Acorns to Assets: Preparing Financially for 2017

Acorns to Assets: Preparing Financially for 2017

#WMWeek17, Budgeting, Debt, Entrepreneurship / Making Money, Goals / Taking Action, Take Action, Women's Money Week
So 2017 is approaching and your financial situation is less than ideal. Believe me, a broke college graduate, when I say I understand. But it’s time to take that mess and sort it out. A scary prospect? Absolutely. But one of the most important things to remember is that building a stable financial life is a process. It’s not going to happen overnight, and that’s okay. I have a few tips and tricks to help begin the process of turning your financial acorns into 2017’s assets.1. BUILD THAT BUDGET!The key word here is “build”. Your budget is your plan for how you will spend your income, and as you change your spending habits and lifestyle your budget should reflect those changes.The first step in building a budget is tracking your spending.…
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Savings: There’s an App for that

Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Saving & Investing
If you’re like me, you probably have a savings account but not a plan for putting money in it. These apps are specifically designed to help with your savings plan.I should let you know that this is NOT a sponsored review. This is a REAL review. No company asked us to do this, I just did this out of my own curiosity and desire to pass along some good tips.Money Box This was by far the most user friendly app I reviewed.  It had a simple tutorial displayed the moment I opened the app or used a feature for the first time. The app is designed to help you save money for specific goals, like school, a car, or a vacation, and helps make that goal solid in your mind. You…
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Life After Debt: Journey to Financial Freedom

Life After Debt: Journey to Financial Freedom

#WMWeek17, Debt, Goals / Taking Action, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Popular
Consumer Recovery Network and storyteller Sarah Li Cain have teamed up together to produce a series of videos entitled “Life After Debt”. The series will feature ordinary people who were in serious debt and their journey out of it. The people who share their stories reveal the struggles with money and how being debt free has impacted their lives for the better. Not only that but they share what has helped them along the way, whether it’s listening other people’s story or getting outside assistance.The video series was created with the goal of helping people know that they are not alone in struggling under the mountain of debt. By openly sharing struggles with money and that a happy financial future is possible, the hope is that viewers are inspired and…
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College Seniors – Start Your Student Loan Payoff Plan NOW

College Seniors – Start Your Student Loan Payoff Plan NOW

Debt, Goals / Taking Action, Miscellaneous, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Take Action
The first day of your last year as an undergrad is a satisfying day, because it puts you that much closer to the finish line of your bachelors. Unfortunately, it also puts you that much closer to the student debt you’ve spent the last three years trying to ignore. In my experience, student loans are the biggest underlying stressor of college, but ultimately being uniformed about your debt profile does you no favors. However, it’s not too late to study that beast and prepare for battle. Here are some tips to pay off that student loan:1. Inform Yourself! Before you graduate, you will be required to do exit-counseling for your loans. Because of the timing, it’s easy to push the exit counseling to the last minute, rush through it, and…
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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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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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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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Was saving for college a New Year’s resolution?  #WMW16 @NVTreasury

Was saving for college a New Year’s resolution? #WMW16 @NVTreasury

#WMW16, Goals / Taking Action, Saving & Investing, Take Action, Women's Money Week
As winter winds down and we are all bombarded with spring break plans, upcoming holidays (St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, etc.), I am reminded, once again, on how fast time passes by. It seems like just last month my daughter started high school, and yet my son and daughter are almost done with this school year! With both kids in high school focused on their grades and excelling in school, I realize how grateful I am as a parent.My kids are both very fortunate to have their health, friends, and family support to pursue their dreams as they move through young adulthood. Raising children is quite challenging, and doing it alone brings its own set of financial and emotional setbacks and choices. As we juggle financial priorities between life’s needs and…
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How To Build an Emergency Fund ->> FAST!!  #WMW16 @WomensMoney

How To Build an Emergency Fund ->> FAST!! #WMW16 @WomensMoney

#WMW16, Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Saving & Investing, Women's Money Week
If you don't have much or any emergency savings, take heart.  You're not alone.  According to Credit.com, many people aren't adequately prepared to manage paying for an unexpected expense or emergency. According to the Federal Reserve's 2014 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, 47% of Americans say that they wouldn't be able to cover a $400 emergency expense. That often leads to maxing out credit cards, taking out expensive short-term loans, or worse.Here's a few tips to help you start and build an emergency fund in the fastest way possible (other than scoring a major windfall).Start Focusing on the "Inconvenience Fund"As the study mentioned, most Americans can't afford an unexpected $400 expense.  This often times isn't even considered a true emergency...it's mostly an "inconvenience" like car tires, parking ticket, unexpected…
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