Even if you think you have good credit, periodically check the facts on your credit report anyway. Your credit report will outline your full credit history. And it can help you verify you have not been the victim of identity theft.
Read More...Budgeting
An important part of managing money is budgeting. We've collected blog posts with tips and advice on budgeting and saving money.
Bucket List: A Bucket for the Unknown
I opened my freezer and found, to my horror, my ice cream had turned to mush. Why? My refrigerator and freezer were broken. The expense for a new refrigerator was around $700. How could I have seen that expense coming?
Read More...Helping New Graduates Get a Financial Life
Matthew Illian says young adults should read one personal finance book a year to expand their financial literacy. See what books we would recommend.
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Financial Advice for Recent College Graduates
Financial advice for college graduates is easy. Graduates street smart enough to take the advice is rare.
Read More...Essential Financial Advice for College Graduates
As the wife of a 2013 college graduate and a 2012 college graduate myself, I can boldly say this was the most helpful advice given to me.
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Medicare Advantage Plans: Are They For You?
Those planning to enroll in Medicare have lots of homework to do. In this article I cover the essential benefits of Medicare Advantage which is the private insurance option for Medicare recipients.
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More Than 25% of Americans Are Making a Financial Mistake
If you look beyond the short term, making this move is pretty clearly worse than using a high-interest credit card to pay your bills.
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Big Mac Index Shows Official CPI Underreports Inflation
The lack of an adequate CPI adjustments leave seniors 71 days shy of a year’s worth of lovin’ it. Seniors deserve a break today!
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Video: How to Check Up On Your Charity
Maybe it is time you checked up on your favorite charities before making your next gift.
Read More...How much life insurance does a parent need? ($ ?s)
Some suggest using ten times your take home salary as a rough rule of thumb when determining life insurance. Like all such rules, this rough guide is found lacking in many situations.
Read More...Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Punishes Marriage
The maximum income for a couple is not double what it is for a single person. Your spouse’s income can disqualify you from credits you could have received if you had not been legally married.
Read More...Charitable Donations from IRAs
Although a number of tax breaks got snuffed out by the recent tax compromise passed on January 1, the ability to make charitable contributions from IRA accounts for people older than 70 1/2 was given new life.
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What Is the Deadline for a 529 College Plan Distribution? ($ ?s)
Learn about 529 college savings plan distribution rules before you need to start taking money out of your accounts. This post answers the timing question for those who are using the 529 to reimburse expenses already paid.
Read More...Mailbox: Email about how to get silver coins
“Most people don’t know this, but right now there’s a loophole in the American banking system that enables you to exchange ordinary paper dollars for real silver coins.”
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How to avoid the vehicle sales tax in Virginia
“I would like to give my daughter my newer car, but the tax considerations are not simple.”
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Can ‘True Love’ Survive Student Loans and Lack of Employment?
Such a well-intentioned program which steals our youth, our love, our happiness, our faith and our self-esteem.
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Budgeting – Wealth Management Carnival #4
This week’s Carnival is centered around Budgeting. How do you budget — or do you budget? Do you keep up with your money down to the penny, or do you have broad categories and a ballpark idea of how you’re doing?
Read More...Tax records show Republicans overly generous, Democrats excessively stingy.
The hypocrisy of candidates who pretend to be generous with other people’s money while purposefully characterizing those who are actually generous destructively is an issue worthy of consideration when you vote.
Read More...How Much Should I Save Toward Retirement If I’m Starting Late?
Knowing how much you should save for retirement is critical. But what if you are late getting started? The longer you delay, the shorter the time that compound interest can do its magic on your savings.
Read More...$ ?s: How do I determine which debts I should pay off first?
Two proven methods to pay off your debts – with gusto. Say goodbye to the stress, ANXIETY and late fees.
Read More...One Income: The Fiscal Challenges for Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads
Financial planning means supporting the goals of stay-at-home parents to be with their children.
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$ ?s: Maintaining Health Insurance After Losing Your Job
Review your health insurance options after losing your job – COBRA and High Deductible Health Plans.
Read More...$ ?s: Buy a house without a credit history?
Although it is possible, buying a house without a credit history will require you to jump through some uncommon hoops to find a competitive rate.
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College 529 Savings Plan Distribution Rules ($ ?s)
Q: We have saved money for our grandchildren’s college expenses with 529 plans, and now the first is set to begin. What advice do you have as we begin to make distributions from these accounts?
Read More...Doctors need financial planning help, too…
How is the ‘financial health’ of most physicians? Most physicians put in long hours and due to lack of time neglect their own financial and retirement planning.
Read More...Fund a Teenager’s Million-Dollar Retirement
We teach teenagers a lot more about sexuality than we do about money. This can confuse them about what they should be learning. Give this article to a teenager and encourage him or her to start a Roth IRA.
Read More...Is Federal Student Aid Among the Best or Worst Government Programs?
The unintended consequences of good intentions can do more economic harm than all the mean-spirited greed within capitalism.
Read More...Squirrel Away Money While You Can
Franco Modigliani won the Nobel Prize for a simple technique that squirrels know intuitively from birth. You have to squirrel away some nuts during times of plenty so you can survive during times of scarcity.
Read More...How To Avoid Drowning in College Debt
Debt burdens are relative. For example, a $58k college debt will feel doable to a doctor making $100k+ per year and overwhelming to a lower wage employee. A degree should not cost more than your future earning power will sustain.
Read More...GiveBuddy.com – Dine and raise money for the organization you care about.
Last month I was eating lunch at a local restaurant when I noticed an offer by GiveBuddy.com that the restaurant would send a check for 10% of my receipt to any organization I chose.
Read More...Crunching Numbers As Wedding Bells Toll
Many parents feel obliged to pay for their child’s wedding, but financial advisers can try to help keep the spending under control. About one in three mass-affluent parents believe it is their duty to pick up about half the bill for their first child’s wedding.
Read More...Securing Your Credit
A U.S. Public Interest Research Group report in 2004 found that one in four credit reports have serious errors that could significantly lower your chances of being approved.
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