The most annoying part of credit card debt is the monthly statement. It’s a dense plate of word salad served with a heaping dose of guilt dressing. The only part of it that’s easy to understand is the “payment due” – and that’s just the way credit card companies like it. Credit card companies have … Continue reading “APR explained: why a lower rate is your highest priority”
Author: Lady Liberty
The difference between working yourself to death and retiring to a life of comfort is smaller than you think. We like to believe in the simple caricature that rich people retire rich and poor people don’t retire. The truth is, much of the difference between retiring and continuing to go to work every day comes … Continue reading “Three tricks to retire rich”
If there’s something on your credit report that you’d like to delete with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? The ads that you see and hear from those “credit repair” companies sound pretty good. They promise to legally change your credit report, bring up your score, and give you a fresh start. Can it be true? … Continue reading “Credit repair: the good, the bad and the truth”
There’s been a lot of information going around about how to be smart with money, how to invest wisely, where to save and things like that. While there is a lot of good information out there, the foundation of smart money management is really very simple. There are just three laws you need to keep. … Continue reading “The 3 laws of smart money managment”
The financial storm that began in 2008 is now letting up. Young people have started finding full-time work and are looking to buy houses. For the first time in years, Americans are starting to see gains in the value of their homes. If you’ve been carefully managing your debt, you might find that you have … Continue reading “Home Equity: Getting the most value out of owning a home”
Any sensible retirement planning strategy starts with a target number. This number is how much you need to have saved for living comfortably and independently throughout your retirement. A good rule of thumb is to take your current living expenses and multiply that by 400. That’s how much you’d need to have to sustain yourself … Continue reading “The 401(k) facts you need to know for retirement”
If you’ve reached a point where you know you have too many cards and want to trim them to simplify your life or to get your finances under control, think carefully before you act. Some of your credit cards are better than others, so careful consideration is in order. Decide how many credit cards you … Continue reading “Credit cards: what to close and what to keep”
Most people have a checklist they go through before they leave the house. Is the stove turned off? Are the doors locked? Do I have my wallet, my keys and my cellphone? The only thing that has changed about that process in the last few years has been the addition of that last item on … Continue reading “Mobile banking – 4 ways to stay on top of your finances”
When you think of a retirement plan, what comes to mind? The most popular retirement plan is the IRA account. IRA stands for Individual Retirement Arrangement, allowing individuals (as opposed to groups of people) to arrange for their retirement. Strictly speaking, then, an IRA is not an investment, but simply money the tax code treats … Continue reading “The “ABC’s” of an IRA”
The good news is that today’s interest rates remain close to historic lows. For people with good credit, it’s not unusual to see mortgage rates below 4 percent. That’s half what they were a generation ago! However, even with low interest rates, it has been difficult to qualify for a refinance. That’s partly because the … Continue reading “Refinancing your mortgage in today’s market”