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Stick to your money goals...or pay up

This month, I'm highlighting a few extra tips that got cut out of a column in the January/February issue of MONEY on "Making Resolutions Stick."

You've got some great financial plans for 2011, but if you're feeling a little energy dip about now, don't fret.

Money goals often fall prey to inaction, experts say, because they typically require time-consuming research or complex steps. (Think of what goes into choosing a 529 plan, MORE

Plan for your financial New Year's resolutions to fail. In a good way.

This month, I'm highlighting a few good tips that got cut out of a column in the January/February issue of MONEY on "Making Resolutions Stick." Here's one idea:

The New Year is a little more than a week old — how are those resolutions coming?

If you're like many people — 25%, according to one study — your vows to start fresh and do better will turn to dust within the first MORE

Reuse, recycle...and regift?

You're down to the wire, and your wallet is aching from holiday outlays, when — oops! — you remember you still haven't gotten anything for your kids' heroic soccer coach, or the girl down the block who babysits for you.

But hey! You just got some very attractive coasters at the office Santa Swap. Plus an unexpected bottle of bubbly from a pal. And a V-neck sweater from Mom in a MORE

Does female breadwinner equal 'sugar mamma'?

For years now, the number of women who are the primary or sole earners in their household has been on the rise. About a third of married women, according to Census data, are the breadwinners.

But is this trend — which has been accelerated by the recession — something to celebrate?

Have wives replaced husbands as breadwinner? Tell MONEY about it.

For a forthcoming story in MONEY, the magazine is seeking to interview families in which the wife has become the primary or sole breadwinner in the last year or so. The reasons for the change might include the husband's job loss, the wife's raise or promotion, or some other set of circumstances.

We'd like to find families soon, so if you think you'd like to participate, please email your name and MORE

Sugar-coated financial advice for women leaves bitter taste

Do women really require female-targeted money books with chick-lit titles, cute covers and hipster language ?

That's the debate sparked by an essay published on Slate last week about the rise of sugar-coated personal finance books for women.

Many people — not just those of us who write about women's financial issues — have been baffled by the popularity of books such as  Hot (broke) Messes and Does This Make My Assets Look MORE

Senate to vote on equal-pay measure for women

It has been nearly half a century since Congress passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963. But that pesky pay gap between men and women persists — and now there's actually something you can do about it.

Financial advice needs his-and-hers models

What do women want...from a financial adviser? A new study indicates that, as in so many other aspects of life, it's quite different from what men are looking for.

And as I wrote in the November issue of MONEY, that's probably a good thing: Women's financial needs are very different from men's, given that they typically earn less and save less than men do, but have to plan for a much MORE

Fight private-college tuition inflation

Let's say you're among the 76% of parents recently surveyed by Gallup/Sallie Mae who don't plan to tap your retirement savings to pay for college. The rising cost of tuition is still a big concern, especially if you're considering a private institution.

In that case, you might want to take a fresh look at the recently renamed Private College 529 Plan, which lets parents pre-pay the tuition at more than 270 MORE

Six-figure women on the rise...So?

The number of working women earning six-figure salaries is climbing at an impressive rate. But once you get out of that rarefied atmosphere, women, whether in the workforce or retired from it, still have a lot of catching up to do.

Find your missing money — cheaply and easily

It has a whiff of buried treasure about it: Somewhere out there are billions of dollars in unclaimed funds just waiting to be unearthed. And part of that money might be yours.

State treasuries and other agencies are holding some $32.8 billion in unclaimed assets, including bank accounts, pensions, savings bonds, CDs, escrow accounts, insurance checks, 401(k) funds and more.

Tell the billionaires where to give

As you've probably heard, billions of dollars will be flowing into charitable organizations worldwide in the coming years, thanks to the Giving Pledge, a project spearheaded by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates.

Thus far, about 40 U.S. billionaires have agreed to give away at least 50% of their wealth, according to the Giving Pledge. And while the Giving Pledge hasn't released a tally, Forbes.com estimates that America's wealthiest will give away MORE

Scam alert! Investment cons to watch out for now

You'd never fall for an email hawking shares in a diamond mine in Nigeria, but what if your own trusted broker tried to sell you a stake in a vodka enterprise in Moscow?

You might not be so suspicious. These so-called "off the book deals" — offered by an adviser you consider reliable, in an off-the-record kind of way — are among this year's top investor traps, according to the National American MORE