Finance Globe

With 2019 coming to an end, it’s a good time to turn your attention to the new year. This means many things in regards to your finances, with most people realizing the importance of reviewing their retirement plan and adjusting it as necessary. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to retirement planning. What works for you may not work for the next person, and vice versa. However, if you want to stay the course, there are some...

One of the hardest parts of creating a budget is figuring out how much money you should spend on all your expenses. What's the right amount to spend on housing? Or transportation? Or entertainment? Having a guide to building a budget helps keep your spending in line. That's one of the benefits of the 50/30/20 budgeting method. Your spending on certain categories is kept within a certain percentage of your monthly income, so you can figure...

The more complicated your finances are, the harder it is to keep up with everything. You'll spend more time and effort trying to manage complicated finances and the stress of dealing with your finances may cause you to procrastinate. Overly complicated finances could lead to more expensive mistakes like missing a payment or overdrafting your bank account. If you've been feeling like your finances are all over the place, there are a few things you can...

Many people choose credit cards and loans based on the features, benefits, or the monthly payment, but there's a more important factor to consider - the APR. This number tells you how much you're actually paying to borrow money. The higher the APR, or annual percentage rate, the more you're paying when you borrow money. Finding the APR Looking at the APR gives you a better way to compare loan of the same type to each...

Coming up with a solid budget is tough even when you have a regular income from a job or business. Budgeting a fluctuating income can be even more difficult because you can't be sure how much money you're bringing in. In these situations, having a plan for to manage an unpredictable income becomes even more important to ensure all your monthly expenses are met without getting into debt or overdrafting your accounts. When you're self-employed, working...

With 2019 winding down, there’s no better time than now to turn your attention to the new year. As 2020 inches closer, it makes sense to review your budget with an eye toward saving money. Did your car insurance premium creep higher this year? Are you looking to save money as the year turns? A car insurance premium increase isn’t always directly related to your personal situation. For example, rates often increase as a result of...

Filing bankruptcy can affect your credit more than almost anything else, but that doesn't mean you should avoid bankruptcy if it's the best solution to get your finances back on track. Bankruptcy can be the perfect opportunity to start over and rebuild your credit. Here's how you can do it. Make sure your bankruptcy is reported correctly. Order copies of all three of your credit reports. You can use AnnualCreditReport.com if you haven't already received a...

Every year, I make it a goal to have my holiday shopping completed before the holidays actually hit. Planning ahead for holiday gifts can not only help you to save on stress, but save on cash as well. Here are a few budget-friendly holiday gift ideas. An Amazon gift card: Warehouse stores, such as Costco and Sam's Club, sell gift cards for less than their face value. You can also often find bulk packs of gift...

Some people can be very frugal. In certain economic environments frugality is very important and can help you save money or survive in an economic downturn. Frugality is more than just clipping coupons. Being frugal is about aiming to get the most value from life's resources, including stretching your budget to its fullest potential. In working toward achieving that value, frugal people tend to adopt a wide range of daily habits. Below are the habits I...

Every person should have a solid foundation or set of key principles to investing. Even if you are not a financial savvy person, you should still sit down and outline what your key principles are. I thought it would be helpful to share mine. Please feel free to let me know what your principles are in the comments section. Ignore daily market moves: I do not pay much attention to the daily ups and downs of...