Repaying Student Loans Congratulations Class of 2011! You finally got that college degree! What an exciting accomplishment. However, that moving-over-of-the-tassel means you’ll need to face your student loan sooner rather than later. Typically, you get a six-month grace period after graduation before you need to begin the repayment process. But don’t wait until December to start considering your options. There … Read More
Budget Tips for Your Vacation
Summer Vacation and Your Budget Summer is quickly approaching, and if you haven’t planned a vacation yet, you have at least thought about it. With the current state of the economy and the rise of gas prices, you may think you won’t be able to afford a vacation this year. But, there are a few ways you can take some … Read More
Your Wedding Budget
Budgeting for your Wedding With the Royal Wedding happening tomorrow, wedding buzz has been in the air. What does the dress look like, how many people are they inviting, and how much is this wedding going to cost?! Although we all cannot fork out the reported $65 million, which is about 2,000 times as costly as the average British upper-middle … Read More
Financial Literacy: Money Lessons
Financial Literacy Month We are back! I hope you had a Happy Easter with family and friends. And even though April is coming to an end, it is still Financial Literacy Month. Gregory Karp of the Chicago Tribune has put together a money quiz to help contribute to your understanding of money topics. Here is a chance to test your … Read More
April is Financial Literacy Month
Financial Literacy In a proclamation on March 31st, President Obama explained how important it is to be financially literate and to have access to trustworthy financial services and products. “The financial crisis was fueled by a lack of responsibility from Wall Street to Washington,” Obama said. “It devastated ordinary Americans, many of whom were caught by hidden fees and penalties … Read More
Give Back to your Community
Make Tomorrow a Good Day Tomorrow is April Fool’s Day, and I must admit, I love pulling pranks on people, but instead spend your time and energy into making a difference in your community. Instead of plotting pranks, invest your time into thinking about how you can give back and help people in need. This is NOT an April Fool’s … Read More
Credit Card Debt and Five Habits You Need to Break
Breaking Credit Card Debt Being in debt is no fun, but having fun costs money and that is what got you in debt in the first place. Credit card debt can creep up on you if you aren’t keeping track of your spending habits. Here are 5 things that are keeping you in debt that you might not even be … Read More
Your Finances and Financial Spring Cleaning
Financial Spring Cleaning With winter gone, and spring in full bloom spring cleaning is on probably on your mind. This is what you’ve been waiting for all winter, to clean your entire house from top to bottom. Wait, you don’t do annual spring cleaning? It’s okay, I don’t either, but the idea of going through your finances at least once … Read More
Credit Education Month and Tools You Need
Credit Education Month We all have credit cards, but who really pays attention to see if they are helping or hurting us. This month is Credit Education Month, which should give you an incentive to learn a little more about your credit. I know it can be confusing at times, and not all that interesting, but it is important to … Read More
Budgeting for a Festive St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Another holiday means more temptation to go out and spend money to celebrate. Whether you are Irish or not, people like to take the opportunity today to wear green, eat some corned beef, and wash it down with an Irish brew. There are many other ways to celebrate today as well. Here are some budgeting ideas … Read More