How to Prioritize Which Bills to Pay When You’re Struggling

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How to Prioritize Which Bills to Pay

Here is the next installment in our the Reader’s Questions Series which highlight questions emailed to me by you, the readers of Money Q&A. Be sure to find out at the end of this article how you can receive a free copy of Dave Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover if your money question is chosen to be featured on an upcoming week’s blog post. If you’re not familiar with Dave Ramsey’s book, you should run right out and get it. It is one of my the best personal finance books that everyone should read. Now….our reader’s question. If you are in financial trouble and tight on funds, how do you prioritize which bills to pay and which to leave until next month? There eventually may come a … Read more

Top 8 Homeownership Costs Renters Do Not Understand

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Millennials and Home Ownership - Do Millennials Need to Buy Homes?

One of the most common parts of the American Dream that millions of people strive for is homeownership, but sometimes it’s not all it’s cracked up to be thanks to homeownership costs. When first-time homebuyers are saving up for a down payment on a home, the other costs related to home ownership that come after you buy the home are oftentimes overlooked because we get so wrapped up in the “saving for a home” part that we fail to adequately prepare for the expenses that come later. The old proverb about the grass being greener on the other side is certainly true when it comes to renting versus homeownership. Rather than focusing almost exclusively on the benefits of homeownership (accumulating … Read more

Should You Work For Yourself? Things You Should Consider

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Being an entrepreneur is a goal that many people hope for, especially with success stories like Mark Zuckerberg in the news. It seems so simple to make all your dreams come true just by coming up with the right idea and becoming your own boss. However, what the news rarely shows you are the tough decisions and the struggles that success stories go through before they’re financially set. So, the question remains. Should you work for yourself? There are many things that you must consider before you make that leap. The economy has improved, but it is still in relatively bad shape. If you currently have a job or stable career, you’re still considered lucky by millions of people. But … Read more

What Budgeting System Works For You And Your Family?

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family

There are so many different budgeting tools and systems that you can use to help you manage your finances. We often get pigeonholed into one favorite system or another. Or, we only consider one option as the “right” way to budget. But, what budgeting system works best for you? How do you balance your checkbook? Balancing Your Checkbook Through The 1-800 Number I had this amazing conversation with a coworker last week, and it struck a chord with me and inspired a little bit of a revelation. I used to always joke with my wife. When I met her over 14 years ago in college, she was balancing her checkbook not with the typical register and reconciling method that so … Read more

Home Insurance Explained to Help Protect Your Largest Asset

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Home insurance is an essential expense, given the exorbitant cost of living in this present world. After having to invest heavily in a new house, it is important for homeowners to plan for any unexpected repairs that may be required to ensure the structural stability and usability of the house. It is also equally important to secure personal possessions at all times. There are several types and levels of home insurance spanning coverage for the structure, contents, utilities, natural disasters and so on. The value of the policy varies and is usually based on the nature and extent of cover opted for. While the responsibility of insuring the building or structure largely lies with the owner of the property, insurance … Read more

Investopedia Academy Review – Self-Paced, Online Courses About Investing

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If you would like to learn more about personal finance or get a higher rate of return on your investments, then simply reading a book may not be the perfect solution. While books written by experienced authors can be useful, the information eventually becomes outdated, especially in the rapidly-changing world of finance, and there’s no one you can turn to for help if you have questions after you finish reading a chapter. This is part of the reason why Investopedia, the self-proclaimed “largest financial education website in the world”, developed their own academy, complete with dozens of online courses led by highly experienced instructors from the financial industry. As the tech industry continues to transform the financial industry, interactive web … Read more