Ways to Avoid Student Loans
The student loan industry is huge now. Indeed, outstanding student loan debt now exceeds outstanding credit card debt in the U.S. As you get ready for college this fall, it’s a good idea to think about your More...
Is It Sometimes Worth It To Pay a Little More?
One of the questions we sometimes have to ask ourselves is this: Is it sometimes worth it to pay a little more? The issue of the Netflix price increase has me thinking about when it might be worth your while to More...
Find the Money to Pay Down Debt
One of the most common financial goals that many people have is paying down debt. Finding the money to pay down debt can be difficult, though. In order to be more effective as part of a debt pay down plan, you need More...
Setting Short-Term Savings Goals
One of the best things you can do for your finances is to be in the habit of setting short-term savings goals. Many of us think of saving as something we do for the long term, like when we want to buy a house or More...
Re-evaluating Your Housing Needs
One of the the things I’ve learned about personal finances is that there is a big difference between what you can do and what you should do. When my husband and I were shopping for a home, we were approved More...
Is Your Bank Profiling Your Deposit Account Behaviors?
No doubt, you are aware that Fair Isaac, the company that markets the FICO score, is a leader in consumer profiling. After all, the company offers numerous scores, from a special mortgage score to an “expansion” More...
Paying Down Credit Card Debt: Start with the High Interest Cards
It can be tempting, when creating a debt pay down plan, to start with the lowest balance first. This is because you tend to get an emotional boost when you pay off the debt. It can help you keep going. But, if you More...
Is Rewards Checking Right for You?
One of the growing trends right now is rewards checking. You can go in to a brick and mortar bank and find rewards checking accounts, or you can find rewards checking offerings online. Rewards checking can be a More...
Housing Expenses: What is the 30% Rule?
One of the biggest questions people ask about finances is what the 30% rule means for housing. Does it mean net or gross income? Is it just the mortgage plus interest, or does it include other expenses? You might More...
What To Do When Your Credit Card Account is Compromised
One of the big pieces of news recently is that the PlayStation Network was hacked. The end result? A large number of people had their personal information compromised. I’m one of them. I had a credit card More...
How Do You Know if You Can Afford that Mortgage?
[ad#Left-Align Content Ad]One of the most common concerns for many consumers is whether or not they can afford a mortgage. Figuring out whether or not you can afford a mortgage should be more about simply figuring More...
Money Can Purchase Some Happiness
We hear a lot about how money can’t buy happiness. However, in some cases it really can. Recently, a study pointed out that $75,000 was the salary for happiness. Many might argue that they are perfectly happy More...
Help Your Retirement Account Beat Inflation
[ad#Content 300x250] One of the issues you have to contend with when it comes to retirement is inflation. Inflation, at its most basic, is viewed as rising prices. Inflation erodes your buying power, creating a More...
What Are Penalty Free CDs?
One of the ways that you can get a little bit more out of your cash is to use CDs. A certificate of deposit often has a higher rate of return than what you would get for a traditional savings account, and for some More...