The holidays are here.
The holidays are here. If you need to stay within a budget, start early. First, make a list of all the people on your holiday gift list, then see if you can make changes. Could you give a family gift instead of individual gifts? Can you go in on a gift with someone else and share the cost? Would a name draw work for the family party? With a name draw, each person buys only fo

Which saves you more money: a debit card or a credit card?
Which saves you more money:  a debit card or a credit card? Most people believe debit cards are cheaper because there’s no interest rate or annual fee. But what about overdraft fees?  Debit card overdrafts are now the biggest source of revenue for banks. The danger with debit cards is twofold: One, the transactions hit your account instantly and two, very few people keep track of their debit card tran

Your Savings Account is Your Emergency Fund
Your savings account is your emergency fund. How much should you have? I’m not asking about your retirement or investment fund – I’m asking about your standard savings account. You probably don’t want to hear my answer, but I believe we all should have a year’s worth of income in savings. That amount could tide you over if you lost your job, were laid off, or had to take a medical leave of absence. In the past I might have recommended 6 months, but you m

Your Password is Easy to Guess
If you do any type of online financial transactions, whether you shop online, pay bills, or manage accounts, then you need good online passwords and you need to change them often. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts: Don’t use passwords that are easy to guess like “welcome,” or “abc123.” And, don’t use passwords that are easy to research, like birthdays, phone numbers or addresses. It should be impossible fo

Do You Share the Credit Card Equally?
If you share a credit card account with someone else, you are either an authorized user or a joint credit card user. Knowing the difference can help protect your credit score. If you’re an authorized user, it means you can use the credit card account, but you’re NOT responsible for the payments. You have a card with your name on it, but you’re not the “card-holder.” The account won’t appear on your credit report, so it won’t help, or hurt, your credit score. In the