Finance Globe

In today’s day and age, a cell phone has become a must have item. While there are people living without this technology, they’re few and far between. According to Pew Research Center, 95 percent of Americans own some type of cell phone. Enough said! If you’re tired of overpaying on your monthly bill here are some simple steps to take in the immediate future. Even if you only do one of these things there’s a good...

Some of your favorite brands and retailers offer co-branded credit cards. These are credit cards that are partnered with a major retailer in addition to the bank who issues the credit card. Co-branded credit cards are similar to closed-loop store credit cards in that you can earn more rewards for shopping with that brand of store. But, co-branded credit cards are partnered with a major credit card processing network - American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Discover...

Any time you fall behind on a payment, there’s a risk of your account going to a debt collector. This applies to credit cards, loans, cell phone payments, cable service and anything else that has a monthly payment. Many people incorrectly assume they no longer have to pay off an account because it’s been sent to a collection agency. However, you still owe a debt, even when it’s been sent to collections, and there are still...

Having your credit card declined is both embarrassing and inconvenience. It’s not always necessarily your fault - sometimes there’s a problem on the credit card issuer’s end. Even the merchant may have technical issues that can cause your credit card to be declined. Before you panic, here are some reasons that explain why your credit card could be declined. You don’t have enough available credit. Some credit card issuers will allow you to exceed your credit...

As a pet owner, it goes without saying that you understand the many expenses that can come to light over the years. Although you may have passed on pet insurance in the past, it may be something you want to consider today (or in the near future). It’s been estimated that only one to two percent of the nation’s dog and cat owners carry pet insurance. Even so, this number is slowly rising. If you’re interested...

In the past several weeks, you’ve probably noticed your gas prices creeping higher and higher each time you visit the gas pump. You’re especially feeling the pinch if you have an SUV or a vehicle that requires premium gas. Crude oil prices are at the highest level in more than three years, which means increasing gas prices may not slow down any time soon. Choosing the right credit card can help you alleviate some of the...

As many of you are likely already aware, many individuals and companies are investing into exchange-traded funds or what are commonly called ETFs. This have almost become the new normal to investing, but I propose the question of if people actually know what exchange traded funds are. Below is a high level summary and feel free to post any follow up questions. Exchange traded funds or ETFs are not all that different from regular mutual funds,...

Over the last few months, I have written a few articles on various topics of cryptocurrency. Given the increased demand around cryptocurrency, I wanted to continue these brief articles and wanted to discuss what Ethereum is. Below is a high-level summary of what Ethereum is. Please feel free to post any follow up questions in the comment section below. Ethereum is an open software platform based on blockchain technology that enables developers to build and deploy...

Many people know what social security is, but there are people today who still aren’t sure exactly what social security does for people. There are also many people who don’t know the details of the program either. Below is a high-level summary of the program. Social security is a pay-as-you-go program, meaning today’s workforce pays social security taxes into the program and money flows back out as monthly income to beneficiaries. About 169 million Americans pay...

Many homeowners never think twice about their home’s thermostat. As long as it does its job, they leave well enough alone (and hope that nothing ever goes wrong). While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, there are many benefits of a smart thermostat that you can’t afford to overlook. Here are three reasons why now may be the time to ditch your old thermostat for something that’s much smarter: •    Save energy, save money. Every homeowner...