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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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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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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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 Save Money as a Single Woman  #WMW16

How to Save Money as a Single Woman #WMW16

#WMW16, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Saving & Investing, Women's Money Week
Women’s Money Week — now that’s a topic that’s near and dear to my heart.On my own blog, I write extensively about my financial life as a single woman. It’s not necessarily better or worse than being part of a couple, but there are definitely both pitfalls and bonuses to look out for.In this post I’m going to write about why single women should be especially attuned to saving money, and how they can do it effectively.First things first:...READ MORE >>
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Money Lessons for my Younger Self  #WMW16 @ctwbdc

Money Lessons for my Younger Self #WMW16 @ctwbdc

#WMW16, Budgeting, Debt, Entrepreneurship / Making Money, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Saving & Investing, Women's Money Week
When I turned 14 and it became legal for me to get my first job, I did.  Throughout my teen years I held multiple jobs, often times simultaneously.  During those years, I mastered bagging groceries (there is an art to this!), making the perfect cup of coffee, became knowledgeable about fish and reptiles, stacked underwear precisely by the dozen and provided the perfect bra fitting, gained skills and an admiration for great lawn care, and mastered creative playtime with youngsters.  If there was one thing my parents taught me, it was the value of hard work.I look back on those formative years and have to laugh.  Although I was working really hard, I really wasn’t working very smart.  I was a kid, living at home, and had all of my…
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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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To Budget or Not to Budget #WMW16  @foundingmom

To Budget or Not to Budget #WMW16 @foundingmom

#WMW16, Budgeting, Entrepreneurship / Making Money, Women's Money Week
In the beginning of my transition from 9 to 5 life, I tried to budget every penny, now when I say budget, I mean the part where you try to plan where every dollar is going to go. After my dollars decided to go where they pleased instead of where I’d told them to go I quickly learned that life as an entrepreneur for me was less about planning and more about preparation.Read More >>Provided by FoundingMoms.com 
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#WomensMoney Week: Budgeting & Spending  #WMW16 @lilmsmoneybags

#WomensMoney Week: Budgeting & Spending #WMW16 @lilmsmoneybags

#WMW16, Budgeting, Debt, Saving & Investing, Women's Money Week
Dirty confession: I haven't had a budget in years.I think there are two ways to approach personal finance, and I've done both. One is a zero-based budget, where each dollar is assigned to a category and once you run out of money in a category, you don't get any more until the next pay period or month. The other way is to track every dollar you spend, so you can monitor trends and adjust as needed. Both work very well, if you're diligent, but I think they work for different circumstances. Read More >>by Little Miss Moneybags
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