Charity is about giving without expectation of return, but investing is about expecting a return on your spent money. These days, you don’t have to choose between being an open-hearted philanthropists or a hard-nosed investor, you can do it both at one time. There are now organizations that help you fund microloans to individuals to help them succeed in their ventures, whether financial or social, with an expectation of a return on that investment in the form of interest. You can invest in social projects of merit, and make money too. (more…)

Ever hear of the old parable of the frog who doesn’t know he’s boiling to death because the water only slowly increases in temperature and he doesn’t have the sense to jump out in time? That same analogy can apply to anyone who has suddenly realized that they may be in debt way over their head and it’s too late to cut back on their standard of living to fight off bankruptcy. In today’s aggressive financial climate, this sort of thing happens more and more. Current salaries are being decreased across the board while fees, interest rates on debt, and day-to-day expenses soar. It doesn’t necessarily take the loss of a job to get to the point where a medical emergency or family disaster pushes one overboard in an instant. That’s why consumers have to be really aware of when they are reaching that point of no return, and quickly reduce expenses before they can no longer recover the situation.

Here are some ways to tell when you might be getting into trouble in the near future: (more…)

They say that the only certainties in life are taxes and death. While we do dread paying our taxes every year, it’s something that we should become accustomed to as this money goes to good community causes, such as the roads we drive on and government programs that help the less fortunate. Although we will always have some debate related to the amount of taxes we pay due to our ongoing employment, we do know they are inevitable to keep the country running effectively. Elected officials, from Senators to Governors, are paid with our taxes. We also pay sales tax on the goods and services we buy and use every day, because we have to give the state and local governments money to help sustain the way we live. This money goes to local schools and libraries and helps the less fortunate in our immediate area.

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In the past, blue collar workers were mechanics, plumbers, and construction workers. They made less than their white collar counterparts who sat in offices and made bigger salaries for being “knowledge workers” and not manual laborers. While both blue and white collar workers are suffering job losses, the fact is that if you have a manual skill, you may be out of a job, but you’re hardly if every out of work. You can use those skills to pick up temporary gigs, save you money on your own expenses, and network your way into better jobs. If you have time and money to diversify your skill set, take a look at some of these manual skills to help you both make and save money when times are tough. (more…)

Is each slot of your wallet filled with a credit card of some sort? Do you find yourself experiencing a euphoric feeling or “high” when you swipe your credit card at any type of store?  Is this feeling of euphoria followed by a low feeling shortly afterwards?  Do you find yourself making excuses for why you must have an item?  Are you the first one to the mailbox each day in hopes of getting the credit card bill before anyone else does?  If you answered yes to any of these questions or to all of these questions you may have an addiction. (more…)

When it seems like everywhere you turn there is more bad news about the state of the economy, more people are becoming quite concerned about finding ways to keep their money safe. Even those who may have been big risk takers in the stock market have scaled back for fear that another dip in the stock market may cost them everything they have. With all the bank failures and bailouts that the economy has suffered in such a short period of time, it is no wonder why so many people have become so concerned. While you could always hide your money under your mattress, here are some simple tips that can help you keep your money safe no matter what the economy may throw at you. (more…)

If you own your own home, you will be required to carry home insurance by your financing company. However, the same is not true when you rent. The choice is yours whether to get renter’s insurance or not, and the initial impulse may be to see it as an unneeded expense. Like any insurance, renter’s insurance is a risk management tool that isn’t going to produce a benefit, unless you suffer a catastrophic loss. Therefore, the choice to pay insurance for your apartment may seem like it’s not a good deal, until you realize that relative to the premiums, the coverage is actually quite good. You can even choose to pay it all ahead of time, funding it with a paycheck advance to cover you for the entire year. (more…)

If you have spent any amount of time online reading personal finance articles you are probably more than well aware that creating and sticking to a budget is one of the main keys to financial success. While you know that creating and following a budget is important, many avoid this important step either because they don’t feel they need it or they don’t want to eliminate some of the luxuries they enjoy most.

When you utter the term budget, many people think that they need to deprive themselves by cutting out all luxury expenses in order to save some cash for a rainy day. While this may be true if your current financial situation is in dire straits, it should not be the case for those who would like to get a better handle on their finances and don’t know exactly where to start. Here are some simple tips to successfully living on a budget while still having the option to enjoy the luxuries that matter to you most. (more…)

Selling a home in today’s market can be tough. Sellers are picky, you’re competing against newer homes, and financing is a bear. The first step, obviously, is to entice a buyer to make a bid, without that, you’ll never get to closing. For the cost of a few hundred dollars, about the same as a pay day loan, you will be able to transform your house from a runner-up to a winner in the real estate game. (more…)

While it can be quite easy to grow accustomed to a certain lifestyle when our weekly salary can help cover it, many don’t give a second thought to how they will maintain their current lifestyle once it comes time to retire. Even something as simple as going out to dinner every night can put a crimp in the budget of someone who is now on a fixed income. Once you retire, you do not have the luxury of extra hours to fall back on in order to generate extra cash to cover your monthly expenses. Once retirement age arrives, many choose to continue working in order to maintain the lifestyle they have grown accustomed to, or they choose to make drastic lifestyle changes in order to make their retirement money last longer. While these are the most common options, they should not be the only ones you have to choose from. Here are some ways to save enough money for retirement so you can still enjoy the lifestyle you have grown accustomed to. (more…)