Has a dog or cat grabbed hold of your heart? It doesn’t take much. A paw on the arm. A lick on the nose, or a soft purr or whimper can turn most of us into dog or cat parents in minutes. With animal shelters across the U.S. frequently at their max, there are a record...
Financial Planning Articles
Avoiding Retirement Woes
How to Avoid Retirement Woes According to the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the top concern of retirees is running out of money. While it’s a known fact that many of us don’t begin to save for retirement when we should, it appears that nearly half of all current...
Top 5 Things 20-Somethings Need to Do
If you’re in your 20s, rejoice! You’re in a great position to create the life you want, starting with a secure financial future. While it’s common to feel overwhelmed when entering the workforce full time, there are a lot of things you can do fresh out of college that...
How to Start Investing
If you’re interested in beginning to invest but are nervous, or simply don’t have a lot of money to invest, why not start slow? There are a multitude of ways to get started without risking a lot of money in the process. If you have $1,000 and are ready to start...
When and Why to Switch Auto Insurance
Like health care, many of us continue with the same auto insurance policy for years, never bothering to find out whether another insurance carrier could provide better service or save us some money. But there are several reasons why shopping for another auto insurance...
7 Ways to Avoid Bankruptcy
In 2018, Americans’ debt hit $13 trillion, with the average American carrying more than $38,000 in debt – not including home mortgages. For many, debt is simply a way of life, with more Americans living from paycheck to paycheck. For those consumed by debt, Chapter 7...
New Home Financing Checklist
While owning a home is the quintessential American dream, not everyone is able to purchase a home when they desire. If you’re fresh out of school with a boat load of student debt, it’s probably best to wait until you’ve been working for at least a year before you...
Start Saving for Retirement Today
Time certainly goes by fast. One day you’re interviewing for your first job and the next thing you know you’re a few short years from applying for Social Security. If you’ve planned for your retirement, you’ll likely have a good stash of funds saved. But the...
Finance Financial Missteps
Personal finance, like just about everything else, is mainly common sense. Advice like “don’t spend more than you make; start investing while you’re young; don’t loan money to friends with the expectation of getting it back,” have been around for generations, and most...
Why Financial Advisors Are Still Important
With the rise in popularity of financial planning robo-advisors, many experts predicted the beginning of the end for financial advisors. But as many investors are starting to see, there are distinct advantages to speaking with a live person when determining just how...
10 Ways to Save Money
While it may not seem so, there are a lot of painless ways to save money. Not just for those who have a limited cash flow, but also for those with plenty of surplus cash who will appreciate ways to cut back on monetary waste. Here are just a few things you can do to...
Start Fixing Your Credit Score Today
Whether you like it or not, a good credit score is essential. Your credit score factors into everything from insurance rates, to whether you get the job you applied for. A good credit score is also needed to buy a house, obtain cell phone service, rent an apartment,...