Key Considerations for Smooth Wealth Transfer Planning
By Tim McMahon |
3 Keys to Teaching Your Kids Financial Literacy
Teaching kids how to take care of their money while they are still kids can help them become financially healthy adults. They must learn how to take care of their money, even if their school doesn’t offer classes in money management. You, as their parent, should teach them about the concepts of budgeting, saving, and spending. If you do, they stand a better chance of developing excellent and healthy financial habits that will benefit them well into adulthood.
Read MoreHave You Made Mistakes? Why and How to Get Them Expunged
If you’ve made mistakes in the past that resulted in your getting a “record” whether it be Criminal or Civil these mistakes can follow you and make your life miserable (and much more difficult). Having a “record” can make it hard to get a job, rent an apartment, or get a loan or credit card. Drug crimes (including possession) can certainly turn employers off and make finding work much harder. You might think that there is nothing you can do. But if you’ve “turned over a new leaf” and are trying to get your life back on track you may be able to get your record expunged.
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Can’t Get Approved for a Loan? What It Takes to Repair Your Credit
Having a good credit score can make life a lot easier. According to an article on Capital One’s website, a good credit score will lower your expenses because “many lenders offer better terms and lower interest rates to people with good credit histories.” They also say that a Good credit score may make it easier to: Buy […]
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Money & Mannerisms: Traits That Lead to Success
In many ways, our financial habits are an expression of our personalities. Those who tend to be impulsive in other areas of their lives may be more likely to spend money on a whim. Those who tend to be more measured in other areas of their lives may also be more likely to be calculated when it comes to their finances. Let’s take a look at some other ways that your personality traits correlate with your financial success.
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A Fresh Start: 4 Reasons Bankruptcy Is Not As Bad As You Think
When we think of bankruptcy we often think of irresponsibility with money, but job loss, divorce, tax liens and credit card debt are some other possible reasons that people might choose to file for bankruptcy. But according to a Harvard study 62% of all bankruptcies are actually the result of medical debts. One type of debt that can’t be discharged through bankruptcy is student loans. Regardless of the reason that you find it necessary to file for bankruptcy, it’s important to remember that this process isn’t as bad as you think. In fact, there are benefits that you can potentially reap from filing for bankruptcy.
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How Much Mortgage Can You Really Afford
If you’re looking to buy a house in the near future, it’s important to know how much you can afford to spend. Setting a realistic budget will help you determine where you should buy, how much home to buy and how you will account for closing costs (including your down payment). How do you go about determining how much you can afford to spend on your next home?
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Why We Downsized Before Retirement
Recently I was reading an article on Trulia entitled, 8 Reasons Why You Should Buy A 1,000-Square-Foot House and it reminded me of many of the reasons why my wife Lisa and I decided to downsize even though we weren’t ready to retire yet. We were living in a 3,200 sq. ft. house on 3 acres in the countryside near Richmond, VA. The house was beautiful, we had spent years getting it just like we wanted it. We bought it when our two children were small and the house was only 1,200 sq. ft. Then we added an addition on that included a Master Suite, Living Room, Two Car Garage, and large home office. As the children grew we gradually added four raised bed gardens surrounded by a chicken run and chicken coop. We had every tool imaginable in our two garden sheds, and two double carports.
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Top Vacation Articles
With Vacation season coming soon here are some vacation related articles you might enjoy:
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Odds and Ends: 3 Ways To Make Money While Clearing Clutter
Although many people throw out, recycle or upcycle remaining odds and ends after clearing clutter out of their homes, there’s no reason that you should waste an opportunity to make a little extra cash. As the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
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Smile Savings: 4 Ways To Save Money On Dental Care
Unless it is provided by your employer, getting good dental coverage is expensive and most families just can’t afford it. In 2012, the National Association of Dental Plans reported more than 40 percent of citizens lacked coverage.
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These Numbers Should Make You Mad and Get You Motivated
It seems like a national epidemic… One of the biggest challenges that people face today is dealing with their personal debt. According to NerdWallet the average American family has $16,748 worth of credit card debt, $176,222 worth of mortgage debt, plus an auto loan debt of $28,948. All of this is on top of $49,905 worth of student loans (almost $25,000 per adult)!
According to Federal Reserve data in 2014 the Median household income was $53,718 and it rose to $56,516 in 2016. Unfortunately, that is the most recent data we have, but even if median household income rose to $60,000 in 2016 that is a lot of debt to be carrying on that amount of income.
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5 Surprising Ways to Save Money on Household Expenses
Trying to cut down on household expenses is never an easy task. After all, these recurring monthly costs seem never ending. But it turns out that there are few simple changes that you can make that will save you a lot of money over a period of time. Here are five surprising ways to save money on household expenses:
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