Did you know that a large portion of bankruptcy filers ended up in financial trouble through no fault of their own? Medical, economic and employment factors are the biggest culprits to people’s financial lives. However, that isn’t to say that some of us couldn’t be changing our habits to prevent a financial disaster caused by   … Read more

We could all use a little help with managing our money better. The personal debt crisis has taken a trip away from our control and too many of us are facing tough decisions, such as foreclosure or bankruptcy. The good thing is that it is never too late to make a change, but getting out  … Read more

Many people will brave the crowds and face the storm of people trying to secure Christmas presents at a discount. While this year isn’t predicted to be the strongest year for retail, many people will still overspend this year. Since personal debt burdens have pushed many into actions such as bankruptcy, debt settlement or credit  … Read more

Many of us plan to get better about our finances and may even set goals for the new year, but how many of us really follow through with the plan? Studies show that less than half of Americans report having a legitimate budget outlined for their money and expenses. Even fewer report finding any importance  … Read more

People tend to avoid thinking about their finances until a problem arises. While it is true that many people end up in overwhelming debt or bankruptcy through unforeseen financial hardships, we must admit that most of us could be better prepared for such events. The biggest problem we face is simply not knowing enough about  … Read more

These days it is easy for kids to slip through the financial cracks and never learn the basics of smart money management. Between automatic payments and credit cards being the norm, most kids really never learn how to deposit money and balance a check book. With personal debt and bankruptcy filings hitting all time highs,  … Read more

Many years ago layaway shopping was a common occurrence. Families would purchase an item and make payments towards the item over several weeks or months until the item was fully paid for. In recent years, many stores dropped layaway shopping and turned towards offering store credit cards or requiring payment in full at the time  … Read more

If you bank at one of the large or chain banks, you have probably noticed several changes to your account recently.  Many banks have discontinued key features and are now charging customers to keep their accounts open. As banks struggle to maintain profitability in a wavering economy the customers are taking the hit. Many of  … Read more

As the seasons change it reminds us that winter is just around the corner and, with it, the holidays. Many people are preparing their homes for the cold temperatures and stocking up on must have holiday items, but most people haven’t begun to think about the state of their finances. The holiday season is notorious  … Read more

Diversified assets are incredibly important when it comes to building a solid investment portfolio, particularly where retirement is concerned. While the stock market crash in 2008 affected investors no matter how diversified their portfolios were, the investors that had more diversified investments pulled out stronger on the other end than those who had put all  … Read more