We've all heard financial experts make claims that you should use percentages when trying to figure out how much to allocate for certain expenses. For example, they might say you need to give 10% of your income, save 10%, and spend 80%. While these rules of thumb are easy to remember, do they really work?

You may have recently seen my full review of Ready For Zero and thought it was a pretty cool way to track your debt and know how much you should pay to get to zero faster. The only downside about the free service was that you couldn't actually manage your loan accounts from the website. This month, Ready For Zero launched a PLUS version that allows you to securely link your bank accounts and pay from just one interface.

Parents often have to temper their kids’ enthusiasm for the latest, greatest hot new trend. After all, momentary must-haves like Beanie Babies, Chia Pets, and Pogs are usually quickly forgotten, leaving only a depleted bank account in their wake. Interestingly, the best way for parents to teach their children certain key financial lessons involves buying into the biggest trend in personal finance right now: the rise of prepaid cards. But don’t worry, prepaid cards aren’t a fleeting trend.