6 Big Financial Lessons of 2011

Many people can't wait to toast 2011 goodbye -- and good riddance. At this time last year, maybe you thought the economy would be a bit more gracious by now. You might have gotten that raise, that new job, finally sold your house, been able to get a mortgage.

Chances are, your financial dreams didn't come true. Which is not to say there haven't been hopeful signs--chiefly that things aren't worse. But when it comes to the recession, most of us are still pretty much stuck.
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"Even if the experts tell us the recession is over, if it's not over in your household, it's not over at all," says Gail Cunningham, spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

So as we reflect on the year that was, here are half a dozen financial lessons to take away from 2011.

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