9 Signs You’re Not Ready for Home Ownership

9 Signs You’re Not Ready for Home Ownership

Owning a property is an important part of living the American Dream. This is one, if not the biggest expense you’ll ever make and it’s rewarding to finally have a house that you can call your own, but don’t forget, home ownership is a huge commitment.

When you decide to buy a home, you’ll need to have a down payment ready and then you’ll have to pay for processing the purchase, a real estate agent, and then cover closing costs. More importantly, you’ll have mortgage payments that you need to pay each month for (roughly) the next three decades of your […] Read more

SMART Goals: Making Achievable Financial Goals

SMART Goals: Making Achievable Financial Goals

Remember the time last year when you were making New Year’s Resolutions? You probably wanted to shed some pounds, re-organize your routine, or take up new hobbies. You may have also thought about making (or saving) more money and jotted down a financial goal or two.

It’s good to wonder about and question your financial goals from time to time. Goals, whether big or small, short-term or long-term, will set you out to the desired financial path. Maybe you wanted to save up enough down payment for a home in two year’s time or start investing that would run all throughout […] Read more

How to Improve Your Credit Score

How to Improve Your Credit Score

Credit has become the most popular payment method. You can buy nearly anything like homes and cars to menial daily things like your morning coffee or lunch. Putting it on tab has become such a common practice that many people don’t even think twice and it’s a habit that’s really hard to shake.

One look at your credit score and lenders will immediately know your financial standing. You need to take good care of your credit score and maintain a high rating so you can continue to enjoy the many perks that come with being a credit holder. However, this takes […] Read more

Ways to Save Money While You Travel

Ways to Save Money While You Travel

We probably could all agree that traveling is both an adventure and therapy. It feels great to explore new places, meet new people, and have new experiences. But a trip, especially a leisurely one at that, can prove to be financially stressful too.

But what if you have a thirsty wanderlust that you just have to quench? What if you truly want to jet off to a new city or country to temporarily get away and you’re itching to explore a new destination? You know you need how to travel without breaking the bank. And here begins your dilemma — how […] Read more

8 Most Common Financial Mistakes People Make

8 Most Common Financial Mistakes People Make

We’re human. We make mistakes. We make tons of them on a daily basis, but when we ignore our mistakes and don’t try to correct them, we develop habits that could end up hurting us in the long run. When it comes to money, sometimes we learn the hard, costly way.

Financial mistakes come in many different forms. It could be that you impulsively purchased something on your credit card, only to realize you couldn’t afford to pay it off quickly. Well, you can still solve that with saving more eagerly and spending more consciously. For other people, these mistakes end […] Read more

Preparing for Retirement – Saving up for Your Golden Years

Preparing for Retirement – Saving up for Your Golden Years

What do you think about doing when you’re finally done with with your career? You’ll have more time on your hands to pursue something meaningful like a passion project you’ve always wanted to do or you could go traveling multiple times a year. Maybe spend most of your days gardening, writing, or visiting family?

Retirement is both an exciting and scary time for many people. For most, retirement means they don’t have to go to work anymore and have the freedom to spend their time as they wish. While for others, retirement means not being able to work anymore and the […] Read more

Cost of Living in America’s 10 Most Expensive Cities

Cost of Living in America’s 10 Most Expensive Cities

Ahh, how good it feels to live the American dream. The United States offers a sampling of opulent and modern lifestyle, lively cultural melting pot, and a bounty of opportunities.

But before you jet off to the big city and start living “the life”, you need to understand how much it will cost you. Living in some cities may be more affordable, but there are also others where cost of living is expensive.

From housing, groceries, utilities, and entertainment, even down to the cost of a haircut, you’ll notice a big disparity in the price tags. In places like New York, San […] Read more

Affordable Ways to Have Fun While on a Budget

Affordable Ways to Have Fun While on a Budget

In this demanding and fast-paced world, we all need to take a break from time to time to rest, relax, and have fun. Everyone has fun different ways though. Some consider retail therapy as fun, but it’s also the type of fun that can break the bank. Some people like watching movies, eating out in restaurants, and having coffee with friends so much so that their budgets suffer.

Most of us have money set aside to spend on fun and entertainment to break the monotony of work and be able to bond with the people we love. It also lets us […] Read more

8 Important Financial Rules of Thumb

8 Important Financial Rules of Thumb

We make financial decisions everyday. You decide whether you want to spend $5 for a cup of coffee (don’t, seriously) or put the money towards savings. You decide whether you want to buy your dream home or wait until you have enough savings for down payment.

Personal finance means the choice is absolutely up to you and the decisions you make compound to what becomes your financial path.

Managing Your Finances

In personal finance, everything is personal. There are no hard and fast rules that apply to everyone. You can’t spend x dollars on a house if you don’t have x dollars to […] Read more

Saving Money For Your College Education

Saving Money For Your College Education

College education presents a lot of opportunities, but it can also come with a slew of financial challenges. More and more people are realizing the value of attaining higher education despite the huge price tag that comes with it.

Paying for a college education can become the cause of stress of parents and students. Reports show that college is getting more expensive with each passing year. According to Forbes, a four-year degree can cost as much as $334,000 at a private college and one year of education at a public college can run an average of $28,000 while private college education […] Read more