Your annual Fourth of July barbeque doesn’t signal the end of your summer. It’s only just begun, and you have plenty of time to see the world before the heat of the season sizzles out. The timing might be right, but you may be hesitant to book your next trip. It’s not the latest terrorist attacks around the globe or rising geopolitical issues that keep you from travelling the world. It’s your budget. You’re by no means one of the top 1% but neither are you fully care-free. You’re solidly … [Read more...]

It used to be that credit cards were frowned upon and had a bad rap.  Growing up it seemed to be that you only had a credit card on hand for emergencies, and that if you ever used one for purchases, it was that you didn’t have the money at the time.  While it could be true that you don’t have the money, and want to pay it back over time, if used responsibly, credit cards can actually make good financial sense.  Using carelessly, and you could put yourself into credit card debt that could take … [Read more...]

If you are looking at borrowing from any lender, whether it be a mortgage, car loan, credit card, or even insurance, your credit score will likely be the first thing checked when you fill out a credit application to see if you are worthy of lending to.  While income is definitely factored in for loan approval, credit score is what will decide which rate and terms you can get, or if your score is too low, even being turned away at all.  Even the slightest increase from the best rate could cost … [Read more...]

Talking finances can be a tough situation.  In one respect, you could be concealing yourself in one extreme to the other; hiding that you are secretly wealthy, or are in financial trouble.  Whether you are walking down that aisle, have been married for a decade, or are in a serious relationship where you are sharing the finances, it is better to have your affairs in order the earliest you can, so that you can focus on the goal at hand, which could be paying off debt, saving for a house, or … [Read more...]

When I turned eighteen and signed up for a credit card just because they were giving away a free shirt to the college I had just start attending that fall, I had no idea what a whirlwind of careless spending what was ahead, let alone knowing what a credit score was at the time (boy, was that company smart for soliciting ignorant beginning college students).  What I didn’t realize at the time was my current actions would affect my financial life for years to come.  Credit score is everything when … [Read more...]

I just recently had a baby girl, my first child, and it has brought a lot of thoughts to the forefront that I otherwise never considered. I've been married for 5 years now, but have only had a beefed up insurance policy for the past couple years. I hate thinking about death and mortality, who doesn't? But as my family grows and expands I've noticed that the thought of my death bothers me less and less. I really want to make sure they are protected. Knowing this is what will help me to sleep at … [Read more...]