Which is better? Know your financial options As our economy continues to reopen and recover from a year-long global pandemic, some of us are faced with mounting debt and concerns with credit. Others have a desire to travel, make home improvements, or maybe fix or buy a vehicle. Whatever your situation, there are options to help finance your future. Let’s look at a personal loan vs. credit card—both have merit when used wisely. Personal loans or credit card: The pros…

It’s an unfortunate fact that many of our veterans returning from tour arrive at their doorstep with a suitcase full of struggles. From mental health to financial concerns, a post-military life can be extremely challenging for many. While there are resources available for veterans to turn to, many former servicemen and women are not aware of them. To help try and rectify this issue, we’ve pulled together a list of resources available to struggling veterans and their families at this…

Personal loans are gaining popularity by the day. They’re the fastest-growing type of consumer debt. If you’ve never applied for a personal loan, you may have already asked yourself the question: What are personal loans used for? We’ve all been in situations where we have found ourselves in need of money. When you have an unexpected expense, want to consolidate debt, or want to make a large purchase and don’t have the money upfront, you may need to take on…

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented change to the financial sector, and the mortgage industry has not been spared. As mortgages are the most important asset on lenders’ books, lenders are being extra careful when determining who they should loan to, making it more challenging for borrowers. However, the pandemic has also made mortgages more attractive to borrowers, as the interest rates have plummeted to new lows. With such drastic changes, how can you apply for a mortgage successfully and…

Big purchases require big savings. But what’s a big purchase? Well, that totally depends on your financial situation, which means everyone’s definition of a large purchase is different. Technically speaking, a significant investment is anything that has a bearing on your debt-to-income ratio. Large expenses such as that fancy Mercedes you’ve always dreamed of or an extended vacation in Greece is not a leisurely affair and need to be carefully thought through.  They typically require a major change of lifestyle…

Help kids save money with these teaching tips If you want to teach kids money management and the importance of saving, it doesn’t hurt to start early. Research shows that children grasp how money works as early as age 3. By age 7, they begin to hone money habits. Plus, many adults say they would have benefited from early instruction in money matters. In a recent survey, 1 in 4 U.S. adults with children under 18 said their parents provided…

Tips for how you can take advantage of 0% interest and no payments   If you have student loan debt, you’re probably breathing a sigh of relief. Borrowers with federal student debt won’t have to make monthly payments and can expect 0% interest through September 2021.   The freeze first began at the start of the pandemic as part of the Trump administration’s government’s coronavirus relief effort. President Joe Biden extended the policy for several more months as his administration weighs canceling a portion of this debt. This would be added relief for the nearly 45 million Americans…

Having a family is incredibly rewarding, and it’s one of life’s main goals for many people. However, before starting a family, it’s important to make sure that you are financially ready to take on such a challenge. Having a family is an endless joy, but it is becoming increasingly expensive. To help you navigate through all the information out there, we’ve put together some interesting information about the growing costs of raising a family! It’s more expensive to raise a…

If you own a home, chances are you want to make some upgrades or renovations at some point. After all, you want a space that works for your specific needs. From new countertops to a fresh coat of paint in the bedroom, there are a variety of home improvement ideas to consider. While these upgrades make the space more functional, they can also increase the value of your home. When considering different home improvement ideas, thinking about the future is…

A new financial outlook for a new year If you often wonder where your hard-earned money goes, you’re not alone. After all, it’s easy to spend money—monthly bills and weekly groceries are on a continuous cycle. And you can buy just about anything with the swipe of a credit card. For some people, their thirst for tracking finances has prompted them to download budgeting apps. In fact, 34% of millennials say they have at least one budgeting app on a…