21Jul 2016 by Women's Money
Is Traditional Spending Advice Leaving You Frustrated?

Is Traditional Spending Advice Leaving You Frustrated?

Budgeting, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Saving & Investing
When it comes to stopping splurge spending, we’ve probably all heard the basic advice; “don’t shop while hungry”, “make a list”, etc., but if you’re anything like me, that advice does diddly squat.I do try to eat before grocery shopping, and I do make lists, but neither of those things really stop me from walking out with at least one item more than I planned. Stores are structured to keep you, the consumer, inside and spending money; they put milk at the back of the store so you have to walk past everything and see something you want/need. While I don’t have all the answers to impulse buying, here are a few tips I’ve found helpful.1. Bring a Limited Supply of Cash.            This is most helpful for making sure you…
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23Mar 2016 by Women's Money
It’s time to give your finances a spring cleaning. Start with a #FinancialSelfie #WomensMoney

It’s time to give your finances a spring cleaning. Start with a #FinancialSelfie #WomensMoney

Budgeting, Credit, Debt, Entrepreneurship / Making Money, Goals / Taking Action, Miscellaneous, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Popular, Relationships & Money, Saving & Investing, Take Action
It's been almost three months since New Year's Eve. The first day of spring has passed, and holidays celebrating reflection and renewal are coming up.  It's the time of "spring cleaning". It's also time to get an honest picture of your personal financial condition. Here are some quick, cool, and fairly painless ways to get your financial status reviewed:The Quickie Selfie - Takes like two minutes tops, and you instantly get a general pulse of your financial health.The Full Financial Selfie - Takes maybe five minutes, and again gives you a general (more in-depth than the quickie) pulse of where you're at financially.Financial Freedom Evaluators - If you want the real deal, in-depth experience then you want to try out the Women's Money Financial Freedom Evaluators.  This gives you a more in-depth…
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18Mar 2016 by Women's Money
WHAT’S THE COST FOR CLOSING A REVOLVING CREDIT CARD? @JulieMaccCredit #creditrepair

WHAT’S THE COST FOR CLOSING A REVOLVING CREDIT CARD? @JulieMaccCredit #creditrepair

Credit
I have noticed a lot of what I consider bad advice regarding closing credit cards to save an annual fee associated with some credit cards. The FICO scoring model subtracts points every time you open or close a revolving credit account.  The longer a revolving account is open; the FICO scoring model rewards you with more points.A revolving account is considered an account with a pre-approved credit limit determined by the credit grantor that a consumer makes payments on the balance of the credit used during the month.An installment account is typically a mortgage, student loan or auto loan that typically ( unless the payment is deferred) is paid on a fixed payment monthly until paid in full and closed.It takes about six months to accumulate a payment history on any…
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11Mar 2016 by Women's Money

THE FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE GAP #WMW16

#WMW16, Goals / Taking Action, Relationships & Money, Saving & Investing, Women's Money Week
When it comes to retirement saving, many women lag behind many men. Historically, that has been the case. The 2015 edition of Financial Finesse’s annual survey, The Gender Gap in Financial Wellness, offers more evidence of the problem – along with a few encouraging signs that women may be catching up.READ MORE >>written by Samirian Hill
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11Mar 2016 by Women's Money
Career Advice for Women Looking for Work Life Balance #WMW16 @moneycrashers

Career Advice for Women Looking for Work Life Balance #WMW16 @moneycrashers

#WMW16, Entrepreneurship / Making Money, Parental Leave, Relationships & Money, Women's Money Week
Women wear hats. A lot of hats. So many hats, in fact, that one could say that they wear more hats than any other group in society, including ball players and construction workers. Women’s hats include the mom hat, the wife hat, the friend hat, the daughter hat, the sister hat, and the employee hat.With so many roles that women have to play, the role of career often becomes rushed, half-hearted, or interrupted. Women have so many demands on them that they cannot always live out their dreams in the workplace. Working can become a burden, instead of a way to fulfill ourselves.READ MORE >>provided by Money Crashers
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11Mar 2016 by Women's Money
How to Start Saving for College – #WMW16 @BrightwaterFin

How to Start Saving for College – #WMW16 @BrightwaterFin

#WMW16, Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Saving & Investing, Women's Money Week
When I talk with parents about their biggest financial concerns and goals, saving for college inevitably comes up in the conversation. And I understand why college savings is on their minds. The average 2015 graduate will have to pay about $35,000 back in student loans and about 70% of 2015 college graduates left school with student debt, as shared in this Wall Street Journal article. Yeesh! Not to mention the results of this college cost calculatorcan be a little depressing.READ MORE >>by Cathy Derus
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11Mar 2016 by Women's Money
7 Ways to Become a Better Parent and Investor – #WMW16 @BrightwaterFin

7 Ways to Become a Better Parent and Investor – #WMW16 @BrightwaterFin

#WMW16, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Saving & Investing, Take Action, Women's Money Week
Now that we have two kids, the stakes are a little higher in the parenting department. Lately, I’ve been reading the book Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids. While feeding our newborn son at 2am or trying to fall back to sleep, I started thinking about how parenting advice also applies to investing.Read More >>by Cathy Derus
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11Mar 2016 by Women's Money
Rent or Buy? This decision can save $100-$500 or more each month! #WMW16

Rent or Buy? This decision can save $100-$500 or more each month! #WMW16

#WMW16, Saving & Investing, Women's Money Week
In some areas of the country, you can save thousands of dollars a year just by making the decision of renting or buying.  Never follow the advice of "it's always better to own".  THAT'S NOT TRUE!!  And, many of us found that out in 2008 or after.   So what do you need to know to just if it is right for YOU. Here are some key "tests" to judge for yourself. Check Your Local Economy - Some places are hot markets right now, and it makes it so tempting to buy a home "before they are all gone".  It's like a fire sale, but don't get sucked into the crowd mentality.  Get a calculator, and figure it out for yourself.  For example, let's say homes are selling for $100,000 in your area -…
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