Dictionary.com defines independence as “freedom from control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.” As we celebrate our country’s independence, it’s a good time to think about being independent from debt.
Since we're approaching Valentine's Day, it seems appropriate to talk about love and money since they seem to be inextricably tied together. Especially on Valentine's Day when people spend money on their love. 
Last week the Federal Reserve Bank released new data showing that consumer debt grew in November 2011 by the swiftest rate since November 2001.
You're running late to a game night party and you show up half way through the second quarter. When you walk in, the first thing you ask is, "What's the score?"
The reason most people are in debt today is because they only look at the minimum payment -- totally ignoring the balance on their credit card and also the interest rate the credit card company is charging.
Some surprises are nice to have, like receiving a call from someone you haven't heard from in a long time, or a stranger tapping you on the shoulder to inform you that you just dropped something on the floor. However, the surprise of having your credit card rejected? Not so nice.
Sometimes, there's more than just a single item that's standing between us and total bliss. It's human nature; if you've felt this way the good news is, you're normal.
Jumpstart is a national coalition to teach financial literacy to children; according to a 2006 study they conducted, nearly 52% of high school students use credit cards. Let's make sure they use them wisely.
Congress passed a cut on the Social Security tax in 2010, effective January 1st of 2011. Most people didn't even recognize the increase in their take-home pay.
With the economy still on the sliding, we seem to be regaling ourselves more and more with sweets, purses, chocolate and wine. Actually there's an arguement that purses and shoes can be cost cutting!
The other day we talked about college students protecting their identity at school. As a parent, there are things you can do as well to protect your good credit and possibly protecting your identity at the same time.
Establishing good money habits early in life (trust me, at 53, if you're in your twenties, you ARE early in life,) is paramount for building a solid financial foundation for the rest of your life. Since we aren't taught these things, no matter what level we educate ourselves, or to what degree, people ask me how to start their financial life.
As the saying goes, you can never be too careful. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out important information about you by putting "two and two" together with information posted online. But, that's not the only thing you need to be mindful of; there are other ways of having your identity stolen at school.
While new credit only accounts for 10% of your FICO score, it really can't be ignored. If you're young and don't have a lengthy history, opening up a new account can hurt your score as too much credit is generally considered risky. If you have what might be construed as too many accounts, then the thought is that it's too much to keep up with, especially all those different payment dates.
More than ever, with new banking regulations, banks want to pitch their products to college students. It seems that a college student's account has a major impact on the bank's earnings.
Before stepping onto campus for the first time, there are three things every Freshman should know about finances. It's important to get aquainted with a these three financial instruments; they'll not only be important throughout college, but the rest of your life. They'll serve you well if you serve them well, but before you can begin to serve them well, you must understand them.
Although the length of your credit history only weighs in at 15% of your score, it is still vitally important. Don't confuse this with your payment history; your payment history is the quality part, while your payment length is the quantity part.
Perhaps your parents took you to work when you were a child; if they did, hopefully you learned from that experience that money doesn't grow on trees nor does it come from the ATM. You have to trade your time and talent for dollars.
When stores moved from downtown to the suburbs it became easier to make purchases, as the retailers were just around the corner. Now, with the internet, they're next door...literally...in the next room. In a previous post we talked about saving money online. Now we'll give you some tips to keep from spending online altogether.
Yeah, I know, ANYTHING quick and easy can't be all that good. No matter how good or bad your credit score, you need to be following these simple strategies.
