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One of my favorite things to do is travel. One of the realities of travel, however, is that it can be uncertain. There are a number of things that can interrupt your trip. Whether it’s an illness, the death of a loved one, a car accident or bad weather at your destination, you never know …
One of the questions that many consumers ask as they wrestle with the realities of debt repayment is which debt to tackle first. There are different schools of thought, with some insisting that you start with the debt that has the lowest balance, and others insisting that you rank your debts in order of highest …
By now, there are few consumers who don’t realize how important good credit is. Most people know that they need to have good credit. What’s in a credit report can influence money-related decisions from whether or not you get a loan to whether or not you are hired for a job. Your credit is so …
Do you wish you had a lower interest rate on your credit card? What if you don’t want to pay an annual fee? Just because the credit card issuer says that something is part of the terms doesn’t mean that it has to be for you. A couple of years ago, I was able to …
In times of economic and stock market turmoil, many investors look for ways to increase the safety of their investments. Looking for investments that are likely to provide safety, rather than high returns, become the priority when people are worried about what’s coming in the economy. Cash becomes preferred during times like this. As a …
Recently, it seems as though banks are trying their best to squeeze as much money as they can out of consumers. Fees continue to head higher, and account minimums are imposed. In fact, we’ve heard a lot about the demise of the free checking account, and how consumers are a little unhappy about the current …
Often, when we think about saving, we think about our long term goals. We know that we are supposed to be setting money aside for retirement, and even for emergencies. However, many consumers don’t realize that they can save for short term goals as well. Just like any other savings goal requires planning, short term …
One of the things I hear a lot is, “But I don’t have enough money to start investing”. Even after the Internet revolution has democratized investing to the point where almost anyone can start investing online, the myth that you need to have a large chunk of capital to start investing persists. The reality is …
Starting in 2014, the individual mandate provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), known as “Obamacare”, goes into effect. If you don’t have insurance coverage right now, you might be required to get it — or pay a fine. What is the Individual Mandate? Under the PPACA, the individual mandate requires that …
You’ve probably heard commercials on the radio, or seen ads on the Internet: You can get rid of your debt, paying just pennies on the dollar for what you owe. These types of offers are typically the result of debt settlement efforts. In some cases, the promises are true; there are some companies that can …
One of the most financially devastating actions you can take is to declare bankruptcy. Your bankruptcy filing is reported under the credit payment history portion of your credit report. That is the factor that weighs most heavily in the calculation of your score. As a result of this reality, a bankruptcy can result in a …
One of the best ways to improve your finances is to add in the use of rewards credit cards. The right rewards credit cards can help you earn free travel and even cash back. As long as you are careful to incorporate your credit card use into your regular spending, and as long as you …
In the current low-rate environment, many consumers are looking for ways to improve the yield they receive from their deposit accounts. In some cases, opening a money market account can be an attractive option. Some money market accounts have better yields than “regular” bank accounts, and this makes them attractive. But before you open a …
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the Federal Reserve and its policies recently. A couple of weeks ago, Ben Bernanke seemed to indicate that the Federal Reserve is almost ready to begin tapering its asset purchases, thereby reducing economic stimulus. As a result, long-term interest rates — particularly mortgage rates — spiked. The …
During the summer between my junior year and senior year of college, I participated in an internship. As a Communications major, I was expected to complete an internship for college credit — and for experience. While I didn’t receive pay (and I even had to pay for the summer credits), the experience still proved useful. …
You can’t escape taxes. Even if you aren’t paying income tax, you still pay taxes somewhere. When you are aware of the taxes you are paying, you can take steps to minimize your tax liability. There are some taxes you can never avoid, but with some careful thought and planning, it is possible to reduce …
Rejection. It’s one of the worst feelings ever. Whether it’s being rejected by your dream date at your high school prom, or getting rejected for a raise at your job. Nothing compares to the gut-wrenching feeling of being denied. Getting rejected on applying for life insurance is no different. Nowadays, people have many different high …
One of the most important things you can do for your financial future is to set money aside for retirement. Your retirement fund can provide you with peace of mind and financial stability in your later years. It’s easy to forget about the future when you’re worried about the present. But you really need to …