It’s no secret that many Americans have long relied on credit cards and other forms of debt to get what we want, or what we need.

But a new survey finds that even in the wake of the Great Recession, we may not be totally honest with ourselves about whether we are living beyond our means.

The survey of about 3,000 Americans finds that about half of the respondents spend more than they earn at least a few months out of the year.

Yet only about 1 in 10 respondents said their current lifestyle is more than they can afford. The vast majority said their lifestyle is about what they can afford.

The survey was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on behalf of Country Financial as part of the company’s monthly measure of financial security.

Of the people who spend more than they earn at least some of the time, about 36 percent said the primary response is to dip into savings to meet their financial obligations. About 22 percent said they use credit cards to cover the gap, while 12 percent delayed paying the bills.

The good news is that half the people surveyed – 46 percent – rarely or never spend more than they earn in a given month.

The difficult economy has had a devastating impact on many Americans' finances, and that has forced some to rely more on credit cards and other forms of borrowing because they don’t have the money to meet monthly expenses.

For many the recession and recovery served as a wake-up call to pare back on credit card debt and get their finances under control.

Recently, however, there have been signs that people are feeling more comfortable again about taking on debt. The Federal Reserve said last week that Americans increased borrowing in March for things like cars and education, and also used their credit cards more.

Americans also may be living beyond their means because they have less money than they used to. The nation’s median household income has fallen by about 7 percent from its peak in 1999 after adjusting for inflation.

Related:

One in four Americans has more debt than savings

Allison Linn

Long-term joblessness can be one of the worst things a person has to go through, but job seekers have to brush aside the pessimism and take action.

Economy reporter Allison Linn has covered the labor market throughout the tough economic times of nation has faced in recent years and Tuesday wrote about how the long-term unemployed were losing benefits. She was on hand Wednesday to offer some words of encouragement and some reality checks for readers who tuned into our live web chat looking for advice.

One reader was down in the dumps about overall job prospects and asked:

How do you stay encouraged when you've been unemployed or underemployed for a long time, and what's the best response to prospective employers who ask, "What have you been doing during your period of unemployment?"

To that, Linn advised:

That is such a good question and something that many long-term unemployed people struggle with. The first thing I would say is to expect that any employer will ask about your resume gap, so come up with a good answer. If you've done any volunteer work in your field, gone to school or really had anything happen that may seem relevant or make you look eager and hard-working, that will help.

And, she added, “Don't dawdle on that answer, though. Address the elephant in the room and move the conversation toward what you can offer to the employer.”

Linn, who you can follow on Twitter, took on topics ranging from updating your job skills to work-at-home scams.

You can view the entire Q&A with Linn here:

The Hamilton Beach Ensemble starts at $38.

Single-cup pod brewers are seducing a growing number of coffee drinkers with their convenience: Simply choose a coffee pod, pop it in, and press a button. But these instructions conveniently omit the first step: reaching into your wallet to pay the $100 or more such machines typically cost. On top of that, The New York Times has calculated that buying coffee in pods equates to spending more than $50 per pound of ground coffee. Stick with good, old-fashioned automatic-drip to stay caffeinated on a budget.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks for affordable coffee makers.

• The Black & Decker Brew 'n Go DCM18S (starting at $19) is a highly rated, low-priced alternative to a pod brewer. It uses ground coffee but brews a single cup directly into an included 15-ounce travel mug. (Where to buy)
• The Hamilton Beach Ensemble 43254 (starting at $38) is a more typical programmable, 12-cup coffee maker with a glass carafe that reliably delivers piping-hot coffee, according to online reviews. Many consumers also like how it looks on their countertops. This model is black and stainless steel; a red version (43253) is also available. (Where to buy)
• The Mr. Coffee JWX27 (starting at $35) is another standard 12-cup machine that boasts a few extra features, such as a brew-strength selector, a cleaning cycle, and a water filter. Experts credit this coffee maker with heating water to the high temperature required for optimum brewing. (Where to buy)
• The Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit 48464 (starting at $47) appeals to many consumers with its distinctive design. Instead of brewing coffee into a carafe, like many other 12-cup models, this machine stores the coffee in an internal thermal tank and dispenses it on demand. (Where to buy)

Carafe-less coffee makers like the Black & Decker Brew ‘n Go and Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit promise certain advantages over conventional machines. Other low-cost coffee makers typically come with breakable glass carafes and employ a hotplate to keep coffee warm. A brew that sits too long is apt to acquire a bitter, burnt taste. Coffee makers with thermal carafes are another alternative, but those are uncommon in this price range. While we did manage to find one, the Mr. Coffee TFTX85, we also found numerous complaints that it fails to keep coffee hot.

With the exception of the Black & Decker Brew ‘n Go, these are programmable machines that can be set the night before and have coffee waiting when you wake up. They not only turn on but also shut off automatically, typically after two hours. The Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit can be adjusted to keep coffee hot for up to four hours.

A couple of our picks -- the Mr. Coffee JWX27 and Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit -- feature a specialized brewing mode for producing bolder flavor from the same amount of coffee. The BrewStation Summit also offers a setting for iced coffee and a small-batch option for brewing one to four cups instead of a full pot.

More from Cheapism:
Cheap coffee makers
Summer outlets comparison
How to buy a computer on a budget
How to attend the Summer Olympics on a budget

Photo courtesy of Skechers

Kim Kardashian was part of the Skechers ad campaign called "deceptive" by the FTC.

Skechers, the company that makes those extremely popular Shape-ups toning shoes, has agreed to pay $40 million in refunds to settle charges of deceptive advertising brought by the Federal Trade Commission. 

(Click here to get the facts about this settlement and instructions on how to file for a refund if you are eligible.) 

You’ve probably seen the ads for Shape-Ups. They say you can “get in shape without setting foot in a gym.” Some of the ads feature celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke. 

Skechers USA said its shoes provided more weight loss and muscle toning and strengthening (of the buttocks, legs and abdominal muscles) than regular fitness shoes. 

The FTC complaint charges Skechers with falsely representing that it had clinical studies to back up those claims. The commission alleges the company made similar deceptive claims about its Resistance Runner, Toners and Tone-Up shoes.

“Skechers’ unfounded claims went beyond stronger and more toned muscles. The company even made claims about weight loss and cardiovascular health,” said David Vladeck, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a written statement. “The FTC’s message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims.” 

In a press release, Skechers denied the allegations and "believes its advertising was appropriate, but has decided to settle these claims in order to avoid protracted legal proceedings."

Some of the ads for Shape-Ups featured an endorsement from a chiropractor, Dr. Steven Gautreau, who said his recommendation was based on an “independent” clinical study he conducted. The FTC’s lawsuit alleges this study did not produce the positive results claimed. Dr. Gautreau is married to a Skechers marketing executive and the company paid him to conduct the study. The ads did not disclose this information. 

Under the settlement announced today, Skechers is barred from making claims about strengthening, weight loss or any other health or fitness-related benefits from its toning shoes, unless those claims are true and backed by scientific evidence. 

Last year, the FTC reached a similar settlement with Reebok International LTDk about claims for its toning shoes. Reebook agreed to make $25 million in customer refunds.

The federal settlement is part of a broader agreement that resolves an investigation conducted by 44 states and the District of Columbia.

Something else to consider
I first warned you that the claims for toning shoes appeared to be over-hyped back in November of 2010. (ConsumerMan: Do those funky shoes really promote fitness?) I explained that toning shoes are designed to be unstable, which could cause problems for people who already have trouble maintaining their balance.

At that time, Consumer Reports was concerned that seniors who wore toning shoes could increase their risk of falling, which could result in hip fractures or other serious injuries. That’s still something to consider before you buy a pair of these shoes.

More information:

• How’s that Work-out Working Out? Tips on Buying Fitness Gear 

Paul Sakuma / AP

A bad score could cost you a loan. That's why it's so important for you to understand how credit scoring works.

Your credit score, which is based on your credit history, can have an enormous effect – positive or negative – on your life. A good score could save you thousands of dollars a year in interest. A bad score could cost you a loan. That’s why it’s so important for you to understand how credit scoring works. 

A new surveyby the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and VantageScore Solutions shows overall knowledge about credit scores has improved significantly in the past year. But the results also make it clear there’s still a long way to go.

Many consumers still need to learn about what scores represent, how to get access to them and how to improve them,” notes CFA’s executive director Stephen Brobeck.

Fewer than half (44 percent) of those surveyed are aware that a credit score typically measures risk of not repaying loans, rather than the amount of debt or financial resources you have. Only 29 percent know how costly a low score can be.

“Very few people understand that on a conventional new car loan ($20,000 for 60 months) if they have a low score that will cost them $5,000 more in additional interest charges than a borrower with a high credit score,” Brobeck says.

One of the most troubling findings: more than half the respondents still think, incorrectly, that a person’s age and marital status are used to calculate credit score. One-fifth (21 percent) incorrectly believe ethnic origin is a factor.

“Your ethnicity isn’t even on your credit report, so it’s impossible for it to be a factor in computing your credit score,” explains John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. “Your credit score is not influenced by anybody but you. Your own actions completely determine the score.” 

One key area of misunderstanding: the impact of multiple credit checks while applying for a loan during a one to two week period. Few people (only 9 percent) know that shopping for a loan like this will not lower their credit score. 

“If people are not shopping for credit because they think it will negatively impact their credit score, that’s not good,” says Adam Levin, chairman of credit.com. “People need to shop around and get the best deal at the best rate. That’s good for the consumer and good for the economy.” 

Despite years of warnings about credit repair companies, more than half the people contacted (51 percent) believe that these companies are “always” or “usually” helpful in correcting credit report errors and improving scores. That’s troubling. 

“Experts around the country are in almost complete agreement that these credit repair companies overpromise, charge high prices and also perform services that consumers could do for themselves,” CFA’s Brobeck warns. 

The Consumer Federation of America says there are ways to raise your credit score. 

• Consistently pay your bills on time every month.
• Don’t max out, or even come close to maxing out, your credit cards or other revolving credit accounts.
• Pay down debt. Don’t just move it around.
• Don’t open a lot of new accounts rapidly.
• Check your credit reports from each of the three big credit reporting agencies throughout the year to make sure they are error-free. You can get one free copy from each bureau every twelve months. Use this website -- www.annualcreditreport.com -- or call 877-322-8228. You must give your Social Security number since this is how credit reports are tracked.

How much do you know about credit scores and credit reports? Take the CreditScoreQuiz. There is also a Spanish language version.

• More information:
  ConsumerMan: Credit Information that’s really, 100% free 
• Federal Trade Commission: Credit Repair 
• Federal Trade Commission: How to Dispute Credit Report Errors 
• FICO: Credit Basics 

Courtesy of Clarissa Doutherd

Clarissa Doutherd, shown with son Xavier, has had to quit her full-time job but so far has avoided public assistance.

Clarissa Doutherd, 30, was able to lift herself out of poverty and climb the ladder of success at a nonprofit, rising from part-time bookkeeping assistant to staff accountant. But last year the high cost of child care derailed her ambitions.

Doutherd, who lives in Oakland, Calif., with her 4-year old son Xavier, had been able to cover the nearly $1,000 monthly child care bill thanks to a state subsidy that helps lower-income working parents. The support disappeared after budget cutbacks last year.

“In June, I had to quit my full-time job,” after her salary was insufficient to cover her child care costs, she said. “I was on the brink of being able to pay the full cost, just another raise away from being completely self-sufficient.”

At a time when women’s issues have become a political football in the national arena, many states have been chipping away at funds aimed at supporting working mothers and families, even as federal subsidies are drying up and the cost of child care is climbing.

The average cost of child care increased nearly 2 percent for centers and family-run child care homes in 2010 compared to the previous year, according to the most recent data available from Child Care Aware of America, which provides information for parents and child care providers. The cost of care for infants in a center rose 2.3 percent, while the cost of infant care in a home setting rose 2.6 percent.

Depending where you live, costs can vary wildly. The average cost for full-time care for a 4-year-old in Mississippi is about $3,900 a year, compared with $12,200 in Massachusetts, the group reported.

“If you need child care today and can’t afford it it’s challenging to get it,” said Helen Blank, director of leadership and public policy at the National Women’s Law Center. “Unfortunately, this doesn’t get the spotlight it should given its critical importance to helping women work and helping kids.”

There is a broad political consensus that helping low-income parents pay for child care helps the economy.

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has said as much on the stump.

“I'm willing to spend more giving daycare to allow those parents to go back to work," he said in a speech this year. "It'll cost the state more providing that day care, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work."

But many states have had to slash budgets for such programs, leaving working families struggling to foot hefty child-care bills.

A recent study by the National Women's Law Center shows how some states have taken a hatchet to day care subsidies. A sampling:

• In California, Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget would cut spending on child care and early education by $517 million. the cuts “would deprive 62,000 children of the opportunity to participate in these programs," according to the Law Center. Income eligibility limit for child-care assistance would be reduced from $42,216 a year for a family of three to $38,180 a year for a family of three. A previous eligibility change is what impacted Doutherd.
• In Florida, over 75,000 children are on a waiting list for child-care assistance.
• In Maine, Gov. Paul LePage proposed funding cuts that would eliminate child-care assistance for half of the families currently receiving it. 
• New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed a budget for fiscal 2013 that, together with planned systemic changes, “would result in 15,900 children losing their child care program and 31,800 children losing their after-school program as of September of 2012," according to the Law Center.

Many of the cutbacks by states are a result of federal dollars drying up from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, said Blank. While President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes $825 million to help states, many working family advocates expect a shortfall.

“The problem we continually face is as a country we’re not willing to put the resources into child care to make that available,” said Blank. “Families can’t afford it, and it’s an endless struggle for providers, families and policymakers.”

The deep recession and slow recovery have kept  government officials focused on priorities of food, shelter and employment. But she said that for working families, “child care is the lynchpin for all those things.”

Putting child care on the back burner has been a problem for years, said Martha J. Buell, professor of human development and families studies at the University of Delaware. The United States, she pointed out, is one of the few developed countries that does not fully support education prior to age 5.

The problem, as she sees it, is that policymakers see child care as workforce support rather than preschool education. “The first five years are critically important for getting kids ready for school," she said.

Indeed, Doutherd felt her son benefited from his time in day care, in addition to the benefits of her being able to earn a paycheck and get off welfare.

“We struggle financially because I’m not able to work full-time yet,” said Doutherd, who is trying to get any work she can while watching her son at home. She’s proud to say she hasn’t had to apply for any public assistance yet as she had to in the past, but she’s unsure what the future holds.

“The problem with cutting child care subsidies is instead of encouraging parents and families to work, you put them back into the system,” she said.

Stephen Coburn / Featurepics.com

Have you ever found yourself competing for a job with your significant other?

With more and more couples meeting at work, it’s bound to happen: You and your spouse end up in the running for the same job. Have you ever applied for the same job as your husband or wife? If so, we want to hear from you. Please include some details about the situation and how it turned out, plus contact information so we can get in touch.

Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to students at Dhaka International School.

For women and their careers, it’s often not about what they do but how they look. More proof of that came last week.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made headlines around the world not for anything she did but because she appeared without makeup on a trip to Bangladesh.

“Hillary Clinton addresses ‘au naturale’ liberation,” said political blog The Drudge Report, while trend site Styleite.com declared that Clinton “just wants to be normal and do things like wear her hair in a scrunchie, party with her girlfriends and go out without a stitch of makeup.”

The kicker was England’s Daily Mail, which said Clinton’s moment sans makeup made her look “tired and withdrawn.”

Similarly former News International CEO Rebekah Brooks drew angry comments Friday not just for her role in a phone hacking scandal but for her appearance, especially her curly red hair, when she testified before a British government inquiry led by Lord Justice Leveson.

AFP/Getty Images

Former News International CEO Rebekah Brooks, testifies at the Leveson Inquiry.

Here are some of the popular Brooks tweets for the day:

• A date for your diary / Rebekah Brooks, at the inquiry / Hair and temperament, fiery / Words, liary
• Rebekah Brooks. We get it. You have lots of curly red hair, but wearing Orphan Annie's dress to the Leveson hearing? Seriously?

There’s even a Facebook page dedicated to Brooks' hair, called Rebekah Brook's hair is so big because it's full of secrets.

It goes to show that no matter how high up in business or politics a woman gets — or how hard she falls — in the end the focus is often about how she looks and not what she does.

“We’re still held to a double standard,” said Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who produced the 2011 documentary “Miss Representation” about the underrepresentation of women in powerful positions.

“It’s tragic,” she said. “We have an obsession with women’s looks. Unfortunately our culture has bought into this whole double standard that a women’s value is her beauty not her capacity to lead.”

The Look: Hillary Clinton doesn't care if you see her without makeup

Women certainly feel the pressure to look good. Nearly half of women don’t feel good about themselves unless they’re wearing makeup, according to a study released this year by the Renfrew Center Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on eating disorder research and treatment.

The online study, conducted by Harris Interactive for Renfrew, polled nearly 1,300 adult women and found 44 percent "have negative feelings when they are not wearing makeup," including feeling self-conscious, unattractive or that something is missing. Only 3 percent said going without makeup made them feel more attractive.

“Wearing makeup to enhance one’s appearance is normal in our society and often a rite of passage for young women,” said Adrienne Ressler, national training director for Renfrew and a body image expert. “There is concern, however, when makeup no longer becomes a tool for enhancement but rather a security blanket that conceals negative feelings about one’s self-image and self-esteem.”

Many women trying to climb the ladder of success believe they need to enhance their looks or face career doom.

“This goes to the heart of what we still see in the work world today,” said Nancy Mellard, general counsel for business services company CBIZ, which offers a program to develop of women professionals through focused leadership, mentoring and networking. “Whether you’re coming up the career path or at the height of your career like Clinton, we still see women, certainly more than men, judged on appearance not accomplishments.”

While blatant discrimination in the workplace is less common than it was 20 years ago, she said, there are still subtle biases that may be hardest to combat.

TODAY Style: Kathie Lee, Hoda dare to bare (their faces)

One study sponsored by the Women’s Media Center and She Should Run, a group advocating for more women in public leadership, found that sexist comments about female candidates, including critiques on appearance, lead voters to question how effective they would be.

Often the people bashing how women look are other women. “We’re some of the worst,” Mellard said.

Newsom agreed. “It speaks to our own insecurities. We are complicit and have also bought into this, and the only way to change things is for women to start seeing each other more as sisters and supporting, not judging each other.”

Judging each other based on looks, however, is a reality we all have to face because there’s a "beauty benefit" for men as well as women in the workplace.

“Research by economists has shown that ‘beautiful people’, both men and women, have higher pay than less attractive people, holding constant many other factors about the individuals,” said Anne York, associate professor of economics at Meredith College’s School of Business. “So it really does pay for everyone to look good for work.”

“In the case of Hillary Clinton, though, it was quite ridiculous to me that when she went with a natural face, which millions of men do every day, that it made the news with close-up photos of her face," she added. " While her appearance made a lot of news, I don’t think that is necessarily bad if it can start a conversation on accepting more women with a natural appearance.”

Of course, men can fall victim to image-bashing as well.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s hoodie has been a hot topic on social media lately. But unlike attacks on Clinton’s face or Brooks’ hair, there’s little fear hoodiegate will undermine the main power base in the business world today – rich white guys.

Related:

Have you and your spouse ever competed for the same job? 

Facebook IPO pits Wall Street suits against the hoodie

Mike Segar / Reuters

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg delivers a keynote address at a Facebook's marketing event in February 2012.

IBM recently named Virginia Rometty as its the first female CEO, and Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg is on her way to becoming one of the richest women in technology when the company goes public.

But despite these noteworthy feats by these female leaders, the number of women chief information officers at U.S. corporations has declined for the second year in a row. It hit less than 10 percent this year, and about one-third of CIOs report they have no women in management positions working for them, according to a survey released Monday by Harvey Nash, a recruiting firm.

“There’s an overall skill set shortage in U.S., across men and women, as far as the IT space,” said Anna Frazzetto, Senior Vice President of Technology Solutions, Harvey Nash USA. But, she added, this has become even more pronounced among women, creating a growing underrepresentation problem for women in technology.

A number of factors are contributing to the dearth of women, she said, including that the industry isn’t thought of as the most social or exciting out there, and that not enough young women are choosing to study technology when they go to college.

Discrimination and preconceived notions about women’s commitment to their jobs also is contributing to the problem, she added.

The lack-of-women dilemma isn’t just a corner office issue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women comprised only 25 percent of all computer-related occupations last year, pointed out Jenny Slade, a spokeswoman for the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Women represented about 25 percent of computer and information systems managers; 38.6 percent of web developers, and 19 percent of software developers. 

Have you and your spouse ever competed for the same job?

In 2011, women made up only about 18 percent of those getting bachelor's degrees in computer and information sciences, a percentage that's held steady for the past four years, she said.

“Unconscious bias” against women in IT is a big problem, she said, and “women don’t always know what the trajectory is to obtain a leadership role.”

A study done by the Center in 2010 found that “56 percent of women in technology leave their employers at the mid-level point in their careers.”

There are a number of factors causing women to leave, said Slade, but the top reasons were bad relationships with supervisors; feeling they were not on the fast track to promotion; feeling they don’t get credit for their work and a hostile work environment.

One women who made it to the top of the IT biz is Patricia Andersen CIO at Apartments.com. She said she was lucky to have worked for companies in her career, including Waste Management, that didn’t discriminate against women when it came to women and technology roles.

“I really haven’t worked at a place where gender was an issue in moving up,” she explained.

Apartments.com, she added, is looking to get even more women in management and one focus of the strategy will be mentoring.

“I’ve had several mentors through my life,” she noted. The mentors helped her learn one of the most important skills you need when it comes to climbing the ladder of success, she said, “how to handle political situations.” 

Given the job market these days, you may be surprised to find that some people actually are quitting their jobs.

Not only that, but they’re giving some pretty creative reasons for why they won’t be coming to work anymore.

Staffing firm OfficeTeam recently asked senior managers to tell them some of the more unusual reasons people have given for quitting their job.

Managers reported that employees had quit to watch a soccer game or take in a movie, because they needed to feed their dog and because they wanted to join a rock band, reality show or beauty contest.

For others, the office atmosphere was literally too much. The 1,300 employers surveyed offered all sorts of sensory-related reasons their employees had quit.

Among them:

"He quit because he didn't like the way the office smelled."

"One employee didn't enjoy the cafeteria food."

"An individual did not like the sound of file cabinets being slammed."

"A person quit because he hated the carpet."

"One worker did not like the colors of the walls."

"The employee quit because the office building was unattractive."

Readers: Tell us the crazy reasons you or one of your co-workers have given for quitting a job. Enter your comment below or on our Facebook page.

Nanine Hartzenbusch / for msnbc.com

Jennifer Moss stands in the kitchen of her Boiling Springs, S.C. home on Thursday May 10, 2012. Her unemployment benefits recently expired.

The improving employment situation in South Carolina should be good news for Jennifer Moss, offering hope she can find finally land a job after a year and a half without work.

But in a way, it’s been another blow. The single mother of three kids is one of hundreds of thousands of long-term unemployed Americans who still haven’t found work - and now also find themselves without an unemployment benefit check.

That is because the falling jobless rate in many states has reduced the number of weeks jobseekers can collect unemployment benefits.

So-called extended benefits were eliminated Saturday in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. The same thing already had happened in April in states including South Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Tennessee.

That leaves a minority of states where workers are eligible for that last round of benefits.

The extended benefits provide an additional 13 to 20 weeks of unemployment payouts on top of other extra payments that were made available as part of federal legislation passed in the aftermath of the worst recession in decades. The full package gave some jobseekers up to 99 weeks of unemployment payments.

The precise benefits depend partly on the unemployment rate by states, and in many states the rate has been moving down.

For example, California has one of the nation's highest jobless rates at 11 percent, but that is down from 11.9 percent in August. South Carolina's rate of 8.9 percent has fallen from 10 percent last October.

Nanine Hartzenbusch / for msnbc.com

Moss stands outside her home with her three children, from left, Jami Moss, 5, Josh Moss, 6, and Jenna Moss, 9. A single mother, she's worked hard to hold onto her home during her long stint of unemployment.

Moss, who lives in Boiling Springs, S.C., lost her job doing clerical work and flight scheduling for a small corporate flight department in October of 2010, the same week her divorce was finalized. She had worked in hospitality and other fields, and she’d never had trouble finding a job before.

The weak economy made everything different. Since losing her job, Moss said she’s applied for countless jobs and had maybe 10 job interviews, but nothing has worked out.

“There are many sleepless nights where at 2 or 3 in the morning I might be on a website … applying for jobs,” said Moss, who is 40.

To support herself and her three kids under age 10, Moss has relied on unemployment benefits and SNAP, also known as food stamps. She’s also enrolled in a government program that is helping her cover her mortgage payments.

But Moss received her last unemployment benefit May 1, after South Carolina became one of the states to lose extended benefits because of a dip in the unemployment rate. Her mortgage benefit also is set to expire this summer.

“I’m hopeful that the job will be forthcoming very soon, with everything that I’ve got out there,” she said. “But I’m not above doing what’s necessary, meaning a yard sale or selling jewelry or things of that nature.”

Beyond South Carolina, other states, including Alaska, Indiana and Oklahoma, have recently cut back unemployment benefits even further because those states’ unemployment rates have improved. In Indiana and Alaska, jobseekers are eligible for a maximum of 47 weeks of unemployment assistance, while in Oklahoma the maximum amount is now 34 weeks. The Oklahoma jobless rate is 5.4 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but Indiana's rate is 8.2 percent, about the same as the 8.1 percent national average, and Alaska's is still elevated at 7 percent as the economy recovers slowly.

Nationwide about 12 million people are out of work and actively seeking a job. About 5.1 million of those are considered “long-term unemployed,” meaning they have been looking for work for 27 weeks or longer.

What’s more, one big reason the unemployment rate has been falling is because many people are giving up on finding a job or not entering the labor force to begin with. People not actively seeking a job are not counted as unemployed by the BLS.

“We’re adding jobs, but just enough to keep up with growth in the normal working-age population, not enough to start really putting the backlog of unemployed workers back to work,” said Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute, which focuses its research on low- and middle-income workers.

The labor force participation rate, or the percentage of Americans over age 16 who are either working or looking for work, fell to 63.6 percent on April. That’s the lowest level in more than three decades.

Moss, in South Carolina, has relied on her religious faith and church for emotional support, and said that both her and her ex-husband’s family have helped out with some expenses, such as birthday parties for the kids.

With money so tight, Moss said she and her kids joke about how they’ll get the Polly Pocket toys and other things they want when the family wins the lottery.

Of course, Moss isn’t even buying any lottery tickets these days.

“No, Lord no,” she said. “There’s not even enough pennies to roll together to get a lottery ticket.”

Many are in the same boat. At least 200,000 people will lose their last set of unemployment benefits because of the most recent wave of expirations in May, on top of about 130,000 who lost benefits in April, the National Employment Law Project estimates.

Claire McKenna, a policy analyst with NELP, which advocates for the unemployed, said some who lose eligibility for extended benefits may still qualify for 10 more weeks of payouts if they meet certain criteria.

But many people will find themselves without a job or unemployment check.

Dan Maloney, 41, has a law degree, an MBA and years of experience in the insurance industry, and yet he’s been without a job since June of 2010.

Maloney, who lives in Dover, N.J., said that in his specialized field, he’s found fierce competition for the few available jobs.

He thinks employers may see his degrees and experience and think he’s overqualified.

Some days he regrets getting his advanced education. Other days Maloney admits he just feels worn down. His unemployment benefits will expire at the end of the month.

“You definitely hit a point where it becomes – you feel defeated,” he said. “There are days you want to give up.”

Mary Rojas, 43, also has an advanced education and speaks several languages. She said she lost her job doing customer service for Spanish-speaking customers at a law firm in Fort Lauderdale in late 2010 and hasn’t been able to find a job since.

Her unemployment benefits are set to expire this month.

Rojas, who lives in Pompano Beach, Fla., found out she was pregnant soon after losing her job, and she said that made it hard to land a job.

Her baby is now eight months old, and she still has had no luck finding something that pays enough to cover the cost of child care for her baby and her six-year-old. She estimates she has applied for 200 or 300 jobs.

In April, her family received another blow when her husband, a chef, lost his job.

One day last week, the couple was shopping for groceries and fretting about how they would get enough money together to pay the rent.

“I’m in tears, honestly, just wondering how we’ll get that amount,” she said.

But Rojas said she was still holding out hope that her degrees and work experience will eventually land her a job.

“I don’t want to give up,” she said.

Maybe you chose your home state because you born there or have family there, or just because you think it’s a nice place to live. Or maybe you moved there for a better life.

A study out this week from Pew Charitable Trusts finds that where you live matters a lot in terms of whether you can achieve the American Dream of moving up the economic ladder.

The study was good news for residents of New York and New Jersey and not as cheery for those who live in Louisiana and South Carolina.

About 8,000 readers took our poll on the topic, with about half saying they do think there’s a chance to move up the economic ladder where they live. The article also prompted a heated debate about whether things really are so tough in the South, and if so whether politicians and partisan politics are to blame.

Some readers argued that economic success boils down to one thing: Hard work.

“Upward mobility is accorded to people who go after it. Want to work 9 to 5 in your home town, and hang with you high school friends? Forget about upward mobility,” one reader wrote.

Whether or not you’ve made it up the economic ladder, chances are at some point you’ve taken on debt. Another story this week noted that some Americans seem to be taking on more debt again, either by choice or necessity, after cutting back sharply on borrowing over the course of the recession and weak recovery.

The monthly increase in debt appeared to mostly be to fund education and new vehicles, but there also was some increase in credit card debt. Still, most readers who took our poll said they just say no when it comes to credit cards.

Many readers said they now use credit cards only if they know they’ll be able to pay off the balance at the end of the month. Others said they were skipping the plastic to focus on their financial health.

“Haven't used credit in about a year. Our plan is to pay off debt, including student and car loans, before buying a house or anything else,” one reader wrote.

Still, with the economy still weak, some readers said they’ve had no choice but to rely on credit cards.

“Still have to borrow from Peter to pay Paul until our income improves to where it used to be before 2005, if that ever happens,” one reader wrote.

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Men expect to find work quicker if they lose their jobs, but feel less secure in their jobs than women.

Most everyone is worried about the job market in general, and with good reason. The unemployment rate has been higher than average for years, and improvements have been painfully slow.

But it turns out, the specifics of what they're worried about differ for men and women.

A new survey from Randstad finds that men are more likely than women to say the economy has had a negative effect on their career plans. Fifty-one percent of men feel that way, compared to 41 percent of women.

Men also are more likely to say they feel left behind in their careers, with 39 percent of men complaining that the economy had that effect compared to 31 percent of women. Men are also slightly more likely to be extremely worried about losing their jobs.

But the Randstad survey of about 3,000 full-time workers, which was conducted in February, finds that women are more jittery about what would happen if they actually did lose their jobs.

Women are slightly more likely than men to say they don’t think they could find a new job right away that they would want to accept.

In addition, women expect that it would take them longer to find a new job. The average amount of time women said they think it would take to find a new job is 5.4 months, compared to 4.7 months for men.

Kate Gallagher Robbins, senior policy analyst with the National Women's Law Center, said women may be more worried about finding a new job because they are seeing other women lose good-paying jobs in fields such as the public sector, and either strggling to find new work at all or taking a job that pays less.

"They’re really not hearing may good stories about women’s jobs right now," Robbins said.

On the other hand, men -- and particularly young men -- may feel particularly hard hit because the early part of the recession was so hard on them, she noted.

During the recession, men were losing jobs at such a fast pace that some dubbed it a “mancession.” But as the economy officially went into recovery, meaning it was slowly growing again, men started seeing job gains at a much faster clip than women. Only recently have things started to even out. 

The unemployment rate for men was 8.2 percent in April, down from a high of 11.2 percent in late 2009. For women, the unemployment rate was 8 percent in April, down from a high of 9 percent in late 2010.

It turns out there are other ways in which men and women react differently to work stress.

A separate study from the University of Calgary, which was also recently released, found that high levels of job strain increased the risk of depression in full-time male workers, but not of full-time female workers.

On the other hand, women who felt unappreciated in their jobs had a higher risk for depression, while the researchers didn’t see the same correlation for men.

The results were first reported by MyHealthNewsDaily.

TODAY's real estate expert Barbara Corcoran discusses how using bright colors in your home decorating can help attract buyers to your home. 

Where you live may be hampering your economic potential.

If you live in New York, New Jersey or Maryland, chances are your prospects for moving up the ladder of financial success are better than if your home is in Oklahoma, Louisiana or South Carolina.

A study by the Pew Charitable Trust called “Economic Mobility of the States” paints a gloomy picture for many southern states when it comes to whether residents there are likely to have better economic mobility. But many states in the Northeast seem to fare better when it comes to things like average earnings growth.

“When it comes to achieving the American Dream, it matters where you live,” said Erin Currier, project manager of Pew’s Economic Mobility Project, released Wednesday.

The report looked at average earnings for workers ages 35 and 39, and measured those earning from 1978 through 1997. Researchers then looked at how those rose and fell a decade later when the same individuals were 45 and 49.

To measure economic mobility, the researchers looked at absolute mobility – average earnings growth over time – and upward and downward relative mobility – measuring people’s rank on the ladder relative to their peers. 

Here’s a breakdown on the economic mobility winners and losers:

• Eight states, primarily in the Mideast and New England regions, have consistently higher upward and lower downward mobility compared to the nation as a whole: Maryland, New Jersey, and New York have better economic mobility than the national average on all three measures investigated; Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Utah have better mobility than the national average on two measures.
• Nine states, all in the South, have consistently lower upward and higher downward mobility compared to the nation as a whole: Louisiana, Oklahoma, and South Carolina have worse economic mobility than the national average on all three measures investigated; Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas have worse mobility than the national average on two measures.

Several factors propel economic mobility, said Nikolai Roussanov, professor of finance at the Wharton School of Business.

“For the bulk of the population, education is the main driver of upward mobility; accessibility to education and educational opportunities,” he said. “But, it’s also determined on how you apply the education, what sort of careers people go into.”

Beyond education, he added, entrepreneurship has the potential to enrich individuals. “The ability and willingness of people to start their own businesses and take risks is a big driver of wealth mobility,” he said.

And just because you don’t live in a region with better overall economic mobility doesn’t mean you won’t succeed, he said. “Even in areas where there is limited access to education there could be people taking big risks, and they can be successful and move up,” he said.

The Pew numbers tell an interesting story on where the better job opportunities may be, and it seems employers also see the potential.

Another study on mobility, this one from national moving company Atlas Van Lines, found that the Northeast is the top transfer location for companies relocating employees.

Atlas reported earlier this month that: “The Northeast is now the top destination of transfers (42 percent) followed by 2011’s top destination, the Midwest (37 percent) and the South (31 percent). The West remains fourth in relocation numbers (26 percent).”

If your company isn’t willing to move you, or you don’t have a job yet, it might be a smart idea to consider relocating yourself to a state offering more potential when it comes to upward economic mobility.

The Pew study also found those individuals who moved out of the state where they were born had “better mobility outcomes on average.”

To find out how your state fared in the study go check out Pew’s interactive map.

Just as speed dating adds more stress to the search for a mate, speed interviewing is sure to make the job hunt more tense.

Yes, speed interviewing.

In at least one extreme example, workers are being given just one minute to sell their skills to a hiring manager. If they fall short, they are out the door.

That’s the approach MediConnect Global has been taking with its interview process. Even though it may sound like a nightmare for some job seekers, it has worked out great for the medical records company and some lucky employees who passed the test.

When Zane Davis, 34, a client services representative, interviewed at Mediconnect two years ago, he was told before the meeting that he’d have less than a minute to pitch himself to a panel of company managers. “I had never heard of a company doing these speed interviews,” he said.

Davis, who had been a welder and was looking to change careers, said, “They wanted to know why they should hire me within 30 seconds or so.”

When he got to the company’s offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, there were 12 other job candidates waiting for the quick why-you-should-hire-me interview spiel. He recalled everyone else had flashcards they were studying, but he decided to focus on being confident and highlighting the skills he could bring to the table.

“I don’t remember what I said, but it worked,” he said. The company called him back for about five minutes of follow-up questions that day, and about a week later he was offered the job. “It’s kind of a nerve-racking experience, and very humbling.”

While quick back-to-back, rapid-fire interviews with multiple candidates have been a fixture at job fairs, tactic is unusual within the  confines of company offices.

Many job seekers have reported a growing trend in the opposite direction, with employers putting applicants through endless hours of interviews. (I recently wrote about the phenomenon.)

“We have not received much pick-up amongst our clients in regards to speed-dating type interviews,” said Bob Kovalsky, senior vice president for Adecco Staffing. “The process that the majority of our clients uses is one that’s a bit more comprehensive.”

But using the speed-dating type format is not unheard of.

Booz Allen Hamilton uses “a technique where candidates can go from table to table to meet with interviewers who represent differing capabilities of the firm,” said James Fisher, a spokesman for the consulting firm.  “This helps us ensure that we’re making the best match of candidate skills and job opportunities.” 

In a post on the jobs website Glassdoor, one anonymous job seeker likened it to "speed dating."

“I don’t know that we would use the term ‘speed dating,’” Fisher said.

In situations where employers want to churn through lots of applicants quickly, some hiring managers are using the tactic, said Jay Meschke, president of recruiting firm EFL Associates.

He’s not convinced, however, it’s a smart move. “Sure people want applicants to meet with as many people as possible in a short amount of time, but what can you learn in a few minutes?”

Quite a lot, according to MediConnect CEO Amy Rees Anderson.

About two years ago, she heard about speed dating and thought it might be a great way to review many job applicants in a short time. While she began by giving candidates just 30 second to pitch themselves, she ultimately decided one minute was best.

“The purpose of that minute is to get a sense of their confidence, personality, ability to represent themselves,” she said.

Before the candidates make their brief presentations, the company has them complete skills, IQ and personality tests. “By the time they come for the interview we’ve got a pretty good profile of them,” she explained.

Sometimes applicants are nervous, she said, but the managers don’t hold that against them. Too much confidence can get you booted. “Someone that came in was so overly aggressive about why we should hire him, and when his time was up he refused to leave,” she said.

Two memorable applicants, she said, did something out of the ordinary. One candidate brought in 5-hour Energy drinks because he thought the managers conducting the interviews might be tired. And another applicant pulled out a huge stack of dollar bills, laid them on the table before his pitch, and picked them up when he left. “It caught our attention, made us remember him,” she said.

Verisk Analytics Inc. bought MediConnect in March. Officials from the parent company recently asked Anderson to walk them through the speed-interviewing process because they’re considering expanding the technique.

It’s not just about the words they say, or how creative they are, Anderson said. “You get a sense of the person,” she said. “They come in and tell us about themselves.”

Jason R. Henske / AP

Dartmouth College graduates Greg Agron and John Agbaje laugh as Conan O'Brien delivers the commencement address in 2011. New research finds that college grads with business degrees may face better job prospects.

If you are heading off to college in the fall and looking to get the most bang for your buck, you may want to major in business.

IBISWorld, an industry analysis firm, took a look at fields that are expected to see the most growth in the next five years. Then, they looked at which of the most popular college degrees a person would need to get a job in those industries.

The analysis found that business grads had the most positive outlook through 2017. That’s because business graduates are most likely to work in industries where higher-than-average job and wage growth are expected.

Those fields include commercial banking, reinsurance carriers and human resources. Jobs typically held by business degree holders pay an average $70,000 a year, which is expected to rise to $77,000 by 2017, IBISWorld said.

A degree in health sciences also is likely to serve you well. The IBISWorld analysis found that job growth in health-related fields such as primary care, dentistry and nursing care will be about on par with the overall economy, but wages will grow at a slightly faster rate.

The outlook is less promising for people who major in social sciences, history and education.

Other research has shown that college graduates are more likely to be employed if they choose a major with a specific career path, including business.  But that research, from Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, was more bullish on education because of the projected low unemployment rate in that field.

If you don’t have a head for business or an interest in health care, that’s not necessarily a reason to fret. Other research has shown that just going to college should give you a leg up in life over those who don't.

The unemployment rate for people with a college degree or higher was just 4 percent in April, compared with 8.1 percent for the general population. College grads also are likely to make more money than their less educated peers.

Related:

The upside to not saving for your child’s college education

Yes, college degree has value – try $1 million

David Bach

The stock market turmoil of the past few years has spooked many of you looking to invest and save for retirement.

But it’s time to get unspooked, advised David Bach, personal finance expert and author of numerous money management books, during a live web chat Wednesday where he took readers questions about retirement planning.

He had a spirited exchange with one reader who saw little value in stock market investing at this point, and had little confidence in financial planners or the U.S. economy.

Jeff wrote:

What if the stock market just goes side ways for the next twenty to thirty years and compound interest ends? Have fun saving for retirement then. All of these models financial planners have blow up. And the reality of it is most American will be totally screwed. Then what?

Bach said:

The reality is, Jeff, that the plans haven't totally blown up. In fact, according studies, people that have stayed the course since the stock market crashed after the recession are now UP, and have seen their 401(k) accounts go from the mid $40,000 levels to the mid $70,000 levels. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up over 100 percent in the last four years from the bottom. We've just lived through one of the fastest stock market corrections in our lifetime. The bond market continues its historic bull market, and has produced annual returns of double-digit proportions. Municipal bonds last year were up over 15 percent. So, good financial planning and consistent savings have helped Americans survive and prosper through this recession. If you believe the stock market is going to stay flat for thirty years, then you should be focusing all of your savings on paying down your debt (specifically your mortgage).

And Jeff countered:

Over the last ten years the market has been side ways. Yes, pick the low point to the current run up to distort reality. Look at Japan. That could well be the future of the U.S. Good luck saving enough for retirement with out compounding.

To that, Bach added:

People save weekly and monthly and quarterly and annually. You my friend are the one distorting the facts. People didn't pile into the stock market ten years ago and then never add to their retirement accounts. And bonds have done extremely well. So has gold, silver and on and on. People are making money investing. If you don't believe it to be true, then don't invest. You can simply spend everything you make, live paycheck to paycheck and then get on live chats like this one and just complain the world is always going to be a terrible place. Sounds like a tough way to live however. I would rather bet on myself to win and bet on America.

Bach’s frank money advice touched upon everything from when to start taking disbursements from retirement plans, to whether you should raid your retirement fund to pay for your kid’s education.

Here’s a transcript of the web chat:

You can follow Bach, author of “The Automatic Millionaire" and "Debt Free For Life: The Finish Rich Plan for Financial Freedom,"  on his Twitter account, or check out his website.

The Diamondback Sorrento starts at $300.

Spring weather has many people pulling their bikes out of storage and topping off the air in the tires for the first ride of the season -- or realizing it’s going to take a lot more than that to get a once-trusty ride on the road again. If it’s been a while since you looked for a new mountain bike, you may be surprised at the quality you can find in the $150 to $400 range. This segment of the market, once sparsely populated by Frankenstein’s monsters of mountain- and road-bike parts, is now home to nimbler models with many more speeds.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks for affordable mountain bikes.

• The Diamondback Sorrento (starting at $300) is lightweight yet heavy-duty, reviewers say, and also easy to put together. Its solid build and impressive performance attract repeat buyers. (Where to buy)
• The Trek 3 Series 3500(starting at $399) is the most expensive bike on our list and one of the only budget models available at specialty bike shops, as opposed to large chains and online outlets. Experts call it stable and agile and riders appreciate the disc brakes, a notable feature at this price. (Where to buy)
• The Schwinn Ridge AL (starting at $225) is a rare find: a low-cost women’s mountain bike that earns mostly positive reviews. The shorter top tube, narrower handlebars, and wider seat might seem like minor variations, but they make the bike safer and more comfortable for female riders. (Where to buy)
• The Genesis V2100(starting at $129) is exclusive to Wal-Mart. It’s the cheapest bike on our list yet the only one with dual suspension, a feature uncommon on budget models. Riders say the full suspension (on both wheels) makes for an exceptionally smooth ride. (Where to buy)

Even though they typically have front-only suspension, the best budget mountain bikes can tackle rough pavement and well-maintained trails. These are entry-level models, however, and many riders caution against pushing the limits of more demanding terrain.

Like most other low-cost mountain bikes these days, the models above have 21 speeds and aluminum frames. Aluminum is lighter but typically no less durable than steel; it’s also rust-resistant. An aluminum frame makes it easier to pick up speed and push, carry, or otherwise transport the bike.

A couple of the models on our list stand out for their brakes. The Trek 3 Series 3500 boasts disc brakes, which are generally reserved for higher-end mountain bikes. While standard V-brakes or linear-pull brakes work by pressing on the rims of the wheels, disc brakes surround the hubs of the wheels. The Genesis V2100 has a disc brake in the front and a linear-pull brake in the back.

One of the biggest trends in mountain bikes is toward “29ers” -- bikes with 29-inch wheels that roll more easily over obstacles. The Coloradoan reports that these now account for nearly a quarter of mountain bike sales, up from 10 percent at the end of 2010. Alas, this is one luxury none of our picks affords; all the budget models above have standard 26-inch wheels.

• More from Cheapism:
  Cheap mountain bikes 
• Best cheap bike helmets 
• Bike lock reviews 
• Cheap exercise bikes 

Companies that provide employees with generous benefits, including contributing more to retirement funds and absorbing health insurance hikes, are often financially healthier because of it.

A study released Wednesday found employers that offered substantial programs focused on the long-term financial health of their workers saw a host of business dividends as a result, everything from lower turnover to better customer service.

Harvard Business Review Analytic Services surveyed 58 of the 100 companies named to “The Principal 10 Best” list over the past decade and also conducted interviews with executives from 20 employers included on the list. Three quarters of those polled reported that benefits contributed to employee retention and 72 percent said they impacted employee loyalty.

The survey was commissioned by the Principal Financial Group, although companies studied did not necessarily use Principal services.

Despite the tough economy in recent years, firms in the study said they had maintained or increased their benefits packages, including raising retirement contributions in some cases. While some did have their employees pay more for health insurance benefits, the majority ate the increased costs.

Virtually all the firms agreed that they have a "strong sense of responsibility when it comes to providing benefits that protect the financial well-being" of employees and their families. When asked to identify the most significant thing they are doing to impact employees’ financial security, nine out of 10 respondents mentioned retirement programs and cited generous employer contributions.

The majority of companies surveyed also provided one-on-one financial help for employees for retirement planning and have added wellness programs.

As a result of the generous benefits, the employers surveyed said they saw a host of benefits, including:

• Enhanced recruitment
• Committed, engaged employees
• Excellent retention
• Deep organizational expertise
• Safe workplace practices
• Strong customer relationships

The question of whether these employers are more likely to have lucrative benefits because they’re successful, or they’re successful because they provide such perks, wasn’t answered by the study, said Luke Vandermillen, senior vice president of retirement & investor services with the Principal Financial Group. However, he said there is “a paternalistic feeling that cuts across these companies.”

The Harvard study shows great benefits are "not only good for employees, but good for those companies that provide well-rounded broad and deep benefit programs," he said.

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A lot of you are scratching your heads about your 401(k), when you bother to think about it at all.

Most of you just don’t want to be bothered by your 401(k) plans even though you’ve signed up for them.

Although employers have been giving employees lots of paper work on these plans, providing education about them, and in many cases matching what workers put in, most workers aren’t taking full advantage of 401(k)s at work, according to two studies released this week by Schwab Retirement Plans Services.

About 54 percent of workers aren’t getting the most out of their employer-sponsored retirement investments, found one study by CFO Research Services, commissioned by Schwab, which surveyed 200 senior finance and human resources executives at large and mid-sized companies.

What’s driving the 401(k) apathy?

“Retirement planning is off in future, therefore it doesn’t get the time or attention it needs,” said Dave Gray, vice president of 401(k) client experience at Charles Schwab.

Many employees feel too busy and too financially ignorant to manage 401(k)s, found the other Schwab study, conducted by Koski Research. The study polled more than 1,000 workers enrolled in such plans nationally and found:

•  More than half (52 percent) say they don't have the time, interest or knowledge to properly manage their 401(k) portfolio.
•  Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) spend less than eight hours per year managing their 401(k) plan account.
•  Many (56 percent) do not review plan-related education materials they receive.

"It's not a good idea to neglect your 401(k) but you don't want to micromanage it either," advised Greg McBride, senior financial analyst for Bankrate.com.

"The 401(k) is the primary vehicle for retirement savings for a majority of people working today," he explained. "This is long-term savings and it does pay to regularly revisit the account for purposes of rebalancing investments and making sure your investment strategy is still consistent with your goals and time horizon."

To combat the investing indifference, employers plan to boost their outreach to workers, including everything from printed materials to workshops, the CFO study found.

Are you in danger of losing unemployment benefits?

Clearly, not paying attention could do you future financial harm. Nearly one third of those surveyed said they didn’t even know about the fees they’re being charged in association with their plans.

You might think it’s better just to pull the plug on your 401(k) because you’re not getting the most out of it, or you could end up making poor investment choices, but Gray warned against that.

“I think any savings is better than no savings,” he maintained.

So, are you managing your 401(k), or is it on autopilot?

Unemployment benefit extensions are set to expire in several states, including California. Are you losing your unemployment benefits or have you exhausted all the benefits available in your state?

If so, we want to hear from you.

Please send us an e-mail including information about where you live, how long you've been looking for a job and when you will be losing your unemployment benefits. Don't forget to include your contact information so we can get in touch.

The financial shocks that began in 2007 prompted a lot of Americans to change their free-spending ways, especially when it came to taking on debt.

Several years on, some Americans may be reversing course, either by choice or necessity.

The Federal Reserve said Monday that Americans sharply increased their borrowing for big-ticket items like cars and education expenses in March and whipped out their credit cards more often.

Experts say the surprising increase of more than $21 billion in consumer borrowing may be a sign that Americans are feeling more comfortable taking on debt again. Or it could be that many are running out of other options.

With the economy still relatively weak, many say it’s doubtful that Americans have forgotten the harsh impact of the recession, financial crisis and credit crunch.

“I would hope that we as consumers have learned our lesson from the economic downturn that hey, we’ve got to watch our spending and spend what we can afford,” said Bill Hardekopf, CEO of lowcards.com, a credit card comparison website. “I would think a great number of people did learn that.”

But even with those lessons in mind, some Americans may feel they have to borrow money.

Paul Edelstein, director of financial economics with IHS Global Insight, said consumers may be taking out car loans because, after years of scrimping and putting off major expenses, they have little choice.

“People are in a position where they have to buy new cars,” Edelstein said.

Are you at risk of losing unemployment benefits?

Americans also may be rushing to take on student loan debt because they’re worried about a potential increase in the borrowing rate, he said. The interest rate on certain student loans could increase to 6.8 percent in July, from 3.4 percent currently, if Congress doesn’t take action.

It’s also possible that students are taking on new student loans faster than the old ones are being paid off thanks to the weak job market, said Alex Matjanec, co-founder of MyBankTracker.com, which provides information about banks, loans and credit cards.

Revolving debt – which is largely composed of credit card debt – accounted for about $5 billion of the increase in March. Still, total credit card debt is much lower than five years ago, before the recession, housing crisis and credit crunch changed people’s habits significantly.

Hardekopf said part of the reason for the March increase could be an aggressive push by banks to get people with good credit to use their cards more. He said banks have been pushing better incentives and rewards, although interest rates have not changed much.

Hardekopf also has seen an increase in credit card offers to higher-risk borrowers with lower credit scores. After years of tight credit they may be getting tempted by the more aggressive offers, he said.

Edelstein said he doubts people will go back to the free-spending, pre-recession days.

One big reason: Housing wealth, or a lack thereof. Before the housing bubble burst many Americans enjoyed the security of having a lot of equity in their homes. These days, with so many homes underwater, people are more likely to have to rely on their paycheck.

“You don’t have that cushion,” he said.