The first step toward paying down card balances is to stop adding to them. There are a couple of easy ways to start this process. First and foremost, stop using your cards to make basic purchases. Wherever possible, use cash for day-to-day transactions, such as paying for groceries or buying clothes. There is a tendency […]
Where to Store Your Emergency Funds
Where should you put the money? Keep in mind that this is your emergency savings, not your emergency investments. Not a single drop of this money belongs in the stock market, not even in the most well-diversified, dividend-paying blue chip stock fund you can find. During the bull market, many of us were literally using […]
Claiming Social Security Benefits
One of the most important decisions that an American consumer will make as they near or reach retirement age is deciding when to actually start collecting their Social Security benefits. One of the biggest questions is going to be whether to start collecting them at the age of 62, when it’s possible, or at the […]
Want Your Tax Refund in Cash? Visit Wal-Mart
As an extra benefit to customers, and an excellent marketing gimmick, consumers this year can go to their local Walmart store to collect their tax refund in cash. For those consumers who don’t have a bank account, it’s a convenient and cheaper alternative to getting their check cashed. Even better, Walmart won’t charge any fees […]
Protect yourself from Dishonest Tax Preparers
For millions of Americans preparing their taxes every year is a complex and stressful task, one that they usually count on tax preparers to help them complete. In fact, nearly 60% of American consumers file their taxes with the help of a tax preparer, but the IRS recently warned that consumers need to be wary […]