Financial Blog
How to Keep Spending from Crashing Your Credit Score
A few days ago, a single mom friend of mine came to me with a problem: Her credit score kept going down even though she was paying her bills on time. I took a closer look at her situation and diagnosed the problem quickly: Her credit utilization – meaning the amount...
How to Plan for the Biggest Retirement Spending Surprises
It’s the most common financial fear: No matter how much cash you have stashed away for retirement, you’ll run out of money. You’re right to be worried. That happens too often to ignore…and it’s usually due to surprise expenses that derail the best-laid plans. Yes,...
How to Avoid Mortgage-Refinance Money Traps
Refinancing your mortgage can lower your interest rate and shrink your monthly payments…but it’s not always good for your overall financial health. Those smaller payments can end up costing you thousands of dollars! So before you decide to take that plunge and...
8 Things to do before 2018: Your year-end financial checklist
From changing tax laws to the Equifax hack, 2017 has been a year of financial anxiety for so many of us. You can take control of your financial situation and set the stage for a fruitful 2018 by taking these 8 steps before December 31. Stash as much money as you can...
It’s Time to Rebalance Your Retirement Accounts
The stock market had a banner year – great for portfolio growth, less great for asset allocation. And that means it’s time for your annual retirement rebalance. Asset allocation is all about keeping different kinds of investments (like stocks, bonds, or real estate)...