Follow #FinFitChat as we discuss planning for your tax refund, how to handle an unexpected tax bill and more! Make plans to join our #FinFitChat on Twitter on Tuesday March 26th at 3pm EDT! There will be 2 chances to win an Amazon gift card! 1-$25 Amazon gift card 2-$15 Amazon gift card Use #FinFitChat to participate. For an easy way to keep track of the conversation, try using TweetChat. Questions we’ll discuss: …Read More
Q. I only use my credit cards to pay off small bills every month. It’s all automated and very calculated on my end. I have 2 credit cards, one with a $6000 limit and one with $2000 limit. I’m probably only using about 1 to 2 percent of my credit every month. My current FICO score is 785, and it’s been stagnant at that score for a while. But I’d …Read More
With more and more people working remote, it’s worth asking whether or not your small business even needs an office, and if it does then when is the best time to invest? While no one can tell you exactly when you need to invest in office space for your small business, below is a short list of some of the pros and cons of getting an office, which will hopefully …Read More
Q. Our daughter and son-in-law are struggling to pay their mortgage and other bills each month. She was laid off from her job and has been caring for our son-in-law at home. He has multiple health issues. Our son-in-law may be influenced by addictive behavior such as gambling or using drugs. He is very depressed since he has had to deal with health issues that have been causing considerable pain. …Read More
One of the less obvious responsibilities of being a small business owner is planning your own retirement. While salaried employees at big companies often contribute to a company-sponsored retirement plan, small business owners—particularly sole proprietors and owners of very small firms—don’t have that luxury. Unfortunately, about a third of all small business owners don’t have a retirement plan, which means too many people avoid taking steps to secure their …Read More
Q. I’m a physician working in critical access hospitals within the Indian Health Service as an independent contractor. Do I qualify for the PSLF? How do I apply for it? Dear Reader, As an independent contractor you would not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness because you do not satisfy the employment eligibility requirement. To be eligible for the PSLF, you have to be directly employed by a qualifying …Read More
The American dream—owning a home with a white picket fence—just may be alive and well. There are trillions of dollars’ worth of mortgages in the United States, with a surprisingly low amount of them in delinquency. That demonstrates that not only are Americans affording homes, but they’re doing it without missing frequent payments. If you want the same for yourself, you may find there are a number of things …Read More
The cost of higher education has ballooned exponentially in recent years. The days of being able to put yourself through a big university on a part-time or full-time job are mostly gone. Today, financial aid and student loans are almost as much a part of college as attending class. As a result, many students graduate school with a significant amount of student loan debt; in fact, student loan debt is …Read More
One of the top causes of small business failure is lack of funding to not only launch but also grow in the first years. The simple solution is to take out a business loan to ensure you have enough to cover your expenses until profits start rolling in. But what happens when you’ve taken out a loan but now you have other expenses to pay and you want to …Read More
Is there an ideal age for someone to get his or her first credit card? Learning how to properly manage and pay off debt can be important lessons for the long haul. But a credit card in the hands of someone who has yet to learn personal financial responsibility can result in long-lasting consequences. According to CNBC, the optimal age for many people to get their first credit card …Read More