A budget is one way to consistently manage your money. A budget usually allocates a certain amount of money to each of your expenses such as rent, student loans, car loans, mortgage loans and credit card debt. Learn tips to create an effective budget and what to include in a budget as well as when it’s appropriate to start children on a budget.
Six Tips to Throwing a Great Holiday Party on a Budget
Six tips to throwing a great holiday party on a budget. Here's how to host a great holiday party without spending a fortune this holiday season. Don’t let a tight household budget discourage you from having friends and family over to your home this holiday season. There are many ways to host a great party [...]
6 Tips for Saving Money at Back-to-School Time
This post was written by guest blogger Steve Repak. As a child, my parents constantly told me that money does not grow on trees. Now, as a parent myself, I get to tell my kids the same thing. I probably say it more than I should, though—especially when it comes to saving money on back-to-school [...]
4 Steps to Planning Your Transition to Retirement
Money may not buy long-term happiness, but it can provide you with opportunities you may not have without it. If you have planned properly, you will have many options open to you during retirement —you can work and continue to earn an income, or you can volunteer your time free of charge. But if you [...]
6 Questions Every Parent Should Ask Their College-Bound Teen
Graduation season is upon us, and those of us who are parents are suddenly struck by the fact that, before we know it, we will be sending our children off to college. Use the time before they leave for school to have focused conversations that will empower and prepare them for the challenges ahead. In [...]
Wedding Insurance: When Vendor Issues Cause Wedding Woes
On your wedding day, a picture truly can be worth a thousand words—but that’s only if the photographer shows up. In 2012, problems with photographers accounted for more than half of all vendor-related wedding catastrophes, according to a Travelers analysis of wedding insurance claims. Vendor problems in general topped Travelers’ list of most common wedding [...]
How Much Home Can I Afford?
Home much home can I afford? Home buying can be stressful when you are concerned about the cost of your mortgage. Q: We are retired school teachers with an income of 51,000. We only have $100,000 saved but our teachers’ pension covers our monthly living expenses. My husband has wanted a small farm and put [...]
Hiring Independent Contractors: What You Need to Know
One of the most basic steps of the payroll process is distinguishing between employees and independent contractors. However, employers are sometimes foggy on what differentiates the two types of workers. Employers should have a solid idea of these concepts because there are significant tax implications. Independent contractors are becoming more and more popular among companies [...]
Creating a Realistic Plan For Retirement
Of all the misguided concepts I embraced when I was younger, one of the most ridiculous involved retirement planning. “Why plan for retirement?” I thought. “I’ll be dead by then.” Luckily, as I got older I wised up and realized that I needed to start planning. But I’m sad to say there are still folks [...]
How Long Will Low Mortgage Rates Last? Is The Economy Getting Better?
On the Ilyce Glink Show on WSB Radio: how long will low mortgage rates last, rising home and house prices, is the economy getting better and the falling budget deficit. I received two emails this week from regular listeners of the Ilyce Glink Show on WSB Radio. They tell me they love the show, but [...]
Should You Prepay Your Mortgage?
Many people wonder if they should prepay their mortgage. Prepaying a mortgage isn't the best thing for everyone and requires financial planning. Q: I enjoy your articles but I think you left out a couple of extremely important items in your questions to ask about taking out a mortgage loan. In some states, prepayment penalties [...]