Most of us groan when stores start displaying holiday decorations before the kids have gone back to school, but they may be on to something. In fact, the smartest way to shop is to forget about “Black Friday” and start your shopping in the summer. Here are eight reasons it will have you ho-ho-hoing come…
While December is typically considered the traditional “budget-busting month,” September, with the back-to-school season, is close behind. In fact, the back-to-school shopping season is the second largest shopping event of the year, with 29 million households expected to shell out $27.6 billion in 2018, according to Deloitte. But any parent with school-aged children will tell…
Is everyone playing while you’re working? We get it: It can feel painful to sit at your desk when the weather warms. But there’s no reason to forfeit fun in the sun. Here are eight ways to enjoy summer, without going into debt on a pricey vacation. At work 1. Eat lunch al fresco: There’s nothing…
Becoming a parent is an extraordinary and, at times, stressful endeavor. Your life is about to fundamentally change. And as you plan the myriad dimensions of this new reality, you may be wondering how you’ll cover all the bills while you take time off work. Family leave is a complex issue and it requires a…
Credit card debt is a painful reality that more and more American families are living with. According to ValuePenguin, the average credit card debt for American households that carried a balance in 2017 was a massive $16,048. The 2017 American Household Credit Card Debt Study by personal finance website NerdWallet came to a similar conclusion, showing…
Many people are struggling to gain control of their finances. According to a LendingTree report in 2017, four in five Americans are in the red—and a quarter of those in debt do not have a plan to pay it off. By building a budget, you can gain clarity into your financial situation. This is a…
Planning for a family can be an exciting and daunting step, when you think of all the changes having a baby leads to. There’s the rewarding feeling of creating a bond with a tiny little human, even when you’re too tired to see straight. And then there’s the financial drain that comes with an extra…
Born between 1980 and 2000, Millennials are perhaps the most informed of any generation thanks to having grown up surrounded by modern technology—they’re also poised to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025. That said, millennials actually have quite a bit working against them in terms of finding and maintaining stability, from disappearing pensions…
No one plans to have cancer. Aside from the shock and anxiety for the future a diagnosis brings, cancer also presents a financial situation that few people fully consider. Huge medical bills, on top of the typical expenses like college loans, mortgages, and car payments, can leave survivors concerned about their finances. Despite this, there…
Ah, retirement. The word alone brings to mind carefree travel, spending time with loved ones and putting the stress of work aside to learn an endless assortment of new hobbies. In reality, however, retiring comfortably means starting the planning and saving process early, and making the right moves every step of the way. It’s a lifelong…
