Self-Help Articles

Variable Expense Funds

Dinner at your favorite restaurant, or the dentist bill for next month’s cleaning. That technical gadget you’ve been drooling over, or your home owner’s insurance which isn’t due for 120 days. The new fall fashion, or the car inspection sticker that expires in 32 weeks....

What Does My Credit Score Mean?

Do you know what your credit score means? Really, do you? You may want to make sure you are perfectly clear on that, because The Consumer Federation of America reported in September of 2004 that of 1,000 Americans they surveyed, only one third understood that...

Which Credit Card Fits Your Wallet?

Many of us are bombarded on a daily basis with low-rate and no-rate credit card offers. Several a day can be seen stacked in mailboxes everywhere. But, the real question is, what do we do with these? Deciding whether to file them in the recycle...

10 Secrets To Frugal Family Fun

Today, four tickets to a professional ball game, four hot dogs, and four sodas can run you over $100. The same goes for a trip to a theme park, and the food there may cost even more. Fortunately, family fun can be found for a...

How to Stop the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle and Save Instead

For far too many Americans, sweating it out financially until the next paycheck arrives is an all-too-common occurrence. What’s more, for those who find themselves in such a sticky situation, it’s not hard to imagine that saving money is high on the priority list. According to...

Tips to Securing a Great First Credit Card

Everyone remembers their first credit card. For some, the memory marks the beginnings of a successful financial journey… For others, it marks the beginning of a series of ill-advised purchases with the accompanying high-interest rates – and a descent into the murky waters of late...

Goal: A Higher Credit Score

When it comes to credit scores, the higher the better. Ranging from 350-850, your score can impart serious consequences on your financial life including what type of interest rate your credit cards carry, whether or not you’re approved for loans, your car insurance rate (in...

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU’VE BLOWN YOUR BUDGET

Even when you’ve got a carefully planned budget in place, life happens. All it takes is one unexpected expense – say, a home or car repair; a random impulse purchase; emergency dental work; you name it – to knock your finances off course. Blowing your...

Sidestep Hidden Credit Card Fees with These Tips

As much as Americans love to use credit cards – we have nearly $1 trillion in credit card debt to prove it – you’d think more of us would be well versed in the myriad of fees that often pop up on our monthly statements....

Your Credit Card Payment Is Rising

Did you know your minimum credit card payment is rising? A new government program working to get Americans out of credit card debt is pushing credit card issuers to raise minimum monthly payments. Will you be able to make the higher monthly payment? Here are...