Too many people spend more than they can afford on a home, and it comes back to bite them in the long run because they can’t afford to make the payments and end up underwater. Part of the reason for this is that we often answer the question, “how much house can I afford?” with… Read More
Married Women Still Defer to Husbands for Financial Planning (as reported by Cassie Werber on qz.com)
One might think that in today’s world, with more parity between the sexes, that more women would be taking the lead when it comes to investing. But that is not what the results of a recent survey by UBS tells us. The survey found that married women were much less likely to have responsibility for… Read More
No Such Thing as a Safe Job (as reported by Trent Hamm on www.thesimpledollar.com)
The recent government shutdown disrupted people’s lives and work all over this country. And it brought with it a useful set of lessons in the world of personal finance. Let’s review them- First, there is no such thing as a “safe” job. While we all seek stability through work, we must admit that events and… Read More
Lower Your Cable Bill (as reported by Chris Brantner on money.usnews.com)
It’s natural and healthy to always be on the lookout for ways to save money in your life. Lowering expenses is the only way to increase your savings if earning more isn’t possible. One common expenditure that people are eager to cut back on is cable. That monthly bill that seems to increase every year… Read More
When Spending Less Costs More (as reported by J. D. Roth on www.getrichslowly.org)
A common piece of personal financial advice you are likely to hear around spending is to look for bargains. The advice is coming from a good place. Every dollar you are able to save is another dollar that you can invest toward the future. But there’s a problem. Often, when we shop for bargains, we… Read More
Change Your Financial Mindset (as reported by David Ning on www.moneyning.com)
Saving more is hard. Identifying opportunities to pay down debt or save extra money is also hard. And it certainly is not fun. But it can be very rewarding, because every time you make the effort to save more, invest more, or eliminate debt, you are getting closer to your financial goals, whatever those may… Read More
Eliminate Poor Spending Decisions (as reported by Gaby Del Valle on www.vox.com)
The saying goes, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” No matter how proactive we are about making a budget, growing our income, and planning our investments, poor spending decisions can wreak havoc on our personal financial plans. So how do we avoid poor spending decisions? This article from moneyning.com offers… 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
Are You Ready to Buy a Home? (as reported by Zina Kumok on blog.mint.com)
Buying a home is a big deal. And the combination of high student loan debt and the increasing cost of real estate in the US is making home buying even more difficult than it has been in the past. But there are still some things you can ask yourself to know whether or not you… Read More