Health care costs are rapidly emerging as a major expense item both before and during retirement. So how can you prepare a budget for health care costs in retirement? A PERSON’S HEALTH REALLY IMPACTS THEIR RETIREMENT SPENDING. Health status: There are controllable and non-controllable factors; Impact: Our personal choices impact our health – nutrition,…
With summer travel in high gear, what are the best travel reward credit cards for 2018? HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO EVALUATE A CREDIT CARD FOR TRAVEL BENEFITS? If you are selecting a new card ask, “What is the card’s ‘total value?’” Welcome bonus? Points earned after reaching minimum spending level (ex: $3,000). Travel…
In March, many employers, banks, and organizations promoted “America Saves Week.” The message was simple: Making an effort to save is vital to your financial health. Whether it is putting change in a piggy bank or contributing to a 401k plan at work it can mean big money down the road. WHY IS IT…
It’s a new year and a great time to review and update your spending plan, or start one with a fresh mind-set if this is something you’ve been putting off forever. Budgeting doesn’t need to be complicated – it really just depends on how much detail YOU want to track. Technology has made a lot…
Holiday Bonuses The holidays often bring lots of cheer, festivities—and those much anticipated year-end bonuses. What is the best way to spend your holiday bonus? HOW GENEROUS ARE BUSINESSES TO THEIR EMPLOYEES OVER THE HOLIDAYS? Accounting Principles surveyed 500 businesses and found that 75% of them will give out holiday bonuses this year. For…
See the original post on WBIR For Millennials, it is more important than ever to learn prudent purchasing and money-saving behaviors for their hard-earned cash. Here are six tips: LET’S START WITH SOME ADVICE FOR MILLENNIALS WITH CREDIT CARDS. 1. Be strategic with your credit card interest rates. If you’re carrying a balance…
Tax refunds are in the mail! With the average taxpayer expecting to rake in a refund of more than $3,000, what should you do with the windfall? IF YOU ARE EXPECTING A REFUND, WHAT IS THE SOLID “EAT YOUR VEGETABLES” ADVICE? 1. Pay down high-interest debt: this is how 40% of Americans will use…
Are you on track to achieve your goals? In other words, have you saved enough? And, how do you know how much is enough? Use the following guidelines to give yourself a Savings Check-up. Even though the economy has been doing better, many people are still financially vulnerable, i.e., living paycheck to paycheck. According…
America Saves Week is a national effort to set a savings goal, make a savings plan, and save automatically. It all starts when you make a commitment to yourself to save. Are you saving for the right things? Just like your car needs a tune-up, and just like you need your annual physical, your checkbook needs…
Do you have a “pending” file? How long have some of those actions been pending? How many relate to your personal financial plan? Consider the synonyms for “pending”: unresolved, unsettled, up in the air, on ice, unfinished, on the back burner. I don’t know about you, but unresolved financial matters in my life are a leak…