Hi there, home-buying hopeful! We are covering the 10 Things Every Aspiring Homeowner Needs to Know. So far, we’ve discussed: Whether you should really be buying, or if you should stick with renting What your credit situation looks like to lenders How much house you can afford How to pick a realtor, or if you should do it yourself How to pick a lender, and whether you need to get Continue Reading
10 Things Every Aspiring Homeowner Needs to Know: How To Find Your Home Buying Dream Team
Hi there, home buying hopeful! We are covering the 10 Things Every Aspiring Homeowner Needs to Know. So far, we’ve discussed: Whether you should really be buying, or if you should stick with renting What your credit situation looks like to lenders How much house can you afford? Now, you need to know how to start shopping around for a Realtor® and a mortgage lender. Choosing a Continue Reading
10 Things Every Aspiring Homeowner Needs to Know: How Much House Can You Afford?
So, you want to be a homeowner? Congratulations! Get ready to roll up your sleeves and learn what you need to know. One of the first the things you should do is to figure out how much house you can actually afford. You want to have a number in mind before you get together with a Realtor® or a lender, because they may have a different idea of how much you can spend on a house. The traditional Continue Reading
10 Things Every Aspiring Homeowner Needs To Know
Buying a house or condo is equal parts exciting and stressful. It’s easy to get carried away thinking about actually owning a home of your own, not to mention all the barbecues you’ll have in the back yard. There are many questions that come up when you are considering buying your first property. Make sure you ask yourself the following before taking the leap. You need to know: Whether Continue Reading
Having A Good Relationship With The IRS
Does the word “tax” make you want to take a nap? Yeah, me too. But taxes are an important part of your financial picture, and one that is often overlooked. Paying close attention to all aspects of your tax picture — from how much is being withheld from your paychecks to which credits and deductions you qualify for — can either save (or lose) you thousands of dollars over the years. After Continue Reading
Negotiating What You’re Worth
The ability to successfully negotiate your salary, benefits and promotions will have a huge impact on your finances, both in the present and in the future. In this article, you will learn why negotiation is so important and how you can develop or improve this important skill. Why is Negotiation Important? A study conducted by George Mason University and Temple University researchers found Continue Reading
The 7 Deadly Sins of Investing
There are a few investing blunders that many people make — mistakes that are detrimental to their overall investment strategies. As you put together your investment portfolio, whether it be within your 401(k) or in a brokerage account, make sure to avoid these Deadly Sins of Investing. If you're a more visual learner, jump to the bottom of this blog post to watch our video on the seven deadly Continue Reading
Investing So Your Money Grows
When it comes to investing your money, you don’t need to be the Wolf of Wall Street or sign up for a trading course. However, you should know the basics, as well as a few of the finer points — and why your investing strategy might differ from a friend’s. In this post, you will learn about different types of investments, how to put together a balanced mix of those investments, and why it’s Continue Reading
Choosing the Best Retirement Plan for You
You may be enrolled in a retirement plan at work, but do you know how it really works? Have you heard about other plans from friends and feel unsure whether you should be doing something different? Do you work for a small company that doesn’t offer a retirement plan? In this column, you’ll learn the lingo, and how to distinguish among a Roth IRA, a traditional IRA, a 401(k), a Roth 401(k) and Continue Reading
Budgeting Like a Pro in 6 Steps- Part 2
We're covering the Six Steps that you should be taking if you're not quite sure where you money goes every month, or if you know you could be doing better with your budgeting. We covered Steps 1 and 2- how to identify where your money is going- in this article. This week, we'll cover how to plug the leaks in your budget, how to practice more mindful spending, and how to put your money to work in Continue Reading