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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 …
Now that economy is picking up a bit and consumers are a little more comfortable with credit again, many credit card issuers are stepping up their signing bonus offers. Forget about getting a signing bonus worth $50. Some credit card issuers offer bonuses worth up to $250 or more. Credit card issuers are ready to …
Many consumers like the idea of using CDs for their assets. Cash is seen as fairly safe, and if you make sure your money meets the requirements for FDIC insurance, you don’t have to worry about losing your money if the bank fails. However, before you decide to put your money in CDs, here are …
The whole point of any job search is to get a job — especially if you are unemployed or underemployed. With the current job market in the United States still slow and depressing, it makes sense to do what you can to make the most of your employment situation, and if you are offered a …
Now that another tax season has come to an end, it’s a good time to take stock of your situation, and consider what you might do to improve your situation going forward. One of the best ways to do this is to plan your quarterly tax payments. Year round tax planning can save you money, …
It seems pretty obvious: If you’re spending money, you aren’t actually saving anything. However, we hear talk, all the time, of how someone “saved money” by getting a great deal on something. Even though it seems like saving is happening in this case, the reality is that it’s actually spending. It’s just spending less. While it …
Study after study indicates that many Americans aren’t ready for retirement. Many Americans wonder if they will be able to retire comfortably, and they aren’t sure where to start when it comes to saving what they need. You don’t have to be one of those without a clue. You can figure out how much you …
There are those who do well investing with large amounts of money when they see what they think will be a good deal. However, for most of us, that isn’t the best approach. Most of us have smaller amounts of money to start, and we can’t afford to lose out on an investment that requires …
One of the biggest controversies in recent years is the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which is commonly referred to as Obamacare. The ACA requires that everyone — with a few exceptions — get insurance coverage. Those who have Medicaid or Medicare coverage, or who are covered already through other plans, don’t need to …
As counter-intuitive as it might seem, your credit card issuers might actually be able to help you pay off your debt faster. One of the tools you can use as you create a debt reduction plan is your credit card statement. Each month, your credit card issuer provides you with helpful insight into how you …
Keeping up with your credit report is an important part of making sure that your finances are in proper order. However, the cost of looking at your credit report all the time can start to add up. The good news is that you can access some of the information in your credit report for free. …
One of the ways that you can rebuild your credit is with a secured credit card. Using a secured credit card can help you establish a better financial reputation if you have made a few mistakes, or even if you don’t have enough of a credit history for an unsecured credit card. However, secured credit …
My son is 11 years old, and he’s had a savings account since he was five or so. As he grows, though, I’ve started thinking about the fact that he should probably have a checking account fairly soon. I was 12 or 13 when my mom opened a joint checking account with me, and the …
We hear a lot about high-yield CDs, and trying to beat inflation in our current interest-rate climate. One of the difficulties associated with high-yield CDs is that they aren’t exactly “high-yield” in the way they were prior to the financial crisis and recession. In fact, many of us who had CDs paying in excess of …