Personal Finance Notebook

Last month, in honor of Mother's Day, we shared the best money tips that readers learned from Mom. Today, it's Dad's turn and we asked readers for their favorite fatherly financial wisdom. Here's what they told us:

It's the season for graduation gifts. And for most high school, college and grad school grads, there's one gift that's king: cash.

Save $1,000 in four weeks: Can you do it? Ramit Sethi thinks so.

Moms know best? When it comes to money, sometimes they do.

Griping about taxes is a time-honored tradition in American life. Nobody likes filing, much less paying them.

For the 20 or so high school seniors in Matthew Pesci's class at Laguna Creek High School, Wednesday's lecture was real life.

If only cash sprouted as easily as backyard weeds, we'd all be cheering. But greening up your wallet is still doable.

Optimism. For months, it's been in rather short supply.

It's the dreaded countdown: 10 days to Tax Day.

You've seen the enticements: "Work from Home: Earn $$$." "Guaranteed: $92/Hour … No Experience Needed."

Here are the five worst and five best methods for finding a job from Richard Bolles, author of "What Color Is Your Parachute? (Job-Hunting in Hard Times)."

Even in today's miserable economy, employers are hiring.

Unemployment is way up. Jobs are harder and harder to find. Here is solid advice for your job search. First: Online searchers need a strategy to find contacts.

Hop aboard, the Money Bus pulls into town this week.

It's the dreaded tap on the shoulder. The proverbial pink slip.

For more on "socially responsible" investing, check these sites:

In this dreary stock market, it's not a happy time to be an investor. But there still are ways to feel good about investing.

Job seekers, don't despair. Richard Bolles is on your side. At 81, his life's work has been about how to find a job. And not just any job, but the career of your dreams. Even in a recession.

It's taken a financial crisis, but it's starting to stick: Americans are saving more. Or at least trying.

Pull out the plastic and you may get your hand slapped.

With the recent collapse of financier Bernard Madoff's alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme, the alarm's been sounded on the need for investor education. Here's a roundup of sources:

When it comes to investment fraud, the perpetrators chase the news.

Regardless of income or education, anyone can become vulnerable to investment fraud. Here's some advice for protecting yourself:

Getting into college? No sweat, compared to paying for college.

Like millions of Americans, Nancy McMenamin of Winters went back to college to launch a new career. After five years, she acquired a master's degree in mental health counseling. And $27,000 in student loan debt.

Far from fleeing the stock market, the Motley Fool co-founders are downright gleeful about diving in even deeper. Tom and David Gardner, brothers and business partners of the pioneering online investment company, see the market's slump as a bargain-hunter's bonanza.