Find Your Unclaimed Money

It will only take a few seconds. No this isn’t a scam from that notorious foreign prince. States are holding tens of billions of dollars in unclaimed money. Is some of it yours? Go to www.missingmoney.com to find out. HERE’S WHAT TO EXPECT “Conduct your free search for bank accounts, safe deposit box contents, uncashed …

4 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress

Tis the season to be stressed out fa-la-la-la-la, la-la la la Ah, that wonderful Christmas carol we all know so well.  Whether you’re a giddy Christmas elf or a scrooge who looks forward to it as much as your next proctology exam, the holidays too often leave us both financially and emotionally bankrupt.  This year …

When it’s hard to be thankful

Is it harder to be thankful this year? I am definitely finding it much easier to be distracted and unsettled than thankful and grateful. What I am slowly learning through 2020 is that thankfulness is less an emotion than it is a choice. If you too are struggling to be thankful through government craziness, sickness, …

DEBT – How Much Can I Afford?

Maybe you’ve heard of the 28/36 rule.  If so, FORGET IT!  According to this rule, households should spend no more than 28% of their gross income on home-related expenses which includes mortgage payments, home-owners insurance, property taxes, and any related association fees.  And households should spend no more than 36% on all debt, which in …

DEBT – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?

Ideally, we would all be debt free.  No mortgage payment.  No car payment.  No student loans.  No credit card companies charging us interest.  If this describes you, then CONGRATULATIONS!  I encourage you to stay debt free.  But I know this doesn’t describe the majority of us.  In fact, the average US household has almost $120,000 …

What’s Your Money Personality?

When it comes to money, I think we have a natural tendency to divide people into two groups.  Spenders and Savers. While there is a lot of truth to this simplistic view of how we relate to money, I think there is a bit more to our “money personality profile” worth considering. The more we …

8 Tips to a Successful Budget

#1 Start Simple – If you have never created a budget then that is an important first step.  The value of sampling tracking your expenses and making purposeful decisions as to where you want your paycheck to go is a critical first step in having a successful budget.  Don’t overthink it and make it more …