Should you start a 529 college savings plan for your child? Well, there are a lot of things to consider when making that decision once you have some money to put it in. The 529 college saving plan is one of the best ways to save for college. You can contribute into a specified account and your money will grow tax free to pay for future education. You can contribute as much as 300K (depending on the state). It’s important to try to keep it simple. When choosing the best one fo

Even the youngest of people can learn to budget by using the simple system of give, save, and spend. It’s similar to the 50/30/20 rule...

When you get old enough to receive your own paycheck, you are introduced to the concept of gross versus net pay and also the world of...

One of the very first steps that you need to do in setting a personal budget is writing out your needs and wants. What I consider a want,...

Getting in control of your finances can be a journey, but deciding how you travel along that journey is up to you. With spending, a...

Budgeting is not a one size fits all approach. The best budget is the one that you’ll actually use. You can have “the best” one in the...

In talking about interest rates, there are many different variations depending on the kind of debt and your needs. It will all make sense...

There are so many different definitions and terms when it comes to finances that it can get overwhelming at times. Starting out with...

ATM USAGE: It really is the little daily decisions that make a difference in your daily financial life. A great tip is to use only the...

Is it possible to have TOO MUCH in savings? Would it surprise you if I answered YES??? If you've accumulated an emergency fund of more...

If you are someone that has a hard time sticking to your budget or constantly find yourself short before your next pay period, YOU may be someone who needs to use the cash envelope system. You set a certain amount of cash aside for typical spending and once the cash is gone, it's gone. This is great for those that don't pay attention to the little expenses that can add up to a large amount over time. #Finhacks #cashenvelopes

The month of April has its fair share of spring deals and discounts, including: Vacuums. Buying a vacuum isn’t the most exciting thing, but it’ll be less painful if you take advantage of a spring cleaning sale. Look for markdowns at department stores as well as manufacturers like Dyson. Tax-themed items. Year after year, retailers and restaurants try to lighten the burden of Tax Day with discounts and freebies on services like paper shredding. Keep an eye out for these around

For financial success, you need to start small and think big. If you're trying to reach a big goal, do you get overwhelmed with the daunting task? In reality, people save more successfully when they set short-term goals. For instance, committing to saving $20 a week or a month for 6 months is much more attainable that setting a goal to save $500 a month for a year. Once you reach the short-term goal, you’ll have created a habit of saving you can be proud of! You’ll be able to

When should you begin saving for retirement? What is the magic age? It would be easy to say...start saving for your retirement as early as possible. We all know that few people get rich through their wages alone. It's actually the miracle of compound interest (earning interest on your interest over many years) that builds wealth. The youngest workers are in the best position to save for retirement, because literally, time is on their side. If you have a teen that starts worki

Something that you can be doing everyday is saving your coins-literally. This applies to you and your children or family. Putting aside...

Before you make the decision to make a big purchase, use the 24-Hour Rule. Avoid purchasing expensive or unnecessary items on impulse with a self-imposed 24-hour rule. This applies to any non-essential item. It’s perfect for online shopping where your items can simply be added to your cart to purchase later. For so many items, when the initial want wears off, you realize that you don't really "need" it. #24hours #waittospend #Finhacks

So, you've saved enough money for an emergency fund, but what actually qualifies as an emergency??? A wedding? A new car? Those cute boots finally on sale?? Some of the things that may fall under true emergencies are items such as your car breaking down, leaky roof, and expenses for funeral. What do you think? What items do you think would acceptable to take money out of your "emergency" fund?

Some hard truth for you... If you see you have money in your checking account, you will spend it. Period. It's too liquid and available for you and your potential whims. The best bet is to always open a separate savings account, so you don't accidentally spend it when out and about or when you see something you absolutely adore. Stay away from your local banks which literally give you nothing in interest, but instead opt for a "high yield savings account". It still is not cra

If you're renting, you may feel that you can't afford to add more additional cost to your monthly bill. That's especially true if you're trying to save money for a down payment on your own place. Rental insurance covers robberies, vandalism, and natural disasters, but it could even cover things like the medical bills of people who get hurt at your place, and damages you cause at someone else’s home. And if you have to stay somewhere else because of damage done to your apartme

MARCH is not a month where you find a lot of major shopping holidays. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't deals to be found. Tax software Retailers like to discount tax-prep items in March, ahead of Tax Day in April. Grills Buy your summer grilling necessities in March to avoid the spike in prices when summer arrives. Always best to plan ahead. St. Patrick’s Day Essentials Around St. Patrick’s Day, online retailers and department stores usually discount green clothin