Allison Robertson articles

Paying off a mortgage early can save interest, but a prepayment penalty, taxes and lost liquidity may change the real financial outcome.

Your employer deducts uniform costs from every paycheck. Here's when those charges can violate wage laws and how much they may cost you.

Remember when pizza parlors offered live music, movies and family dinners for a few dollars? Revisit 25 things diners still miss.

Remember paper crowns, puppets and punch-out toys? Revisit 25 free things fast-food restaurants gave children during the 1970s.

Remember smoked-oyster pizza and Cavatini? Revisit 30 unusual 1970s pizza-menu items that largely disappeared from American restaurants.

Your neighbor says a third yard sale requires a permit. Here's why the real rule depends entirely on where you live in the United States.

A neighbor's screaming Halloween witch could violate local noise laws. Here's when warnings can turn into fines costing hundreds of dollars.

One grandchild got college paid for while the others didn't. Here's whether the estate must account for that unequal lifetime gift.

Remember household essentials Americans bought for under $5 in the 1980s? Discover how much these once-affordable products can cost today.