Shop Intentionally to Avoid Holiday Overspending Posted on 11.27.2019 Bookmark the permalink The holidays can be hard: cooking elaborate meals, facing frigid temperatures, making travel plans that please everyone. Overspending, however, is too easy. In fact, about 48 million Americans are still paying off credit card debt from last holiday season, according to a NerdWallet survey conducted by The Harris Poll. To avoid financial regrets in 2020, shop intentionally. Here’s how: Understand why overspending … Continue reading →
You Lost Your Job? Here’s How to Find Your Financial Footing Posted on 11.20.2019 Bookmark the permalink It doesn’t matter if you were fired or laid off, whether you saw it coming or were completely blindsided: Losing your job is disorienting. You’ll feel like you’re in a fog. And yet, in that fog you still need to answer some important questions: How will you pay rent? Put gas in your car? What about your student loans? The … Continue reading →
3 Things to Do When You Get a Salary Increase Posted on 11.13.2019 Bookmark the permalink Bravo! Everyone wants to make more money, and you’ve managed to do just that. Whether you received a raise or took a higher-paying job, a salary increase is something to celebrate. It’s also something to evaluate within your larger financial picture. That way, you know what to do with your additional cash. Here’s what to do when you get a … Continue reading →
How to Stop Anxiety From Ruling Your Finances Posted on 11.06.2019 Bookmark the permalink Financial decisions are rarely easy, whether it’s buying your first car or home or deciding whether to refinance student loans. The anxiety can be heightened for millennials who witnessed economic turmoil during the Great Recession as they weigh milestone financial choices as adults. “Many [millennials] grew up and saw their parents lose a house or have to delay retirement,” says … Continue reading →
Vanquish 5 Common Financial Fears Posted on 10.30.2019 Bookmark the permalink Fear can consume you. The anxiety of the unknown can drive you to pull the blanket over your head, whether you’re worried about a rustling sound outside your bedroom window or that you won’t have enough retirement savings. Financial fears — not wanting to check your credit, confront your debt or even discuss your student loans — can feel especially … Continue reading →
The Technophobe’s Guide to Cybersecurity Posted on 10.23.2019 Bookmark the permalink Having your data exposed in a breach feels inevitable, so securing your information online is a must. But with terms like VPN, SSO and HTTPS being bandied about, it’s hard to know where to start. It’s true, there are many, many steps you could take to improve your security — some involving acronyms — but experts say a few basics will … Continue reading →
Sneaky Ways Burnout Hurts Your Bottom Line Posted on 10.16.2019 Bookmark the permalink Millennials are a burned-out bunch. Millennial workers are more likely than older generations to report being burned out at work, according to a 2018 Gallup study. The gig economy, the temptations of social media and the high expectations millennials have of themselves contribute to this trend, behavioral finance experts say. Add to that record student debt levels, the cost of … Continue reading →
No Holiday Savings Yet? Here’s How to Build Your Funds Fast Posted on 10.02.2019 Bookmark the permalink Timing is everything when it comes to saving for the holidays. The longer you have to build up cash reserves, plan your budget and buy gifts at the right price, the better you can cover these seasonal costs without going into debt. Avoiding debt around the holidays can save you from a spending hangover in the new year: Shoppers who … Continue reading →
Buying Now and Paying Later? Handle With Care Posted on 09.25.2019 Bookmark the permalink At Lamps.com, you can purchase a modern chrome floor lamp for your home for $178.95. If that sounds steep, keep reading. Underneath the price, there’s an alternative. Instead of paying $178.95 now, you can choose to pay in four interest-free slices of $44.74 — one upfront and the rest every two weeks. This doesn’t affect the cost of the lamp, … Continue reading →
Your Credit Score Isn’t the Only Gauge of Financial Health Posted on 09.12.2019 Bookmark the permalink Your credit score is a bellwether of your financial habits, but it’s not the only one. There are other numbers that say a lot about you when you apply for things like a credit card, car loan or mortgage, or act as a yardstick to measure how financially healthy you are. Here are three numbers worth paying attention to and … Continue reading →