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One of the things that many of us look forward to is retirement. Even if you don’t plan to sit around all day doing nothing once you reach “retirement age”, you still want to be able to do what you want. Essentially, retirement is all about freedom. It’s about the freedom to choose your lifestyle, …
This year, I joined a number of other bloggers in the Grow Your Dough Throwdown, an investment challenge. In this challenge, each of the participants starts with $1,000. We can’t add any new money to the account throughout the year, but we can buy and sell as we see fit, and earnings from our investments can …
After seven years of being a homeowner, I’m back to being a renter. I’ve sold my house, moved across the country, and now live in an apartment (although I can’t complain; the apartment isn’t that much smaller than my house was). One of the first orders of business in my new life as a renter …
One of the problems with paying down debt is that other things sometimes get in the way. Then it becomes difficult, because we often feel as though we aren’t making the progress we would like. However, if you want to be successful, you need to make debt paydown a priority. Often, one of the reasons …
We often think of a credit score as a snapshot of our finances. It’s meant to provide lenders and other financial services providers with insight into how we might manage our money. With a credit score, someone can get a general idea of how you might handle your finances, and whether or not you are …
I almost never use a debit card anymore. I love using my credit cards because they offer me a number of advantages over debit cards. Of course, if you decide to use credit cards instead of debit cards, you do need to be careful; you don’t want to end up in debt. If you have …
Many of us like the idea of changing careers. When you are tired of your current job, or if you are concerned that you might be stuck in a dead end, it is tempting to just start over again in a new career. On top of that, you might be getting vibes that your current …
Even though the financial crisis was several years ago, many people still remember the impact it had on the economy, and on personal finances. Not only do people remember the fear felt during that time, but with the slow growth of the economy, many people still feel as though they are living in a recession …
One of the biggest issues that you need to consider when you marry is whether or not you should open a joint checking account with your spouse. Combining finances can be tricky, and you need to make sure you understand the implications before you go the joint account route. Do You Want to Combine Your …
Now that the year is halfway over, it’s a good idea to reflect on your finances, and look ahead to the coming months. This includes considering what’s next for your taxes. As you arrange your finances for the second half of the year, here are some tax tips to incorporate: Organize Your Paperwork The best …
Too often, we get caught up in a mindset that spending money means more fun. It’s easy to think that, since so many fun activities, from amusement parks to maintaining a boat you can take to the lake, require an outlay of cash. While you don’t have to pinch all of your pennies in an …
If you want to build a nest egg that will result in a successful retirement, you need to have a good investing plan. The reality is that you are unlikely to reach your retirement goals if you don’t invest. As scary as that sounds, the truth is that investing is one of the best ways …
One of the ways to protect your assets without breaking the bank is to purchase insurance. Insurance policies are designed so that you pay a smaller amount each month in exchange for a larger payout down the road if you need it. The premiums can be frustrating — especially if you go years without the …
If you want to make the most of your money over a longer period of time, one of the best things you can do is invest. The power of compound interest can provide you with a way to grow your wealth when you practice consistency in your investing. However, trying to put together the right …
One of the basic tenets of personal finance is that it’s vital that you pay off your debt. In general, debt is viewed negatively. However, there might be times when debt can be a good thing — or at least a Not So Bad thing. If you’re going to use debt to further your finances, …
For the last few months, it seems we’ve heard a lot about data breaches. From major retailers to vulnerabilities like Heartbleed, word that your personal information could be out there is spreading. But what does it matter? As long as you protect your bank account passwords, taking the proper precautions, you should be safe, right? …
Unfortunately, the cost of college keeps rising. While you don’t necessarily need a degree to succeed in your career, many people see still some type of higher education as the key to success later in life. If you are pinning your hopes for future success on the outcome of attending college, then there’s a good …
One of the great things about technology is that it’s possible to manage your money online without too much trouble. With so much of our money represented digitally, you can manage most of your finances from a distance, opening low-cost, free checking account online. However, before you decide to open an online account and use …