21 Guilty Pleasures That Can Destroy Your Finances
A 2017 GOBankingRates survey revealed that more than half of Americans splurge on guilty pleasures. If you frequent the bars on weekends, eat fast food or smoke cigarettes, you’re probably one of these people who drops a lot of dough on expenses that can drain your bank account.
The Most Shocking Tax Cheats in Our History
HISTORY’S BIGGEST TAX CHEATS
There’s an old saying that the only two things you can’t avoid are death and taxes, but whoever said that clearly hasn’t been to the Grand Caymans. The reality is that, throughout history, people have found ways — legal and otherwise — to duck taxes.
Whether they hid assets in offshore bank accounts or organized an armed rebellion, some of history’s biggest tax cheats are an eclectic bunch and a reminder that one person’s tax cheat can just as easily be someone else’s revolutionary hero.
50 Freebies and Discounts You Can Get on Your Birthday
TREAT YOURSELF
While an incredible number of birthday perks revolve around free food, there are plenty of companies out there that will actually give you discounts and gifts on practically everything else on your special day. Company loyalty programs often offer celebratory perks to their members or their children, and in return, require them to at least sign up for a card, club, or newsletter to earn those benefits. Here are 50 ways you can get some birthday freebies for you and your loved ones, from car washes, to beauty samples, and rounds of golf.
This Is How You Could Spend Your Tax Refund
P IS FOR PRACTICAL
Hotly anticipating your tax refund? Before you splurge on that Jacuzzi you’ve always wanted or pile items into your virtual shopping cart, do yourself a favor: Hit pause, and consider finding a practical use for your money. What’s practical, of course, is relative to your circumstance, but mull over these ways to spend your check from Uncle Sam.
Giving Up on These 15 Expenses Saves You $9,650.34
When it comes to living expenses, the truth is that most Americans live on a very thin margin. Seventy-eight percent of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck to make ends meet, according to CareerBuilder. The good news is that if you take a closer look at how you live, you’re likely to find many areas in which you can trim expenses and give yourself an extra buffer.
7 Ways the Fed’s Decisions on Interest Rates Affect You
When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, you feel it.
“The Federal Reserve has its fingers in your pocketbook to a greater degree than the IRS,” says Michael Reese, a CFP professional in Traverse City, Michigan.
The Fed most recently raised rates in December and forecast that there will be multiple rate hikes in 2018, with the first one likely occurring at this week’s meeting.
The committee sets monetary policy, primarily by raising or lowering the Fed’s target for the federal funds rate, which is used as the benchmark for a range of consumer interest rates.
Here are seven ways the Fed affects your pocketbook.
11 Surprising Things That Prove You’ll Be Wealthy
Warren Buffett is one of the richest people in the world because he saved and invested – and didn’t follow get rich quick schemes.
Wealth is attainable to everyone with good financial habits, and you may already be on the right path.
Spending less money than you earn, saving for retirement, and investing money are simple ways to become wealthy.
Owning bitcoin won’t guarantee future wealth – but the right saving and investing strategies will.
At least according to Warren Buffett, who considers cryptocurrency a get-rich-quick scheme. Though chances are slim you’ll end up with the multi-billion-dollar fortune Buffett has, there are sensible ways to build wealth without betting on a bubble.
It’s hard to put a number on “wealth” because it’s personal and it depends on many factors, including where you live. Generally, having wealth means not having to worry about being able to pay your bills and knowing a comfortable retirement at a decent age is feasible.
These 11 indicators are easy to follow and will help you build wealth – whatever that means to you. Even better, a lot of these tips go hand-in-hand and require little work or maintenance.
If you are already following this advice, congratulations! You are on the road to being wealthy.
The 15 best work from home jobs for retirees
Just because you’ve retired from your primary career doesn’t mean you’re finished working. In fact, some retirement advice is to keep working at least part time.
Whether you need the money to make ends meet or are just figuring out what to do in retirement, there are options, especially work you can do from your own home.
Click through to find out which jobs are perfect for retirees.
These Tips Will Help You Spend Money Wisely
Take action today. Quick, little improvements can have a big impact over time. Improve your spending with these tips on how to spend money wisely!
Check Out How You Can Reduce Your Monthly Payments
Current mortgage rates are holding low.
If you missed your chance to refinance your home last year, it may not be too late to secure a world-class mortgage rate. Dropping your rate by just 1.0% — from 5.25% to 4.25% — puts ten percent of your mortgage payment back into your pocket each month.
That means for every $1,000 you pay to your lender today, you could reduce your payment by $100. That’s $12,000 saved over the next 10 years — simply by doing a refinance. Additionally, there are still millions of homeowners eligible for a refinance — and you may be one of them.
Still unknown to many, this brilliant government program called the Home Affordable Refinance Plan (HARP) could benefit millions of Americans and reduce their monthly payments by as much as $4,264 each year.
Homeowners have even used HARP to eliminate up to 15 years of mortgage payments! You could bet the banks aren’t too thrilled about losing all that profit and might secretly hope homeowners don’t find out before time runs out.
So while the banks happily wait for this program to end, the government is doing absolutely nothing to extend the program and cut mortgage payments. The program is set to expire in 2018, but the good news though is that once you’re in, you’re in. If lowering your payments, paying off your mortgage faster, and even taking some cash out would help you, it’s vital you act now.
What Are Today’s Mortgage Rates?
Today’s mortgage rates are lower than they’ve been in months. There are refinance opportunities everywhere. Ignore “saving one percent” and your “break-even” — look at your potential savings instead.
Get today’s live mortgage rates now. Your social security number is not required to get started, and all quotes come with access to your live mortgage credit scores.
Check Your Mortgage Rates Now!
How Can You Check Your Monthly Savings?
All you have to do is to select your age below and answer a few questions on the next page.
