By CLAUDIA BUCK, Sacramento Bee

The recession has run a few drivers off the road, at least when it comes to keeping their auto insurance coverage.

Pinched by pay cuts, job losses and other financial hardships, consumers are downshifting: cutting back on coverage, shopping for more competitive rates or, in some cases, letting their insurance lapse to save money.

Nothing like a Wall Street rally to pump up investors. Eager to recoup losses from last year's market plunge, many recession-battered consumers could be eyeing the Dow's recent recovery as a chance to dive back in.

But don't take the leap with your eyes closed.

Hidden behind the stories about highly paid female CEOs, business owners, politicians and athletes, there remains one stubborn financial fact.

On average, U.S. women earn about 80 cents to every dollar earned by men.

While there's plenty of research on why, some of the debate gets down to women themselves, says a longtime financial counselor.

Life with a credit card presumably got a little easier this month. Under new federal regulations, credit card companies have to give more warning before upping your interest rate and more notice before your bill is due.

CashCall Inc., an online "fast-money" lender known for its splashy TV, radio and Web ads, was slapped with a court order this week to pay a $1 million fine and halt its "loan shark" debt collection tactics.

Air Force wife Denise Fernandez wants to help high school and college-age kids of military families get financially savvy. Retiree Bart Aspling, whose wife recently deployed to Texas, hopes to offer financial counseling to families stressed by frequent military relocations.

For millions of Americans, getting a paper check from Social Security or SSI in the mailbox each month is a regular ritual.

But in the last year, the U.S. Treasury has been quietly campaigning to get Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients to switch to a plastic, prepaid debit card.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is urging consumers to be wary of those so-called "convenience checks" that arrive with your credit card statements.

You know them: the blank checks conveniently printed with your name and touted as a way to write yourself a little loan, pay off an extra bill or splurge on a little extra spending.

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.
With friends and family happily piling on, many grads will find themselves sitting on a sizable stash of cash after their diploma walk.

Ah, it's here at last. The summer season has officially kicked off, and we're all a little itchy to grab some sunshine, hit the road or water, and just unwind. And after the economic winter we've had, who doesn't need a break?