Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorLike a lot of parents, I co-signed a student loan for my 18-year-old daughter when she started college this past August. In October, I found out that she stopped going to class and no longer worked on any assignments. She moved out of the dorm and in with a girlfriend.Now she has $20,000 student loan debt and no job. She is
by Elizabeth Djinis Many of us spent 2021 wondering if our jobs were fulfilling enough. Were we happy? Were we paid enough? Was this what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives? For anyone who answered “no” to one of those questions — and especially if all of them — 2022 is the year to get certified. Getting certified in a skill or occupation can be a
by Nicole DowSenior WriterAlthough the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 loosened up in 2021, many of us still found ourselves spending a lot of time at home.With the novelty of Zoom happy hours and virtual events fading, we reverted back to some classic ways to unwind at the end of the day — vegging out in front of the TV and curling up with a good book.And we found ways to
Becoming a fiscally responsible adult is possible at any age and stage of life. Whether you’re in your 20s and worrying about paying off student loan debt or in your 40s and wondering how to ramp up your retirement savings, better money management can help you achieve your goals.Becoming fiscally responsible is largely about changing your relationship with money — how you think about it, manage it, and spend it.
by Elizabeth Djinis Quick Navigation2021 was year two of the pandemic, and chances are most of us spent a lot of time at home realizing just how much stuff we have on our hands.When you find yourself faced with clutter, there’s one good solution: try to sell it! What looks old, used or out of style to you may be a prized possession to someone else.But entering the world of
Creating a budget doesn’t have to mean setting yourself up for a life of restriction. By improving your money management, you can focus on making your money work for you. That means spending more on the things you want while still staying in control so you can achieve your long-term financial goals.The right spreadsheet and budgeting technology can help you create and track your financial budget. There’s no need to
Most people get into debt at some point in their lives — whether through student loans, credit cards, or car loans. Of course, the goal should be to pay off this debt so you can focus on improving your financial stability through successful investing and eliminating some of the fears surrounding money you might be harboring.However, if you have multiple debts — and don’t have the liquidity to pay them
Net worth provides a quick snapshot of your overall financial health. This simple figure is calculated by subtracting the dollar-value equivalent of all of your debts from all of your assets. Knowing your net worth can help you determine where you are in your financial journey — and, just as importantly, where you want to go. Read on for a quick guide to calculating your net worth.Net worth is calculated
by Tiffany ConnorsStaff WriterMaybe you have too much downtime. Maybe you don’t have nearly enough.Maybe working from home makes it a little too easy to open emails about sales at your favorite stores and spend a few minutes browsing — and buying.Whatever your particular trigger, it’s easy to indulge in retail therapy. That’s when you use shopping to cheer yourself up or stave off boredom. The euphoria of scoring a
The Envelope System is a great method for saving money.It works by allocating money for certain categories like eating out, shopping, movies, and so on in envelopes. Once you spend the money in the envelope, that’s it for the month. You can’t spend more.It’s a great system to use if you’re in debt, because it forces you to be actively aware of your spending — but is it all it’s cracked up
