Today’s Top Stories

The Required Minimum Distribution

By Abby Hayes

Photo: Tax Credits All tax-advantaged retirement accounts have rules for something known as the Required Minimum Distribution. Basically, these rules are in place to ensure that you take at least a minimal amount of money in withdrawals from your retirement accounts once you reach a certain age. For many people, the Required Minimum Distribution will [...]

Limited Time Offer: $50 Bonus on American Express Serve Prepaid Card

By Rob Berger

American Express is offering a limited time bonus on its Serve prepaid card. Until September 30, 2013, you can earn a $50 bonus for signing up for the card (it’s free) and setting up direct deposit (also free). To receive the $50 credit from Serve, you must: successfully sign up for a new Serve Account, [...]

Banking

College Student

6 Banking Options for College Students

By Rob Berger

Photo: CollegeDegrees360 If you held a part-time job in high school, you may have a bank account or even a credit card in your name. But if you didn’t work — maybe you just cashed those babysitting checks — you may not be used to dealing with more than just some money in your pocket. [...]

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Credit Cards

Think Like a Frequent Flyer to Get the Most from Your Credit Card

By Rob Berger

Simply having a travel rewards credit card doesn’t mean that you are maximizing the benefit. While most of you probably know that these credit cards accumulate frequent flier miles, there are many lesser-known perks that could help you get the most from your credit card. 1. Read the Fine Print for Any ‘Secret’ Travel Perks [...]

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Credit

The Best Way to Get Your Credit Score

By Jeffrey Trull

The undisputed best way to get your credit report comes from the only source that’s truly free: AnnualCreditReport.com. It’s easy and free because it’s guaranteed by law. Unfortunately for consumers, getting your credit score is not as easy as obtaining your free credit report. The world of credit scores is still a bit like the [...]

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Investing

Investing

Pros and Cons of Hiring an Investment Specialist

By Rob Berger

I‘ve been investing in the stock market for more than 20 years. During that time I’ve never hired an investment adviser to manage my portfolio. The primary reason is cost. A close second reason is that I enjoy investing. But if I’ve learned one thing from running this website it’s that how I handle my [...]

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Insurance

Photo: More Good Foundation

What Type of Life Insurance is Best?

By Rob Berger

Search around the web for the best type of life insurance, and you’ll find lots of financial advisers who say, without hesitation, that term life insurance is best. While I generally agree and have term life insurance myself, the right answer for each individual is not always that easy. The truth is that with life insurance, as [...]

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Real Estate

Using Retirement Savings to Buy a House

How to Use Retirement Savings to Buy a House

By Abby Hayes

Today’s low interest rates make buying a home incredibly tempting, especially if you’re being hit with annual increases in rent. But finding money for a down payment can be tough, especially if you don’t have much wiggle room in your budget. One option is to tap your retirement savings. This approach has plenty of pros [...]

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Welcome to the Dough Roller

Founded in 2007 by Robert Berger, the Dough Roller has become a popular personal finance blog read by millions each year. We bring you the best tips, resources and news to help you make the most of your money. Our content has been featured by the likes of MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, Business Insider, and U.S. News. The site's rich resources are organized into the following key topics: banking, credit, credit cards, insurance, investing, mortgages, personal finance, retirement, smart spending, and taxes. Don't hesitate to ask a question or offer a tip or connect with Rob on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.