It’s not a pretty picture.  Mounting debt can leave one feeling helpless and depressed.  Your back is against the wall and you have nowhere to turn to for help.  Sound familiar?  A lot of us have or are there right now.  But, there is hope.  Here are four steps you can take to get yourself [...]

Ah, here we are back to the cold weather months for much of the US.  Those who live in the deep South do not have the added burden of heating their homes in the winter.  But it is an annual jolt to many budgets which causes us to look for ways to save money and [...]

Everyone has heard the old saying ‘you have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run.’  It’s no different with your finances.  If you look at it any other way, you will continue to feel frustrated and it will be easier to give up than to keep going.
Make an Easy Plan.  The first [...]

Wise consumers know that protecting what they own is smart in order to prevent a financial loss.  Whether or not it is a wise decision to choose optional insurance is based on several factors
Most major purchase loans either require insurance or at least give the option to purchase insurance as a means of protection.  The [...]

If you are in your twenties or thirties, this discussion probably has less relevance for you.  But you can still gain some insights on what to do and not do for retirement planning.  Those in their late forties or fifties will find some sound advice here.
It is Never Too Late.  Throwing up your hands in [...]

While some would grit their teeth and say “that’s not good” you might be surprised at this next bit of advice:  Do it, but not too much.
 
People who live by a strict budget and do not allow for the small, occasional indulgences are generally viewed as boring, predictable and miserly.  You should at least reward [...]

Free money for retirement.  Sounds too good to be true, right?  The reality is that it is out there, but some people are not taking advantage of it.  It is like looking at a $20 bill on the sidewalk, but not picking it up.  Who would do that?
We are speaking, of course, about the matching [...]

This is more of a rhetorical question that anything, but one that we should address because if we confront why we are not doing something that we know we should be doing, it might help us change our behavior.
Brain Matter.  One of the problems is that our mindset is dysfunctional.  What we mean by that [...]

This great quote was heard recently on Dave Ramsey’s radio program: “Desperation is the mother of broke.”
This quote and others like it from well-known financial advisors admonishes us to stay the course with our financial plans in spite of some turbulence occurring around us. These are the principles you need to embrace and [...]

If you do not have health insurance through your employer, then you are at a huge disadvantage from a cost standpoint. We all know people who do not have insurance, and frankly, do not know how they can stand being in that position. But it appears to be all too common of a [...]