Your credit score is kind of like the GPA of your finances. Banks, lenders, and other entities check your credit score to help them determine whether or not to approve you for loans and credit cards and decide how much you’ll pay in interest charges. Your credit score also plays a role in getting approved for leases and helping your landlord decide how much to charge you in fees or a security … [Read more...] about Understanding Your Credit Score and How to Improve It
personal finance
4 Ways Gen Y Can Maintain Good Financial Health
This time of year can only mean one thing: a new wave of students is donning their caps and gowns and walking across a stage to finally accept their hard-earned college diplomas. It's a really exciting time in anyone's life — but it can be pretty scary, too. For recent grads — and even members of Generation Y who have been out of college for a few years — thinking about how they'll become … [Read more...] about 4 Ways Gen Y Can Maintain Good Financial Health
Ready to Raise Awareness and Encourage Financial Literacy?
Did you know April is Financial Literacy Month? The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy began promoting Financial Literacy Month back in 2000 in an effort to highlight the importance of teaching more Americans about money matters. The U.S. government officially recognized April as Financial Literacy Month in 2004. But why? Do we really need financial education and … [Read more...] about Ready to Raise Awareness and Encourage Financial Literacy?
How Do I Calculate My Net Worth?
YOUR NET WORTH = WHAT YOU HAVE – WHAT YOU OWE It’s that simple. A few times a year, I take a moment to calculate my net worth. I pull up my spreadsheet, log into my accounts online, and enter the balance of each of my retirement accounts, savings, investments, etc. I don't own a home, but if you do, make sure to include its approximate value. Then I enter any debt that I have. For you, … [Read more...] about How Do I Calculate My Net Worth?
Financial Goals and Habits for the New Year!
Happy New Year! The start of a new year is a great time to take a look at your financial life and do some assessing. Getting out of debt and saving money often top the list of most popular New Year’s resolutions, but this year, I challenge you to create better habits. Examine your bank account, retirement accounts, credit card statements, monthly payments and debt load and write down three … [Read more...] about Financial Goals and Habits for the New Year!
Tax Tips for Millennials
Taxes are not the most exciting thing in the world, so I thought I’d start with this short video on Cats Doing Taxes from one of my favorite non-profits AccountAbility Minnesota. (BTW: if you search for “funny tax videos” on YouTube, the results stink. Note to CPAs everywhere: please make a funny tax video that I can insert in my blog posts on tax tips). Tax planning is a really … [Read more...] about Tax Tips for Millennials