10 steps to help you take control of your finances in uncertain times The COVID-19 pandemic is having far reaching effects on everything from employment to the overall economy. Daily life has been altered for many of us. Each of us has been taking steps to adapt as a result. We may feel as though we’re facing these difficulties alone, but many of us are experiencing these same challenges together. Below is a list of actions you can take to…
What Is An EOB? If you are like most people, you use some type of medical service at least a couple times a year. You might visit your family doctor, have blood work done, or get a cavity filled. If you have insurance and you or your doctor file a claim for these services, you’ll receive an EOB, or Explanation of Benefits. An EOB is what your insurer uses to explain how it calculated your health insurance benefits when it processed…
Trouble Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions? Have you made New Year’s resolutions in the past, knowing that you won’t stick to them? Do you want to feel like you’re making progress with your financial stability, but know that you don’t have the willpower or stamina for big changes? Don’t feel bad! According to Stanford University, of those people who make New Year’s resolutions, only 8% actually follow through with them. We make a lot of hollow promises to ourselves that…
In my last post, I listed some big ways being frugal helps us save. Below are some more things we do to live within our means and save as much as we can. Enjoy! Being Frugal With Our… Yard Work: We do all of our yard work and landscaping. We mow, rake, plant things, make new beds, till, etc. I’ve been using a free mower that I trash picked. It didn’t work when I got it, so I replaced the…
I got a message the other day from Discover, telling me that my wife needed to call their fraud department immediately about her account. It was unusual, since neither of us have accounts with Discover. When she called them back, they told her that someone had opened a credit card account using her information. Luckily, they hadn’t charged anything to the account yet. She told them that the account was fraudulent and had them cancel the account. They advised her…
Making A Financial Plan There are many moving parts involved in getting control of your finances. Do you pay off your credit card or start a college fund for your child? Should you raise your 401(k) contribution or start an emergency fund? Can you afford to buy a house? It can be a daunting task for anyone to take on. Luckily, there is a way to make sense of it all that will help you figure out where you want to be and how you…
Why Am I Interested In Personal Finance? At the beginning of my career, like most of us, I didn’t think about retirement planning. I never really paid attention to my retirement account contributions or the fees I was paying. We didn’t know how much our family was spending or how much we needed to save. I just knew that I wanted to get on the big red truck and do my job. My Eye Opener Around the spring of 2008,…