Being “broke” can mean different things to you depending upon the stage of life you’re in. A college kid who views themselves as broke may have no money, but still have access to food and a roof over their head. To an adult, broke may mean that the cash available to them won’t cover their […]
With the kids out of school and long days of warm weather beckoning, taking a vacation might be on the minds of many. In fact, a record-breaking 46.9 million people are planning to travel at least 50 miles away from home this July 4 for Independence Day, according to AAA. That’s up 5 percent from […]
Everyone deserves a special treat now and again. For some, a splurge is a fancy coffee habit while others covet big-ticket items like a new car or exotic beach vacation. Whatever your fancy, splurging can be a nice way to reward yourself, while helping to stay on track with your financial goals — if you […]
The Great Recession hit more than a decade ago, but Americans are still feeling the effects of it on their pocketbooks. When it comes to wealth distribution, families at the middle saw their household wealth drop from more than $140,000 in 2007 to $85,000 in 2010. Despite gains in recent years, average household wealth still […]
Social Security is a retirement program that tens of millions of seniors rely on. Data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) shows that 62% of all retired workers depends on the program for at least half of their monthly income, with about a third of all seniors leaning on Social Security for virtually all of […]
If you feel like your Social Security check doesn’t stretch as far as it once did, there’s a likely explanation for it. Since 2000, the buying power of monthly benefits has fallen by more than a third, according to an annual report released Thursday by the Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group based in Alexandria, […]
According to CreditCards.com, there are in the neighborhood of 192 million card-carrying Americans out there, each of which bears the responsibility of using their credit and/or charge cards in a prudent manner. As we well know, the smarter you are with your credit usage, (usually) the higher your credit score. And the higher your credit […]
Are you wondering what kind of repayment plan is best for your student loans? How about how much you should be contributing to your 401(k) or which career path is best for you? Welcome to the wonderful world of your 20s, where you have a lot of questions but not a whole lot of answers […]
Deciding when to retire. People have to make a lot of decisions around the time they retire. Many of those choices are irreversible and can have a dramatic impact on future comfort. If you withdraw too much money from your 401(k) or IRAs, for example, you could run out of cash before you run out […]
One of the most common questions people have about getting their finances in order is how to possibly save enough for retirement when the numbers are so overwhelming. Life is expensive, and putting away 10 percent of your salary per year seems painful at best and impossible at worst. But it doesn’t have to be […]
Are you getting the best deal on your credit cards? If you regularly carry a balance, a new survey from CreditCards.com suggests there’s almost a 50/50 chance you don’t know how good your deal is – because you aren’t sure what the annual percentage rate (APR) is on your cards. The poll of 2,315 adults […]
With increasing fees and uncertain regulations of banks, many consumers are turning to the credit union as an alternative. When deciding between a bank and a credit union, it is important to consider which works best for your particular financial needs. While both banks and credit unions operate under similar laws and agencies regarding loans, […]
