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The Olsen Twins were once the world's nations wealthiest kids but it seems that title has been handed over to none other than Miley Cyrus. PEOPLE magazine has reported that Disney's singing and acting sensation and her Hannah Montana brand are slated to bring in $1 billion by the end of the year. (Not bad for 15-years-old) And, while not a billion, other child stars, like the Jonas Brothers, Dakota Fanning, and Abigail Breslin are bringing in multi-millions each year.

This made me wonder what average kids are doing with their money and how much they get in the first place. I headed out on the streets of New York City to find out and it seems that New York's youth are spending the majority of money they receive on their sweet tooth cravings. Many said that they spend their allowances on candy, and sometimes toys and clothes.

These kids, who generally earn their dough by doing chores around the house, bring in a range of dollar amounts: anywhere between $7 and $40 a week. While Miley Cyrus says that she would like to purchase a vintage Corvette with all her cash and the Jonas brothers bought new computers with theirs, the kids on the street said that if they had that kind of money they would consider doing something else with it.

On May 1st high school seniors across the country will be making one of the biggest decisions of their lives - where to go to college. For many the key factor in that decision will be finances and the financial aid packages offered. In other words, if college is in your family's future, this weekend is a big deal.

There are thousands of grants and scholarships available each year, but free money isn't always easy to find. Reference books can be expensive and cumbersome, and most experts say that they're not worth the $50 price tag. Instead, check out one of the many online databases to find out what grants and scholarships are available.

Here are some places to start looking:

GrantsWeb - Information on government and private funding, as well as other resources.

Federal Domestic Assistance Catalogue - A searchable directory of federal programs that provides assistance including formula grants and project grants.

GrantSource Service - From UNC Chapel Hill, this site has a library of grant databases for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Continue reading How to Factor Grants and Scholarships into College Choice to find out about more databases.

Talk is cheap. Or is it?

Last week Bill and Hillary released their tax returns from the years after they moved out of the 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and the numbers were big: Since 2000, the democratic duo have brought in $109 million, some $52 million of which came from President Clinton's numerous speaking engagements. Wow!

Wouldn't it be nice to get paid to talk? The experts say it's possible and it doesn't take ex-presidential status to make a living, or even a second career, from professional speaking.

Time banking is a must do for anyone interested in doing good and saving money at the same time.

Time banks ask their members to provide services to their community neighbors, in return for Time Dollars. Those Time Dollars can then be spent on a service that you would like to have. The services range from giving someone a ride to the airport to cooking dinner for a family whose parents work late, but all services offered depend on who is a part of the time bank and what they have to offer.

A Time Dollar is basically equal to an hour's worth of work. If you do community service for the time bank for an hour, you then receive one Time Dollar and can then use that Time Dollar to "purchase" an hour's worth of work.

Fear not Hannaford customers, as long as you act quickly and responsibly, you can recover your financial future.

Supermarket chain Hannaford Bros. announced earlier this week that the company had experienced a security breach potentially exposing more than four million credit card numbers, debit card numbers and expiration dates. And while the supermarket chain says that it is working with credit and debit card companies to make things right, customers are probably wondering what kind of risk they face and what they need to do right now.

Still suffering from a holiday spending binge? You've got a few more weeks to tell your story of profligate spending and win a chance to get your credit cards paid off -- or at least up to $5,000 -- by Mint.com. The contest runs through March 31, during which time participants can enter a text story or upload a video at Mint.com. Along with the credit payments, the winning video entrant and the winning writer will each receive financial counseling so they do not make the same money mistakes again. Membership at Mint is not a requirement to enter the contest.

Mint is a web-based company that allows its members to enter all of their credit card and banking information and then automatically tracks spending, finds savings and helps with budgeting. In the wake of the holiday season, there are many people suffering the pains that come from looking at the mounting credit card bills.