Personal Finance

Do you need to upgrade your car in the near future? What about finally getting started on that home renovation project you’ve been procrastinating on? Or are you trying to save up for an international vacation next summer or need to save for a big purchase? How to save for a big purchase Regardless of what big-ticket item you’re currently saving for, there are a few useful ways to speed up your progress towards your savings goals (and countless ways you may be inadvertently hindering that progress without realizing it). Rather than eliminating everything fun from your budget and living a stingy lifestyle until you meet your goals, here are some realistic strategies for saving up for a big purchase: … Read more

Approximately 44% of American adults currently have an auto loan, which represents a cumulative debt load of more than $1.1 trillion across the country. Average monthly payments for these loans typically range from $350-400 for used vehicles and $525 or so for new vehicles, which is no small amount when you consider the alternative of owning an older car outright with zero monthly payments! If you want to be freed from your auto loans for good – at least until your next car, if you choose to go the finance route again – then there are plenty of ways you can speed up your payoff timeline and free up a few extra hundred dollars per month in your budget to … Read more

If you’ve gone through a rough few months (or years) and your credit score has taken a serious hit as a result of problematic spending, missed payments, too much debt or other common financial problems, then you’re not alone. As many as 12% of Americans have credit scores lower than 550 and over 50 million Americans don’t have a credit score at all. Of course, shared credit woes are not valid reasons for sitting back and doing nothing while your credit score plunges into the “fair” or “poor” ranges. Instead, you should do everything possible to get that score back into the good/excellent ranges. How long will it take you to get back into “safe” credit score territory? Let’s explore … Read more