'Tis the Season...

It’s official!  The holiday season is in full swing and retailers everywhere are vying for your pocketbooks – eager to get a piece of that $466 billion in U.S. sales.  That’s not a typo.  The National Retail Federation has released its 2011 holiday forecast, and the retail trade association estimates that holiday sales will rise 2.8 percent this year to approximately $466 billion! 

Appealing to holiday shoppers’ senses [sight, sound and smell] retailers will pull out all the stops to lure holiday dollars.  And although it’s tempting, Your Money. Your Matters. cautions consumers to keep a tight rein on their wallets this holiday season so as to avoid over spending. 

For the remaining episodes in November, Your Money. Your Matters will focus its discussion on how to stick to a budget this holiday season. 

We will continue this discussion in December, and also address how consumers can put a plan in place to pay off this year's holiday debt, and better prepare for the next holiday season.

Tune in; share your thoughts; or gain helpful advice on how to eliminate debt, set a budget, live within your means, save for emergencies, and invest for the future.