All posts by Michael Peterson

Pros and Cons of Paperless Statements

In today’s virtual-reliant world, much of our day-to-day business takes place in Cyberspace. But banking and financial transactions might still make you leery. Whether it’s your monthly credit card or mortgage bill, your regular bank account statement, your quarterly 401(k) update, or another financially sensitive document, some of us prefer the piece of paper delivered to our mailbox. Let’s face it: There are some negatives to a paperless system....

What to Look for in a Free Financial Management App

Keeping on top of your personal finances requires a lot of energy. But today, your financial organization can be at your fingertips … literally. As close, in fact, as your cellphone. With mobile banking on the rise, a wave of financial apps has emerged as the convenient way to monitor and track your finances. Use these tools in virtually every aspect of your personal finances. There are apps to...

Cheapest Ways to Do Online Grocery Shopping

According to a Gallup Poll from August 2019, only 2 out of 10 American adults reported regularly doing their weekly grocery shopping online. Since then, due to necessity, many more of us are looking for alternative ways to access food and other basic needs by utilizing these services – but likely suffering the sticker shock of marked-up prices and extra fees that go along with the convenience. If you...

4 Reasons NOT to Get a Payday Loan

Payday : A great day that most of us regard fondly. Payday loan : A financially detrimental debt arrangement that only benefits the lender. There’s a huge difference between these two terms. Unfortunately, while the former is pretty straightforward, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding the latter – something that shady or disreputable lenders use to their advantage.  A payday loan is short-term credit based on a borrower’s...

Eight Most Commonly Overlooked Budget Categories

Have you put the time and effort into creating a written monthly budget, and yet still find yourself constantly going over? Do you often find yourself pulling money from one budget item to cover unexpected expenses in another area? A well thought-out budget is a basic tool everyone should have in their financial toolbox, but if you’ve neglected to include some of the most often overlooked categories, you could...

Determining Your Debt-to-Income Ratio

If you’re an American, chances are pretty good that you carry debt. In fact, a Pew report from 2015 found that 80% of us owe money. While that means we’re in good company, it also means that most of us are feeling the stress of debt and the strain of repayment. So, just how much debt is “too much?” Of course, it’s completely personal – you might be OK...

Cut These 6 Things from Your Budget

Do you feel like you have a hole in your pocket? Do you find that money just slips away from you, unnoticed? Do you have a difficult time reconciling where all your take-home pay ends up? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, it might be a good time to take a step back and really analyze your expenditures. And we’re not talking budgeting, just figuring out...

Keeping Your Student Loan Out of Default

Higher education is a noble pursuit. Unfortunately, in the US, it’s also a pricey one. In fact, The Institute for College Access & Success reported that 65 percent of 2017 grads carry student debt – at an average of $29,200. That’s no small chunk of change, especially for those new to the workforce. It’s no wonder, then, that defaulting on student debt has become rampant. But – like the...

18 Important Credit Card Terms to Know

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by credit card terminology. What’s the difference between your credit report and your credit score? What does APR stand for? What exactly is a CVV, anyway? In this blog, we’ll look at 18 important terms that every credit card holder should know: Annual fee. The yearly “membership” fee attached to some credit cards (usually reward cards). Not all credit cards charge an annual fee....

What Happens After You Pay Off a Credit Card

There’s nothing quite like making your final credit card payment. After months – or maybe even years – of living with the stress and expense of high-interest credit card debt, getting to that zero balance is truly something to celebrate.  Paying off credit card debt feels amazing. But not only that, it also frees you up to pursue other goals, make other plans, and do more with your hard-earned...