Retirement finance used to be simple: When you retired, so was your mortgage and the remainder of your debt. That way, you’d have plenty of free cash from your pension and Social Security to do things like travel to exotic places and eat out. But the growing cost of nearly everything from college to healthcare […]
Category: Personal Finance
You Finally Reached Retirement Age, But Now What?
Reaching retirement age is supposed to be a good thing, right? After all, turning 59 ½ gives you access to your 401(k), age 62 allows you to start collecting Social Security, and 65 entitles you to Medicare coverage. These are all things we are taught to look forward to. Benefits we have worked our lifetimes […]
Digit helps to automate saving money and pay off your credit card debt, too!
If you can’t seem to get any savings done, there’s an app out there that could help you. Digit is a service that basically promises to use artificial intelligence to pluck extra money from your checking account and stash it away in an FDIC-insured savings account. There’s a free 100-day trial period with Digit, but […]
5 simple debt management tips to get you back on track
The majority of adults will have to deal with managing their debt at some point in their lives. Accumulating owed funds will often see those same people turn to others for assistance in order to remain somewhat in control. Some will look into informal solutions to control their debt, in order to address the size […]
Spring cleaning: 10 tricks for saving money all year
The spring season may be short, but taking the time to truly clean your home now will reap benefits all year. Add these ten tasks to your household to-do list and save big on emergency service calls all year. As Family Handyman says, “think of these small steps as vitamins for a healthy home.” Happy […]
How to save enough money for a summer vacation, starting now
“This week is stressing me out. Time for a vacation.” If you’ve been saying that to yourself lately, it’s probably true. Vacations aren’t just about letting loose and having a good time — they’re actually necessary for your health. In fact, the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that women […]
Tips and advice for paying off student loans
The biggest fear many students hold about finishing college is the idea of having to pay back all of the loans it has taken to get to that point. It can be hard when you already have so many new things to budget on top of loan payments such as rent, food and other necessities […]
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance: The long-term-care insurance dilemma
One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement savings from the high price of assisted living, in-home care or a stay in a nursing home is long-term-care insurance. But recent premium hikes have many baby boomers worried that coverage is no longer affordable. The median cost of one year in a private room […]
5 Money Experts Reveal How to Spend Wisely on Luxuries
When it comes to sticking to a budget, there’s something to be said for balance. A smart budget will take care of all your needs while satisfying some wants, and will prepare you for the future while helping you live it up a little today. “No matter how aggressive your savings goals are, make sure to […]
How to Go on Vacation With Your Friends If You Can’t Really Afford It
In a survey from Credit Karma, 39 percent of millennial respondents said they spent money they didn’t have to attend social functions with friends. And while fun experiences are one of the best ways to connect with friends, they’re not worth going into debt. After all, if you can’t afford it, the stress could keep […]
Budget tips for NZ families, from NZ families
Setting a budget and sticking to it is really hard and The Spinoff Parents regularly gets asked to pull together budget tips that real parents use. Here are the best crowd-sourced tips from parents in New Zealand. We’ve tried to split this series into parts – because we were sent so many tips. This week we’ve compiled […]
How to find a decent financial planner
How do you spot a truly independent financial adviser? Well, it’s tricky. The $4.6 billion financial planning industry is characterised by a complex web of allegiances and opaque reward structures that, as the Hayne royal commission has demonstrated, do not always serve the best interests of consumers. While it is impossible to guard against fibs […]