With interest rates as low as they are, I’ve been looking to refinance our houses.  When I was unemployed that was not an easy thing to do, but now that I’ve been working for 3 months, I contacted a mortgage broker and got the process started. After a week of working with him, I received…

With such a strong opinion about living within your means, you’d likely think I scowl every time I get my mail and see all the pre-approved credit card solicitations.  But, the opposite is true. I put those junk mail ads to use – not the ads necessarily, but the envelopes they invariably send with them….

It’s a new year and many of us have created resolutions for what we want to accomplish in the next 12 months. We are optimistic, gung-ho, and ready to make some changes. But to be truly effective, it’s important to take a step back and review what worked and didn’t work for you in 2011….

Per the federal reserve, the outstanding consumer credit card debt as of October 2011 was 2457.5 BILLION dollars.  I am afraid to even try to put the correct number of zeros on this but I’ll try… $2,457,500,000,000 That is (if my math is correct) $2.45 trillion dollars of debt carried by consumers.  We are not talking the national debt…

It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your credit score.  It not only allows you to track any late payments or mistakes your creditors have made, but it’s the quickest way to find someone using your identity too.  You can get an annual credit report for free from the 3 agencies, but…

Maintaining a good credit score is critical to saving money over your lifetime.  An excellent credit score will: Save you a percentage point of two on your mortgage, Allow you to qualify for more loans with better conditions, Will affect silly things like whether you can open a cable TV account without a deposit, and…

If there is any one money tip that you take away from this blog, I hope it is this one. Avoid monthly payments whenever possible. Why?  A payment is a continued obligation – a responsibility – a stress to deal with every single month.  It is a tether holding back your financial freedom.   If…