Pay yourself first. Set financial goals. Automate your savings. It doesn’t matter which version of this personal finance mantra you’ve heard, it all means the same thing: saving money is an important part of your financial health.
5 Ways to Use Your Tax Refund to Grow Your Wealth
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If you’re part of the 54 percent of American taxpayers anxiously anticipating a tax refund this year, you should have an action plan for that money once it hits your bank account. According to the IRS, the average refund last year was $2,860. That’s a nice chunk of change that can have a huge impact […]
Your Post-Grad Money Checklist — Are You Prepared?
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After 12 years in school and another 4 years of college, you finally earned the right to toss your graduation cap in the air in celebration, only to have it come crashing down to the overwhelming reality of student loan debt, sky high living costs and major “adulting” decisions you feel painfully unprepared to handle. […]
4 Financial Tips College Seniors Should Know
Senior year! It’s what you’ve been working towards since that first day of kindergarten – or at least what your parents have been thinking about. Senior year of undergrad is also the last time you really get to delay maturity and live in the protective bubble of college (grad school just isn’t the same). Even […]
5 Steps to Pay Yourself First and Grow Your Wealth
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“I just don’t have enough money to save some each month.” If I had a dollar for every time someone lamented how he or she couldn’t possibly save money, then I would never need to save money out of my own paycheck. Unfortunately, this all-too-common complaint means the complainer has neglected the most important piece […]
7 Personal Spending Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
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When it comes to controlling spending, sometimes everything seems to be working against us. There are so many ways to spend money – and so many reasons it’s difficult not to. It’s possible to take control of your spending, however. Many people have done it. Take a look at these personal spending pitfalls and how […]
5 Quick and Easy Budgeting Tips to Finance Your Lower Paycheck
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Elimination of the payroll tax credit that went into effect on January 1, 2013 has more than likely affected your take-home pay. For most Americans, it’s to the tune of about 2%. The payroll tax credit for 2011 and 2012 effectively replaced the Making Work Pay Credit that expired in 2010. If you don’t think […]
The Secret to Financial Success
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Do you think about your future? Where you’ll be (want to be) in 5, 10 or 15 years? The biggest secret to financial success – or success in any endeavor – is to think farther ahead than most people do. To illustrate how that works, think about kids growing up. They gradually become able to […]
To Itemize or Not to Itemize: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself
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Have you ever itemized your tax deductions? In 2009, almost two-thirds of tax filers claimed the standard deduction, which for married couples filing jointly, was $11,400. Those who itemized in that category, however, averaged a whopping $32,000 in deductions. While you may not personally enjoy an increase that large, it’s worth investigating. To itemize your […]
