Popular HGTV shows make it seem like making money in real estate is so easy that anyone can do it. Find an old house for sale, fix it up, and sell it for a profit. What could be easier than that? Unfortunately, the majority of people who have tried this on their own end up… Read More
Is Student Loan Refinancing a Good Idea? (Guest Post by Andy Kearns of LendEDU)
With 44 million student loan borrowers currently owing $1.5 trillion in outstanding debt, it’s safe to say student loan debt has reached a critical point in the United States. With its heavy cost, many borrowers are forced to delay major life milestones like starting a family, buying a home, or saving for retirement. As more… Read More
Talking Money with Your College-Bound Kids (as reported by Mia Taylor on www.thesimpledollar.com)
Going to college is a big step in a person’s life. For many, it is the first time away from home. And that means learning to do a lot of things that were not previously required. Included in the list of new responsibilities one has when they go away to school is managing one’s finances…. Read More
Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (as reported by Kailey Fralick on money.cnn.com)
Buying a home can be a daunting task the first time around. One of the big areas of confusion centers around the mortgage. We hear the terms “fixed rate” and “adjustable rate”, and have no idea what they mean or which one makes the most sense in our situation. This guide from CNN Money aims… Read More
Save More by Spending Less (as reported by J.D. Roth on www.getrichslowly.org)
Your personal saving rate is the percentage of your income each month that you are able to save. If you earn $2,000 and you spend $1,500, than your saving rate is 25%. You are saving 25% of your money each month. Personal finance experts will tell you that increasing your saving rate is the key… Read More
Free Tools to Help You Manage Your Investments (as reported by Drew Housman on www.thesimpledollar.com)
In order to grow your wealth over time, you need to invest some percentage, however small, of your income. And you have a number of options for doing so – an employer-sponsored retirement account, a personal IRA, ETFs, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc. Many people will choose to have an experienced financial advisor manage their… Read More
Asking for More Money (as reported by Kathryn Vasel on money.cnn.com)
Do you deserve a raise? Most of us, when asked that question, will answer in the affirmative. “Of course I do,” you think to yourself. But have you tried asking for one? Too many people suffer in silence, worried that simply asking for a raise will draw unwanted negative attention. But the truth is, you… Read More
Bringing Down Your Credit Score (as reported on John Ulzheimer on www.thesimpledollar.com)
If you know anything about how credit cards work, you know that paying off your balance in full by the due date each month is key to managing debt and keeping your credit score high. However, many of us are not aware that there are other things you could be doing that will negatively impact… Read More
Building a Credit History (as reported on blog.mint.com)
When it comes to credit, an individual can either have good credit, or bad credit. Right? Actually, there is a third option, which is often the least understood. And that’s having no credit at all. Having no credit, in some circumstances, is just as bad as having bad credit. That’s because lenders use your credit… Read More
Financial Implications of Divorce (as reported by James Brewer on www.forbes.com)
Though we don’t like to think about it too much, divorce is a possibility with any marriage. And while there are a slew of things to worry about if and when you have to go through a divorce, there are definite financial implications to consider as well. Sometimes a couple will try to make things… Read More