Just when you think you have everything figured out with your finances, an emergency pops up and gets in the way. From a medical bill to a car repair, you never know what the future holds. It is important to be financially prepared for any and every emergency that could come into play in the future. It doesn’t matter how you do this, as long as you take the right approach. Here are three of the...
Financial rules are supposed to guide your behavior and help you make good decisions. However, there are some rules that don’t apply to every person and situation. Here are a few of them. “Stay away from credit cards.” When people advise to stay away from credit cards, it’s often because they’ve felt or seen what credit card trouble is like. They may have watched parents or friends struggle with credit card debt. Or, they may have...
A new year means another opportunity to take your finances to the next level. You can start the new year right by doing these things at the beginning of January. Review last year’s progress. Track how close you came to achieving your goals from last year. If you met or even exceeded your goals, congratulations. If not, consider what you could have done differently to reach your goals. It may mean setting more realistic goals, leaving...
Have you set the goal of being “rich” at some point in your life? While this means something different to everybody, nothing changes the fact that this goal is attainable. If you need a bit of motivation, it is time to turn your attention to Wealth-X, a company that keeps a database of the richest people in the world. Wealth-X recently compiled its list of the wealthiest person in each age group, starting in the 20’s...
Go back in time to the 1990’s and everybody was writing checks to pay their bills. While this is still common, you have another option in today’s world: online bill pay. Some people take full advantage of online bill pay. Others, however, continue to put this off for one reason or another. If you have yet to move in this direction, if you continue to shy away from technology, now is the time to make a...
When you look at your smartphone bill, what do you see? If you don’t fully understand the finer details of the bill, including each charge, there is a good chance you are wasting money each and every month. Here is the good thing: there are steps you can take to cut the cost of smartphone ownership. Even better is the fact that you can do so without making too many changes to the way you use...
With the new year right around the bend, now is the time to examine your budget. This includes both your income and expenses. Can you think of anything better than a salary increase in 2016? While this may not be something every worker experiences, things are looking good for many across the globe. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), citing information collected by advisory firm Korn Ferry and its Hay Group division, said that “workers around...
With the end of the year closing in fast, now is the time to review your budget and determine where things stand. If you like what you see, everything can remain the same for 2016. However, you may soon find that a few changes could do you some good. Here are three budget related tasks to complete before the end of the year: 1. Review your income. Did you earn as much as expected in 2015?...
Many people have fallen in love with the idea of shopping online. This puts them in position to find and buy everything they need, all without stepping foot outside their home. Despite the convenience and opportunity to save money, this experience does not always go as planned. Below are three mistakes to avoid when shopping via the internet: 1. Overpaying for shipping. While you may be able to save money on the cost of the item,...
With the holiday season in full swing, you may find yourself mailing packages all over the country (or world). Unfortunately, some people aren’t lucky enough to see their friends and family in person every holiday season. Before you begin wrapping your gifts, putting them in boxes, and finding a shipping company, here is a question to answer: which shipping provider can best meet your needs? While there are many details to consider, here are three that...
