Personal Finance

If you’re one of the 78% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, you know how stressful it is.[1] You feel anxiety from seeing the overdrawn bank accounts. You know how financial pressure affects every aspect of your life from your health to your relationships. You know the burden that comes with trying to take care…

Building and maintaining a respectable credit score is an important part of your financial life.  With a good credit score, you can qualify for the best loans at the lowest rates, earn cash rewards with responsible credit card use, and more. But how do you actually earn a great score? If you don’t know what…

Chances are you have some goals you’d like to tick off in your lifetime. Maybe you want to visit three dozen countries, buy a house, retire by the time you’re 55, or start a family and send your children off to college. Chances are also good that you won’t be able to achieve those goals…

If you’re wondering how to manage your money, but aren’t sure where to start, you’re not alone. Money management isn’t something you learn in school, and you probably didn’t learn money management from your parents. Luckily, managing your money can be pretty straightforward. Below are 10 simple steps and rules you can follow to learn…

Sinking funds are one of the most useful additions to a budget, and yet not many people know what they are. Many first-time budgeters are confused about sinking funds, asking questions like “What is a sinking fund?” or “What’s the best way to set them up, and are they really necessary?” These mini savings funds…

Many people dream of having lots of money and think about what they would buy and where they would go if they did get rich. Yet, so many don’t actually know how to become rich. After all, don’t you have to come from a wealthy family or inherit a boatload of money to be rich?…

When it comes to money and relationships, there are numerous ways to combine finances with your spouse or partner. Likewise, there are many benefits to combining marriage finances, namely a shared sense of unity and responsibility. Sharing a bank account with your partner encourages you to work together to reach your financial goals, but it…

The first few years after graduating from college are some of the most exciting — and financially important — times of a young adult’s life. Learning what to do with your money can seem like an overwhelming and complicated task, especially if you’ve never done it before. I hadn’t when I graduated, and it took…

A common misconception about minimalist living is that it means living in a bare house and owning just a couple of outfits. But that simply isn’t true. Even if you have 20 pairs of shoes and walls filled with pictures, you can still practice minimalism. At its core, minimalism is about living intentionally with clarity…

Plenty of U.S. drivers find leasing a car to be an attractive option. According to leading auto research company Cox Automotive, vehicle leases increased from 1 million to nearly 4.5 million from 2009 to 2016.[1] Leasing a car can appear to be a great deal since the monthly cost is usually lower than a loan…