When your employer offers a 401(k) plan, you have a great opportunity to save for retirement. You’ll want to contribute at least enough to get the full employer match, if your employer offers one. Beyond that, here are some ways to know how much to allocate to your plan. Decide how much you’ll need […]
How to Be a Money Smart Graduate Student
Whether you’ll be pursuing a master’s degree in English literature or a Ph.D. in chemical engineering this fall, life as a graduate student likely will require a good deal of thriftiness. But that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to a steady diet of instant noodles and cereal for the foreseeable future. Here’s […]
Should You Lease or Buy a Car?
It’s no secret that shopping for a car involves making many choices — from the color, to the style, to the features and accessories. There’s another choice to consider when you are in the market for a car — whether to lease or buy. Once available primarily for luxury vehicles, leasing is now available for […]
8 Steps to Launch a New Business Opportunity
You never know when inspiration will strike. In fact, you may have already been inspired with a revolutionary idea for an innovative new product or service. But as most entrepreneurs know, coming up with an idea is the easy part; it’s a whole lot more challenging to turn that idea into an actual business opportunity. […]
Put Your Business Banking Relationship to Use
It’s no secret that building strong and healthy relationships takes time and effort. If you own a business, that’s especially true about one of your most important relationships – the one you have with your bank. A good business banking relationship can give you a powerful competitive advantage, which is why it’s so important to […]
Getting Finances Ready for Retirement
If you’re beginning to consider retirement, you should be seriously thinking about how to ensure that your financial life in those golden years will be as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Here are a few tips. Make the most of your remaining paychecks to save for retirement. How much money you’ll need to set aside […]
The Comeback of Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Adjustable-rate mortgages, also known as ARMs or variable-rate loans, have been out of favor with many people in recent years because of the low interest-rate environment and the perception that rising payments on ARMs contributed to foreclosures during the recent financial crisis. But with new federal disclosures and protections for consumers, some borrowers are wondering […]
Trim Your Monthly Expenses
It comes as no surprise that spring is a great time to get in shape. But do you realize there’s an easy way to get in great shape without having to put on workout clothes or sneakers — or even breaking a sweat? It’s called getting into financial shape. And you can accomplish that fairly […]
Spending Plan Beats Budgeting
Have you ever developed a gut-wrenching fear in the pit of your belly or a feeling of despair when you thought about creating a household budget? Consider thinking about it as a “spending plan”. A budget is simply the framework for planning how to spend and save your money. Follow these simple steps to create […]
5 Financial Resolutions for the New Year
A brand new year provides the perfect opportunity to make meaningful life changes, including improved financial wellness. These five financial resolutions can help get your year off to a promising start. 1. GET ON BUDGET Take charge of your finances by creating a budget. Start by calculating after-tax income and subtracting fixed monthly expenses. Then […]
