Finance Globe

I have an embarrassing confession. It has taken me nearly eight months to write this. I’ve written and rewritten this column--heck, this sentence--more times than I care to admit. My original plan was to write a blog-like series in which I presented money management tips that I would actually follow myself, to be kicked off with some sage advice about making financial New Year’s Resolutions. Yeah, I know. Missed the boat on that one. Thank you,...

A recent survey from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling revealed a surprising misconception that may explain why so few consumers take time to create a budget. More than half of survey respondents – 57% - considered a budget to be a restriction on their spending. Less than half – 43% - said a budget gives them the freedom to spending money as they’ve chosen. Of course, the latter is most accurate.Another poll conducted by Gallup...

If you want a quick, cheap meal while you’re on the go, McDonald’s may be the first place that crosses your mind. But, it’s probably not a good idea to rely on the billion-dollar fast food chain for financial advice. McDonald’s recently partnered with Visa to release personal finance advice via a website named Practical Money Skills for Life, found at www.practicalmoneyskills.com. On the site, you'll find basic financial advice like how to create a along...

Living paycheck to paycheck and making just enough money to pay the bills is no fun. Living this way month after month, year after year can take a toll on your emotional well-being. The financial strain you’ve lived under for weeks can make you unhappy. That’s no way to live. If you’re tired of living this way, it’s time to do something about it. Do you know how much you’re paying? You may mindlessly write the...

You may be one of the millions of people who received one of those annoying phone calls, or several phone calls, from “Rachel” from “Cardholder Services” promising to help you reduce your credit card interest rate. Unfortunately, many consumers found out after spending hundreds of dollars that “Rachel” was just part of a scam. The FTC shut down one of the companies behind the scam in November 2012. Now, A+ Financial Center, the company behind the...

Though budgeting has repeatedly been touted as one of the basic financial habits, not many Americans are budgeting their monthly income. According to a recent poll from Gallup, only 32% of Americans budget each month. Based on that statistic, it’s safe to assume the remaining 68% either don’t budget at all or don’t budget monthly. Of those who do budget, the Gallup poll showed that people with higher incomes or college degrees were more likely to...

Students borrowing certain need-based Federal loans after July 1, 2013 will pay a higher interest rate than previous borrowers paid on the same loan. Rates on new Direct Subsidized Loans, a need-based loan otherwise known as Stafford loans, will be 6.8% versus the 3.4% rate that student loan borrowers have enjoyed for the previous six years. The government estimates that 9.4 million loans will be made this year with the new interest rate. The rates for...

People are taking more time paying off their auto loans. Auto lenders, in an effort to get more people to buy more cars, are giving people more time to pay off their loans. The result is lower monthly payments. At the end of 2012, average new car loans were 65 months, just shy of five and a half years. But there are car loans as long as 97 months. That’s more than eight years. After paying...

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Time is money,” but do we really believe this? Do we behave this way? If you’re having financial trouble, consider whether your time management may be, at least partially, to blame. Mismanaging your time can impact your money in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. Do You Spend Enough Time on Your Finances? Being a poor manager of time, you may not set aside enough time to pay attention to your money....

How many times have you said to yourself “If I only had more money?” as you poured over a stack of bills or laid awake thinking about your finances? It may not be much consolation, but you’re not alone. Lots of people have the same thought, that having more money would solve all their money problems. Unfortunately, that may not necessarily be the case. The money you have, or don’t have, isn’t necessarily the reason you...