Blog Posts

You’re on the verge of completing your paperwork when the dealer hits you with one more option: an extended warranty. While the thought of never having to pay for auto repairs as long as you own your car is definitely appealing, there’s a lot that auto dealers are not telling you when it comes to extended warranties.

In a recent survey by JumpStart Coalition for Financial Literacy, only 26 percent of those between the ages of 13-21 said that they had been taught how to manage money. Yet, when they turn 18, kids are signing contracts for student loans, opening credit card accounts, and in many instances, living away from home with little financial guidance available.

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked financial questions.  

I’ve just started my first job.  Do I really have to start saving for retirement now?

The tax code, with all of its hundreds of pages of regulations, stipulations, and loopholes always leave something be learned. Not only is the U.S. Internal Revenue Code massive, different write-offs and deductions occur at different stages in life, so it’s unsurprising if you don’t know the details of the IRA (Individual Retirement Account) charitable rollover.

While the name may be amusing the reality of zombie debt is anything but funny. Zombie debt is old debt that has been written off years ago, only to be sold to debt collectors for pennies on the dollar. In many cases, the debt is years old, and may not even be valid.

It seems like we’ve been conditioned to shop since birth.  While an occasional splurge is nothing to get worked up about, we’ve become incredibly wasteful in the process.  Landfills from coast to coast are full of our discarded belongings such as furniture, equipment, appliances, and electronic items like computers and cellphones.  We no longer repair an item, we simply replace it. Some of our spending habits can certainly be tied to the incessant marketing and advertising that target consumers on a daily basis.

Giving money to philanthropic causes is important to many of us. Year end giving in particular is popular with both donors and charitable organizations. The most common way to give money for most people is to simply write a check or put a donation on a credit card. The charity then typically sends us a receipt for our donation, and everyone is happy.

Not so fast.

For generations a debate has raged on over whether it’s best to buy whole life insurance or to buy term life insurance and “invest the difference”.  Proponents of each method are adamant in their positions and both offer sound reasoning in their answers.  But, for anyone to tell you which is best for you without knowing anything about you is tantamount to someone tel

As a retirement plan, 401(k) plans currently outpace the competition, with more than 54 million Americans participating in a 401(k) plan, and nearly 550,000 plans offered.

Employer sponsored, 401(k) plans are by far the easiest mechanism for workers to get started saving for retirement. And because there is typically an employer match for contributions up to a certain percentage, workers can end up leaving a significant amount of money on the table if they choose to forego participating in the company 401(k) plan.