Before you start searching for a home, understand how much money you’ll really need. Home ownership has several advantages over renting, including lower monthly payments, deductible mortgage interest, and the accumulation of equity. But there is a definite price to pay for these benefits, including the expenses we detail here. The biggest spend is [...]
Did You Tell Your Money What to Do? Learn how to spend your money with intention with a Spending Plan. Couples are made up of a saver…and a spender. Which one are you? The saver LOVES the idea of a budget. The spender calls them a party-pooper. The spender hates the idea of a [...]
Do you know how long it will take you to get out of debt? When will you be debt-free? There was a time in my life when I had debt. In my mind, it was ok because I was paying on-time each month. I was “playing by the rules”: No late payments and my [...]
One year ago, there was already troubling news about how little Americans had saved for retirement. Then the pandemic descended, multiplying those concerns. Local and national governments attempted to help with the immediate needs of citizens who, on a grand scale, suffered sudden job losses. The CARES Act paved the way for people to [...]
As a financial advisor, I experience highs and lows…and I’m not talking about the stock market. One of the areas I cherish most about what I get to do with my life is seeing people succeed financially and make progress towards their goals. That never gets old, it still fires me up! But I also [...]
Yes, You Can Get Out of Debt In America today, carrying some debt is unavoidable, and even desirable, for most households. But between mortgages, car payments, and credit cards, many Americans find themselves over their heads — unable to dig out from under a growing debt burden that consumes an ever-growing portion of their resources. [...]
After marriage, couples typically combine a number of things – their belongings, their families and, often, their finances. While money ranks high on the list of things couples fight about most, experts say there are healthy ways to resolve – and even prevent – financial disagreements. Much of the problem couples have with money comes [...]
Some key financial steps that you could take. Your twenties are the perfect time to save and invest. Do it now, and you will have a great ally—time—on your side. Think about doing the following things if you’re not doing them already. Put money into a retirement plan. Save and invest through a 401(k), [...]
During this holiday season, avoid a credit card crunch and the dangerous pitfall of spending money earmarked for other goals, such as retirement. As the traditional giving season approaches, there is one important item to add to your to do list: Create a holiday budget. Before the gift shopping and wrapping begins, take [...]
Five years before they retire, older workers start focusing seriously on the big changes ahead, says Emily Guy Birkin, in her book, The 5 Years Before You Retire: Retirement Planning When You Need It the Most. In those last few years, you can get a lot done. Here is a countdown of some of the tasks [...]
