The holiday travel season is approaching quickly. You might already know that I’m always up for a winter getaway that involves as much skiing as possible, and through the years I’ve honed some strategies and tips for how to maximize your dollars on holiday travel and minimize spending as much as possible. This is the […]
Is it possible to budget for healthcare? Budgeting is already a tough task for most of us.
Insurance is confusing, medical bills are a foreign language, and who has time for it? Have you actually read your healthcare plan and know your co-pays, prescription costs, deductible, or even premium per month? Let’s break down how you can find clarity on healthcare costs…and, heck, maybe even save some money. Summary of Benefits and […]
Sparking joy … in your financial life
“Does it spark joy?” We’ve been hearing that a lot these days. I talked about the Marie Kondo phenomenon in a recent newsletter (sign up to receive them here!). Her philosophy about surrounding yourself only with things you love makes a lot of sense to me. My close friends and family know my closet is […]
Selling Stuff Online: Measures to Protect You and Your Money
These days, there are more ways than ever to buy or sell something online—and, unfortunately, more ways than ever to get scammed. There’s been a lot in the news about ticket scammers and rental scammers who have used Craigslist (or Facebook Marketplace, or eBay) to lure people into putting big money down for things they’ll […]
New Year, New Themes
As I catch my breath from 2018 and look into 2019, visions of goals are dancing in my head. Last year, I talked about how instead of resolutions, I used themes to guide my way. Themes can evolve through the year as you reach different goals along the way. Or, if you get caught in […]
Talking Taxes – What Can You Still do this Year?
As 2018 starts winding to a close, and the holidays start racing toward us, it’s a good time to stop and take stock of how you’ve set yourself up for the 2018 tax season—and if there’s any way you can help maximize your potential tax savings for the year. (And if making any changes in […]
Getting familiar with your credit card statement
Many of us have credit cards, but some of us never open our credit card statements. It’s easy to see your due date and pay online—and not look at the nitty gritty. And seeing a long list of monthly purchases can be overwhelming. But there’s some very worthwhile information in those pages and pages of […]
ARMs vs. fixed-rate mortgages: Which is right for you?
The process of buying a home is full of decisions: fun decisions, exciting decisions … often stressful decisions. It’s a good idea to go into the process knowing the answers to as many of the big details as possible, like how much you’re comfortable spending and how long you think you’ll stay in the home. […]
Disability Insurance and You
Disability Insurance and You Many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck — a staggering 78 percent of us, according to a recent study by Career Builder. That creates a very delicate financial situation that could be thrown off kilter by an accident, unexpected illness, or a big family emergency. It’s not something anyone wants to […]
What’s a Cash-out Refi and Why Do It?
If you’re a homeowner who’s experienced a significant increase in equity (thanks, crazy real estate market!) or has made some strides in paying off your mortgage, you might consider cash-out refinancing to help meet some of your other goals. A cash-out “refi” lets you refinance your mortgage for more than your existing mortgage, and then […]
