Category: Personal Finance

Learn about a variety of personal finance topics, including budgeting, saving, credit, debt, taxes, insurance, retirement and more

Family & Relationships, More, Personal Finance

The Legal Documents That Are More Important Than Ever

The struggle with the spread of COVID-19 has many of us re-thinking whether we have all the right emergency legal documents we really need in place. No matter if you live in a coronavirus hotspot or don’t know anyone with COVID-19, there are certain documents you need to have on hand and understand how these legal documents can help protect you. Sometimes we choose not to think about those things, but during a pandemic we have to look at them, even when it may be scary to do it.

In case of emergencies, there are certain legal documents you need to have in order to protect you and your family, especially during a pandemic.

Managing important documents, especially emergency medical documents, isn’t any fun but it is important. It can and will help you and your family with essential healthcare decisions. Those decisions are especially difficult during an unexpected illness or accident so being prepared is just good personal finance management 101. Here’s what you need right now to protect you and your family!

Continue reading“The Legal Documents That Are More Important Than Ever”
Family & Relationships

How and Why Money Problems Can Destroy a Relationship

Money is something that everyone has to have, at least some of it. But the problem with money, or the lack of it, is a serious one. It’s bad enough when you yourself are dealing with a money problem, but it’s even worse when it involves you and someone else. When money problems arise between you and a significant other, money problems can destroy your relationship!

Understanding how money problems in a relationship form will help you to avoid those issues. Here are suggestions to balance your relationship and money.

Are You and Your Partner Fighting About Money?

Is money something you and your partner argue about all the time? It’s often a very common issue in relationships to have extremely different opinions about money. Why? Where does that come from?

Continue reading“How and Why Money Problems Can Destroy a Relationship”
Personal Finance

COVID-19 and 5 Important Money Challenges Right Now

It’s been five months since the first COVID-19 infections were reported in the United States and it seems like years. Stay-at-home orders may have been lifted in many areas, but life is not normal in any part of the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created money challenges for nearly all of us. Here are 5 important challenges and what to do to create a successful future.

Being so much more isolated these days, it can feel good to know that you’re not going through this alone. You’re not the only with financial questions or money challenges right now and there are some solutions out there that can help get you through what is going on.

Continue reading“COVID-19 and 5 Important Money Challenges Right Now”
Frugality, Saving & Investing

10 “E-Z Ways to Save Money” Tips

We all understand and get that saving money can seem impossible sometimes. It’s not even worth pretending that everyone has the innate ability to save money, but that’s likely the reason the headline above drew you in, isn’t it?

If you're looking for E-Z ways to save money, I have ten tips to help you get started without a lot of work. Check it out and get started today!

While saving money may not come easy to everyone, it’s something that anyone can try to do. The idea is that as long as you actually try, there’s a chance. But it’s not all about some drastic cutting back on everything you have and want and it’s not some secret scientific formula that I’m planning to sell to you that will make me rich. It actually is way more subtle than that and that’s why I have called it E-Z. So here are my best E-Z ways and save money tips to get you started!

Continue reading“10 “E-Z Ways to Save Money” Tips”
Home, Retirement

When Does Having a Mortgage Really Suck?

Please note this post contains affiliate links which help to fund this blog at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Let me be the first person (today at least!) to tell you that owning your own home is a great idea. If you are looking to help build your financial wealth over time, then buying a home is a great way to build equity. It also has lots of money-saving benefits for you as well.

Mortgages are great in that they let many people afford homes, but at a certain point in life, they suck. Having a mortgage in retirement should be avoided.

The alternative to owning your own home is of course renting. Renting is very much like having a big hole that you keep pouring your money into and it never gets filled up. Even in 2020, and with my 70 years on planet earth, owning a home is still a pretty desirable goal to have and a good way to build wealth.

Continue reading“When Does Having a Mortgage Really Suck?”
Taxes

Will the Pandemic Affect Your Taxes and Services?

It may be hard to think about anything but the illness and trauma that COVID-19 is causing here and around the world right now. We have just experienced a “springtime” that was at best lost and at worst only a taste of what may be coming down the pike. Outside my front window the sun is shining, but even though everything may look serene, it’s really not. Intellectually, we all know that eventually this pandemic will end. But way before it does end, we are all going to be facing several issues, and among them is this: How will the pandemic affect our local taxes? Will there be a property tax increase?

As the pandemic continues, the economic effects are troubling. How will it affect your taxes and services? Will there be a property tax increase?

Taxing Times Are Ahead of Us

Around the world and here at home, cities, states, and local governments are looking to close the massive budget shortfalls created by the coronavirus pandemic. They all have spent tons of money helping fight this disease and even though there has been money doled out by national and federal government agencies, private companies and public donations, local and state governments are considering raising taxes on homes, cigarettes, alcohol, local businesses, and even global tech giants. Why? Because local economies have seen their budgets decimated because of this virus.

Continue reading“Will the Pandemic Affect Your Taxes and Services?”
Personal Finance

Some People Are Money Disasters But They Don’t Have to Be

When you really break it all down to basics, some people seem to have money completely under control and others are walking money disaster areas.

Do you know someone who's a money disaster? Are you that person? Here's how to start climbing out of that hole and become responsible with money.

Yes, it is true that sometimes out of control circumstances deal us a bad blow and money matters can get rough. I think everyone goes through those difficulties from time to time and it doesn’t make you a bad person or irresponsible with money when it happens.

Continue reading“Some People Are Money Disasters But They Don’t Have to Be”
Personal Finance

Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Cause You Financial Ruin?

If it appears I am writing about the coronavirus pandemic just a little too much these past few months, it’s because it is such a huge deal. Right now over 40 million people have lost their jobs here in the U.S. and the truth is that no one knows what will happen now or over the next months and possibly years. The coronavirus is not done yet despite what some people want to think.

Are you worried that our current pandemic/economic crisis will leave you in financial ruin? Here's what you need to do to protect your finances.

In the U.S. alone, over two million people have now been diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 110 thousand have died in just twelve weeks. The rapid spread of the coronavirus has caused the daily life of Americans to be fundamentally altered and that may last forever, or at least until a vaccine is discovered and that could be years away! That leaves a big question that has to answered about you, the economy and your finances: “Will the coronavirus pandemic cause you financial ruin?”

Continue reading“Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Cause You Financial Ruin?”