Congratulations on playing our financial life simulation and completing all of our lessons. We now invite you to make the transition from the simulation accounts to real world accounts… Where are you on your financial journey? We’re ready to give you personalized, face to face guidance in a safe environment* at a time and location Read More…

Congratulations! You will soon be graduating from college and negotiating your various job offers. You have worked hard to graduate and you deserve a great paying job. But as you start to negotiate your offers, keep in mind that you really should be considering the overall compensation package. Salary is important, but so are things Read More…

Have you ever wondered how the interest that is charged on your credit card is actually calculated? If you understand a little of the credit card company’s math, you can save yourself lots of money over your lifetime by realizing EVERY DAY counts. Click on the video image below to see a simple example of Read More…

Whether we like it or not, April 15 comes every year and that means our Federal taxes are due. The average taxpayer spends over 10 hours preparing their taxes. To reduce the burden of getting organized and preparing your taxes, it is important to stay organized and know what documents and forms you will need Read More…

A survey of the Class of 2019 showed that 69% had some form of a student loan. While most student loans require you to start making payments within 6 months of graduation, there are certain instances where you can defer these payments. Click on the image below to watch a brief video that explains the Read More…

Shopping for a new car is always a fun day. But negotiating the final price and your payment method with the car salesman can be a dreadful and a challenging task. So, just like going into a final exam, the more prepared you are the easier it is. Click on the image below to reveal Read More…

It’s a tough trade off that we all consider at some point: To buy a used car and save money, or to splurge and buy a new car. Buying a used car is obviously cheaper, but generally new cars are more reliable and get better gas mileage. So what factors should you consider and how Read More…

Your credit score will affect many segments of your financial life. It will determine if you get approved for a car loan or a mortgage to buy your house. If you get approved for either loan, it will also impact the interest rate you get charged. So get to know your credit score, and click Read More…

It seems like a Catch-22. How can you start building your credit if you don’t have any credit to start with? Well the truth is most banks will give college students and young adults a credit card with a very low credit limit. Then, if payments are made on time for the first few months, Read More…

Most studies show that over 70% of Americans own at least one credit card and carry it with them when they go shopping. Other studies show that most Americans carry an average balance of $6,200 on their cards and pay interest every month, but they DON’T know what the interest rate is that they are Read More…

Saving money is a lot easier than you think. The first question you have to ask yourself when you are thinking of making a purchase is: “Do I NEED this or do I just WANT it?” Stopping at your local coffee shop every day and spending $2.70 for coffee for 270 days a year adds Read More…

Here is one of the most common questions that people who are trying to get control over their finances ask: If I have a little extra cash, do I pay down debt or do I put the money in my savings account? On one hand financial advisors tell us to stop paying high interest rates Read More…

Creating (and staying on) a budget is easier for some people than others. Watch this video to get more ideas on how to simplify your budgeting process and make it easier for you to reach your financial goals. Click on the video image below to get started. Pay close attention to the video as a Read More…

Over time, our society moved away from paying for goods and services with gold and silver to paying for things with cash. In the last two decades, we have been transitioning from paying for things with cash to credit and debit cards. While these 2 cards may look the same, their features and uses are Read More…

Hopefully by now you have a real checking account that you use to manage your monthly cash inflows and outflows. But are you really using all the features that your checking account offers? While there are lots of negatives associated with a checking account, likes ATM fees and overdraft charges, there are lots of really Read More…

Now that you are getting used to managing your checking, savings and credit card accounts as part of this virtual platform, it is time you think about opening real banking accounts. But where do you begin? What questions do you need to ask a bank to make sure you are getting the right accounts for Read More…

As you learn to save, become more aware of your personal finances, you will find yourself accessing your checking, savings, and credit card accounts more and more. While most banks and credit card companies are willing to open up accounts for you for free, keep in mind that every company has to make money some Read More…

As you learn to save and become more aware of your personal finances, you will find yourself accessing your checking, savings, credit cards and other accounts online or via your mobile phone. This means bookmarking your banks URLs, installing their mobile apps on your phone, and inevitably the hassle of remembering all of your logins Read More…

Once you get in the habit of saving money each month, the next question is where exactly to you put the money you are saving? The obvious choices are to keep it in cash in your piggy bank at home or put it in a bank account. Well here is a secret… Instead of keeping Read More…

We all know that we should be saving money. We have all heard the saying from Benjamin Franklin that “a penny saved is a penny earned.” But it seems that it is just so much easier to SPEND money than it is to SAVE money. So how do we get started saving money? Ahh….. That Read More…

At some point in your life you might find yourself in a situation where you need some cash quickly. For example, you might have a doctor bill you need to pay. Or you might need to get your car repaired so you can get to work or you might have a rent bill or a Read More…