Have you already deposited your stimulus check? Are you on track to receive a tax refund? If so, it can feel like a windfall or even like winning the lottery. The natural desire to spend “found money” can easily spiral into ideas of grandeur. While planning a post-pandemic vacation, or buying that new gas grille,…
Student loans and the increasing size of their associated debt continue to grab headlines. The ongoing political environment and upcoming presidential election is significantly increasing the discussion of various proposals and ideas. From a historical perspective student loans are certainly not new. The debt levels, however, are even more evident when you look at the…
A new survey conducted by The Mighty showed a number of Americans with disabilities and pre-existing conditions fear health insurance companies would discriminate them. About 84 percent of those surveyed feel this is possible after a federal judge in Texas ruled the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to be unconstitutional last month. The survey was conducted…
A recent study from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) revealed lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) Americans say they want to preserve their retirement savings but tend to take bigger risks when it comes to investing. Forty-two percent of LGBTQ retirees and pre-retirees said the should become more conservative with their money…
A recent study released last week found despite the number of financial apps millennials are using, their personal finance management skills are severely lacking. The report, released by the TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC) at the George Washington University School of Business, examined the personal finance knowledge of millennials. Titled “Millennial Financial…
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…
Ready to buy a home? The time could be right. In fact, in 2017, first-time buyers made up 35 percent of all home purchases, finds the 2017 National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study. Buying a home will probably be the most expensive purchase you ever make, so it’s…
If you’re trying to pay off a hefty medical bill, you are not alone. Medical bills are a leading cause of debt in the U.S. Many working Americans don’t have enough savings in place, yet they are facing high deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. A report published in 2017 by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau showed that medical bills were the…
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…
