During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents are faced with the challenge of taking direct control of their kids’ education. More people are homeschooling than ever before, whether they intended to or not. We know there are a lot of subjects to cover and things to think about, but this situation presents an opportunity to teach…
Posts By: Melinda Opperman
While our economy is rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people’s incomes have been disrupted. Whether due to layoffs, reduced hours, or furloughs, the need to stay home has caused tremendous financial hardship for individuals. Read More: COVID-19 Pandemic Guidance and Financial Assistance One potentially scary outcome of the situation is the need for people…
If you attempted to become a homeowner but were discouraged, your next steps are very important. Maybe your loan application was denied or there were problems with the property that caused the home purchase to be cancelled. Whatever happened to discourage you from completing the journey to homeownership, stop and plan your next moves carefully….
For many people, the toughest step toward building credit is the first one. Going from having no credit whatsoever to having established credit can seem impossible, but there are multiple ways to get started toward a healthy, personal credit rating. Be Careful Before you get started, understand that this is a very important time in…
Good credit depends, in part, on having a healthy mix of loans that you are able to handle successfully—something like a mortgage, auto loan, and a small credit card balance would boost your credit mix and help you establish your creditworthiness. There are some loans, however, that should never be part of your credit mix….
Homeownership is the most important financial goal many people will achieve. Through buying a home instead of renting, you can build a unique kind of asset over many years. The decision to become a home buyer instead of a renter is a big one. How do you know when to consider buying a home instead…
While the economy is struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are dealing with debts they incurred prior to the crisis. Specifically, credit card debt creates a special challenge for consumers. It is debt that will grow over time if it isn’t paid off, and could keep mounting if people use credit for…
As COVID-19 stimulus deposits are sent out, millions of Americans are at risk of delays because they don’t have bank accounts. The challenge of the “unbanked” is one we’ve grappled with for years, and now it hits home as those consumers are facing delayed relief that many with bank accounts have already received. According to…
The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) that was enacted in March calls for direct stimulus payments to most Americans. If you qualify for a stimulus check, you may receive as much as $1,200 and an additional $500 for each qualified dependent. More Resources: Calculate Your Stimulus Payment Many Americans are curious…
When it comes to budgeting, everyone should find the best budgeting method for them—some people will benefit from spreadsheets, or apps, or keeping a written budget in a journal. For some people, the envelope method is an effective budgeting system. What is the Envelope Budgeting Method? With the envelope method, the budgeter puts together a…
Generally, consumers should use as little credit as possible, and that means having only one or a few credit cards. Knowing that might cause you to wonder, should a retail store credit card be part of the mix? Retail cards might include cards specific to a certain store or family of stores, or to an…
Buying or selling a home is a big decision, and when you make your move is one of the biggest decisions you can make. Knowing how the calendar affects your home ownership transaction will make sure you optimize your buying and selling decisions. The Best Time of Year to Sell There are benefits and disadvantages…
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