Archive - March 2022

  Financial education has always been a weak area within education. Talking about money and understanding money management, debt, loans, interest and credit is rarely laid out to people until they get to college or graduate from high school. That’s why we wanted to start the conversation on how to talk to your kids about money, so they are better prepared for the real world.     Talk About Money Young   When you are having money conversations with younger Read More

Just by glancing at a single number, lenders can determine how financially responsible you are and decide whether to lend you money or not. Your credit score determines other important things like interest rates as well, which is why it’s so important to make sure your score is good. If you don’t have the greatest credit score, here are some basic ways you can improve it.      Check Your Credit Score Frequently   Just like you should be monitoring your Read More

When it comes to budgeting, you might not even know where to begin. The truth is, there are a million ways to budget and it’s not a one-size-fits-all process. You should try some different methods to decide what works best for your specific situation. Here are some general rules of thumb when it comes to knowing how to properly budget:    DON’T stress yourself out about debt. DO take the first step in creating a budget.   One of the biggest mistakes people make is Read More

When it comes to older individuals, cybersecurity is something that can be commonly overlooked. Instead of hoping for the best, it’s important that we take steps to educate those who might not know how to spot cybercriminal activity. Here are some important things to remind ourselves and especially our elderly loved ones:   Even if an email looks legitimate, there’s still a chance it isn’t.   Cybercriminals do a great job masking their identities by making emails Read More

It’s tax season! The IRS sets the start of tax season as Monday, January 24, 2022, and the deadline as April 18, 2022. Tax planning will help you gather everything you need to promptly and properly file your taxes for 2022. If you’re already pulling at your hair from stress—don't worry! Get a jump on preparing for taxes this year by following the steps we’ve outlined below.  1. Decide How You Will Be Filing  Will you be doing the filing yourself or will Read More