-
Putting Your Bills on Autopilot: The Pros and Cons
With the click of a single button, you can ensure that all of your bills are paid on time. You don’t have to keep track of paper bills. You don’t need stamps. You don’t have to worry about your check getting lost in the mail. You never have to wonder if your payment will reach its destination on time. Sounds pretty great, right? Well, it is. Sort of. Autopay... -
Get Ready for Income Taxes – Here’s How
Still waiting to file your 2012 income taxes? The deadline to file is April 15, so you’ve got time – but not much. Sure, there are probably lots of things you’d rather do than sit down with a year’s worth of paperwork – but if you do a little prep work beforehand, you can take a lot of the stress out of the process. Want to ensure a... -
How to Avoid Credit Card Theft During the Holidays
Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Doorbusters. Early-bird sales. Chances are you’ve been to a few of your favorite stores — online or brick-and-mortar — since the big holiday shopping season kicked off. And whether you’re still trying to track down a few “must-have” items on your list or looking for deals on fun extras, chances are good that you’ll hit the stores a few more times before it’s all over.... -
Layaway: An Alternative to High-Interest Debt
If you’re like most people, you’re probably looking for ways to get the most bang for your holiday buck – without racking up piles of new, high-interest credit card debt. Black Friday is one way to snag some great prices, but those post-Thanksgiving “doorbusters” and “early bird” deals only apply to a few very specific items. Saving up to pay cash is another smart strategy, financially speaking – but... -
Thou Shalt Live Within Your Means (for financial happiness)
During a recent family vacation, I spotted a sign in front of a church parking lot that said: “Thou Shalt Not Park Here.” That sign gave all of us a good laugh – and it also gave me the (divine) inspiration for this week’s topic. Whether you’re looking for ways to get out of debt or strategies to stretch your hard-earned dollars just a little bit farther, these... -
Bad Habits that Can Ruin Your Credit Score
Bad Habits that Can Ruin Your Credit Score Everyone wants a better credit score, but there’s more to the credit game than simply making your payments on time. Other factors – such as how you use credit, how often you use credit, and even what kind of credit you use can all affect your score. And if you don’t know exactly how your score is determined, you might... -
Savvy Money Moves For Any Income Level
Financial advice is rarely one-size-fits all: If you read financial blogs regularly, you’ve probably seen your share of tips that just don’t apply to your situation. To a family of four living on an income of $20,000 a year, the idea of starting an “emergency fund” with six months’ worth of living expenses probably sounds close to impossible. And if you’re a single person pulling in $65,000 a year,... -
Simple (& Painless) Strategies To Build Savings
Maybe you’re looking for a way to start your much-needed emergency fund – or perhaps you’re just trying to scrape together some extra cash for your summer vacation. Whatever the reason, you know that you want to start saving. But how? It’s easier than you think. In fact, there are lots of easy, and painless ways to make a little bit of change add up to a lot... -
Six Simple Ways to Improve Your Budget
When it comes to budgeting, I think a lot of people expect that they’ll sit down with a few weeks’ worth of receipts and a pad of paper, do a little math, and create a household budget so perfect and balanced and practical that it won’t need adjustments or changes — ever. And this is where so many folks run into trouble. We tend to see budgets as things... -
Five Smart Ways to Spend (and Save) Your Tax Return
According to the IRS, the 2010 tax refund for the average American was around $3,000. That’s a pretty substantial chunk of money. Chances are, you already know how much to expect back from Uncle Sam this year – and you probably have some idea of what you want to do with the money when it lands in your bank account. It’s easy to get swept up in fantasies...