Stick to a Budget The word budget scares off many adults as well as teens, but a budget is the best way to ensure discipline with your finances. Start by estimating monthly expenditures for major categories such as school expenses, transportation, food, clothing and entertainment. Keep tabs on spending with an Excel spreadsheet or keep...
Maintain Your Reputation The loan officer keys your application information into the computer, but you are thinking of the new ride you are going to buy. Those thoughts are interrupted when the loan officer drops the bomb. You do not qualify for a loan; you credit report has too many negative events. Poof – the...
Used responsibly, credit cards can be helpful in an emergency and for establishing a sound credit history. Paying debts on time, including credit card bills, contributes to building good credit. If a card holder does not honor their payment agreement, your credit rating can be damaged and you may not be able to get credit again...
A tax refund marks a great chance to set yourself in a better position for the future. If you’re getting a windfall from the IRS, here are a dozen great ways to make sure your money continues to work for you. 1. Have a little fun! It’s ok to have some fun with your refund....
As access to financial services becomes more technology driven, with improved security features, scammers and fraudsters are evolving just as quickly in order to take advantage of the unwary or uninformed consumer. With an estimated impact of $6 trillion by 2021 (Gemalto.com), cybercrime may not only be financially devastating – it could also devastate a...
Life is full of decisions, some bigger or more impactful than others. This is fairly obvious. What’s not so obvious is that some seemingly small decisions you make as a young person – we’re talking about money decisions – can have life-changing consequences, both good and bad. To focus on the positive, here are three...
At any point in time, a person’s income probably won’t always be enough to cover all of the expenses when there is a time of need. As a result, plan sooner, rather than later, to implement a savings strategy to begin, or increase, personal savings levels as needed so an adequate amount of funds can...
Credit is an important financial tool. Good credit allows consumers to purchase many different kinds of goods and services including some of the most expensive such as college tuition, new vehicles or even a home, without having to immediately pay cash. Over time, consumers use of credit builds consumers’ credit reputations – summarized in a...
(Wednesday, June 19, 2019) – Parents teach their children many life lessons. From learning the basics of walking, speaking and eating to the more complicated lessons of using good judgement in decision making and socializing properly with others.Evaluations returned from DuTrac’s recent financial literacy fair reflected 22.5% of students thought core financial literacy skills should be taught...
