Something urgent came up. Someone got sick. Something broke down. Someone lost their job. Someone encouraged you to buy those new shoes you had to have! Then $100 of credit card debt turned into $500, and $500 turned into $1,000. Before you knew it, your family was thousands of dollars in debt trying to recover from unforeseen circumstances.
One of the essential pieces of the American dream includes the opportunity to be a homeowner. This dream, for many Americans, has begun to look like a nightmare. Home and rental prices are skyrocketing, inflation is on the rise, and a pandemic we thought would soon be over is still trying to get the last word! As we live in a world filled with so much uncertainty, one thing we can always be certain of will be our need for adequate housing. And let’s be honest, it would be awesome if that housing was more affordable.
Each year as graduation season rolls around, a new crop of young adults heads off to colleges across the country where they hope to build the skills to succeed in their careers, leading to a life of prosperity. Unfortunately, many students discover that the promise of financial success from their degree is overshadowed by the heavy burden of student loan debt.
If improving your financial health is one of your goals for 2022, traditional Valentine’s Day festivities, such as romantic dinners or extravagant gifts might make your heart beat faster – and not in the “falling in love” kind of way. You don’t have to panic! There are plenty of ways to have a meaningful Valentine’s […]
It’s that time of year again – time to set your new year’s resolutions. Common goals usually revolve around weight loss, but do not forget about the other areas of your life that might benefit from a fresh start. That way, if you fall off the diet and fitness wagon, you will have other things […]
Abuse of older Americans comes in many forms and it can be overwhelming to think of all the tactics a fraudster may use to obtain your personal and financial information. It’s important to keep track of current strategies of abuse but it is even more important to know the ways you can protect yourself on […]
In an effort to protect older Americans from financial abuse, Protect Week helps you identify, avoid and report financial exploitation. Identifying key abuse strategies is essential so that you can protect yourself and those you love from harm. Financial exploitation is the most common type of abuse of older Americans and the strategies that are […]
One of the most heartbreaking things to learn about is the abuse of older Americans. When you first hear that this is an issue, it might not resonate with you. At the time, you may have older family members that are in good health and have adequate support to ensure their identity and finances are […]
Have you seen your credit score recently and been less than thrilled with your report? Potential lenders use this score, along with your credit history, to determine your future ability to repay the credit they consider extending you. The first step to improve your credit score is to understand the five factors that contribute to […]
Have you been getting bombarded with emails about credit reports? Emails with subject lines like “instant credit report” or “your credit report may have changed” are trying to sell you a product that you can get for free. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 gives you the right to get a free […]
The next step in setting up a budget is to list your monthly expenses. There are three major types of expenses we all pay: fixed, variable, and periodic. Do you know the difference? When I first started budgeting, I set up an excel spreadsheet for the year. It was a daunting task to think about […]
We have entered the most financially stressful time of the year; the Holiday season. Regardless of what holiday your family celebrates, there are an abundance of gifts being exchanged during the month of December and the expense of all that gift-giving sneaks up on us every year. If you’ve been working hard to stay on budget […]
The parking lots at the shopping plazas have started to reach chaos status on the weekends. Some people are window shopping in anticipation of Black Friday deals and others are getting a jump on their gift purchases. Gift giving at the holidays gets more complicated each year and it’s hard to get all the shopping […]
Building financial security is all about finding that balance between planning for the future and living a comfortable lifestyle today. It’s never too late to turn your financial health around and the more committed to a healthy financial life you become today, the more security you can build for the future. Adopt these habits today […]
Technology has made everyone’s lives easier, including criminals. From identity theft to online scams, every year, criminals find new ways to use technology and the internet to commit fraudulent acts. These acts are designed to separate you from your hard-earned dollars. Although fraudsters might seem to have the upper hand, there are ways to avoid […]
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