Sometimes simple is best. Many of us tend to complicate our financial situation; overthinking our options while ignoring the basics. But like anything else, the simplest rules are often the most important ones; and the ones most likely to be ignored. How many of these rules do you follow? ALWAYS spend less money than you make. This may be the cornerstone of financial rules and it’s certainly the one that lends itself more to common...
The American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA) recently published a list of personal finance trends that we should all be concerned about. These trends highlight the fact that almost 63 percent of Americans today are unable to pass a basic financial literacy test. Here are the troubling trends, as well as some tips on how to avoid them: Credit card debt is on the rise. As of the end of December, 2018, consumer credit card debt...
If you’re a beginning investor, it’s likely you’re concentrating on building your portfolio. But as important as it is to build that portfolio, you should also ensure that it’s diversified. Why is a diversified portfolio so important? There are three key reasons why diversifying is important: A diversified portfolio helps minimize risk. Stocks can be a risky investment at any time, but with a diversified portfolio, you can help minimize the risk by spreading that...
Managing finances properly is mainly common sense. While we’ve all made financial mistakes, most of those mistakes are easily rectified, particularly when promptly corrected. However, there are some financial decisions that can be much harder to recover from. Here are just a few of them: Spending more than you make. This usually occurs when overusing credit cards. The temptation is there, particularly for those fresh out of college, to use credit cards to pay for...
If you’re still unsure about investing in stocks or have questions on how buying stocks actually works, here are a few quick questions and answers about the entire process, from what exactly is a stock, to how do you buy stock. What exactly are stocks? While the term may be confusing, the actual answer is less so. Stocks are simply a share of the ownership of the company that you’re buying stock in. Of course...
Whether you like it or not, a good credit score is essential. Your credit score factors into everything from insurance rates, to whether you get the job you applied for. A good credit score is also needed to buy a house, obtain cell phone service, rent an apartment, and buy a car. Of course, life happens, and your credit score can plummet. Perhaps you lose your job and can’t pay your rent or mortgage, or...
Whether you like it or not, your credit score can determine how easy or how difficult it is to buy a car, buy a house, get cell phone service, or even get a job. A bad credit score can negatively impact just about every area of your life. Sometimes, a bad credit score can result from events entirely out of your control such as illness, disability, or from the loss of a job. Other times...
How to Avoid Retirement Woes According to the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the top concern of retirees is running out of money. While it’s a known fact that many of us don’t begin to save for retirement when we should, it appears that nearly half of all current retirees are concerned about outliving their retirement funds. However, there are some things you can do now to help mitigate the very real risk of outliving...
We all have our own unique way of handling our finances. While some of us are natural born savers, others may have a hard time making it to the next paycheck. Fortunately, most of us fall somewhere in-between, putting away money at times, while making frivolous purchases at other times. If you are looking for a better, more effective way to bolster your savings, here are a few suggestions that are easy to follow and...
