University, where she was also a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Business and Economics Journalism.
Latest articles by Janet Bodnar
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5 Sources of Financial Friction for Couples
credit & debt Follow these techniques to identify money conflicts and ease tensions.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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Should You Pay Kids to Shovel Snow?
savings Whether (and how much) you compensate neighborhood kids for their help depends on the circumstances.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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7 Financial Tips From Money-Smart Young Women
credit & debt Janet Bodnar asks twentysomethings to share what financial advice has been most helpful to them.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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RIP for Retirement?
retirement More retirees today get income from 401(k)s than they ever did from traditional pensions.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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Why I Don't Like Prepaid Cards for Kids
credit & debt The Kardashian Kard aimed at teens was quickly pulled off the market because of its high fees. Other prepaid cards aren't a good idea, either.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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Elizabeth Warren Explains What We Can Expect from the New Consumer Agency
Politics The Harvard law professor, who is coordinating the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, sets her sights on simplified forms for credit cards and mortgages.
By Janet Bodnar Published
Politics -
Putting Santa on a Budget
Smart Buying Here are five ways to keep holiday spending on your kids under control.
By Janet Bodnar Published
Smart Buying -
The College Debt Trap
Paying for College You can’t expect 18-year-olds to understand what they’re getting into by taking out loans.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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The Top 10 Ways to Save Money
savings Janet Bodnar shares her most practical and effective strategies for spending less and keeping more cash in your pocket.
By Janet Bodnar Published
savings -
Sensible Tactics to Reduce Student Debt
credit & debt My column listing seven strategies to avoid the student-debt trap generated some lively and thoughtful questions and comments. Jessie from California notes that once her child goes to college, she plans to use the $1,000 a month she’s now paying for after-school care to pay for a “great public college” in her state.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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What Ails the Economy
Markets With confidence and certainty running low, we're suffering from a huge deficiency of vitamin C.
By Janet Bodnar Published
Markets -
7 Strategies to Avoid the Student-Debt Trap
Paying for College There are ways to pay for college without relying too heavily on loans.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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Minding Your Money
investing Going one-on-one with managers and advisers helps us evaluate their investing strategies.
By Janet Bodnar Published
investing -
5 Financial Lessons for College Students
college Follow these tips so your kids will score well when it comes to managing money while away at school.
By Janet Bodnar Published
college -
Born to Spend
credit & debt Will Americans' conversion to thrift stick? My gut tells me no.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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The 8% Solution
Markets What rate of return should investors expect these days?
By Janet Bodnar Published
Markets -
Job-Hunting Tips for New Grads
business Parents should share this advice with their children so they can land in good places with bright prospects.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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7 Ways Moms Can Boost Their Financial Security
savings This Mother’s Day, focus on your financial future -- and that of your children.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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Our Money Survey Reveals What Matters
Investor Psychology We asked what's on your mind. Here's what we learned -- and how you can join our survey.
By Janet Bodnar Published
Investor Psychology -
How to Get Kids Motivated About Money Management
savings Parents can learn a few lessons about teaching their children financial literacy from these school programs.
By Janet Bodnar Published
savings -
How We Built Our Collection of Quick & Easy Financial Fixes
credit & debt We guarantee that readers can swiftly execute and benefit from our 38 recipes for financial success, because we’ve already done so ourselves.
By Janet Bodnar Published
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How to Teach Money Management to Kids
savings You can follow this teacher's example to help boost your child's financial IQ.
By Janet Bodnar Published
savings -
Don't Fall for the Kwedit Trap
savings This site claims to offer kids a safe environment to build money skills -- but it really just makes it easy for them to spend money.
By Janet Bodnar Published
savings -
Step Up to the Plate and Manage Your Own Money
Budgeting No one is a more reliable steward of your money than you are.
By Janet Bodnar Published
Budgeting