Whether you made renovations to your home in 2016 or you have plans for a remodel this year, it’s important to know the tax breaks you could be eligible for once your home is complete. Tax Refund, Please! Home renovations can be stressful. But after they’re complete, they’re usually worth it. And receiving a tax break for them is just icing on the cake. Just like interest on a home mortgage loan is tax-deductible, so is the interest on a home equity loan used for improvements—up to $100,000. Read on →

You may think, “How in the world am I under so much financial stress already this year?” Well, for starters, just because you made a resolution to do better money-wise in 2017 doesn’t mean that the finances of 2016 didn’t follow you into the new year. But you can get your financial stress under control. Goodbye, Financial Stress. Hello, Financial Freedom! Honestly, do you know exactly where each dollar of every paycheck goes? Read on →

Whether you’re living paycheck to paycheck, overspent over the holidays or are looking to improve your money habits, finding yourself on better financial ground is something we all should strive for this year. Do you know where to start? Take Your First Financial Steps You’ve already accomplished the first step—becoming aware that your financial habits need to be changed. Next, you want to sit down with your paycheck and your receipts from the last two to three months. Read on →

So 2016 didn’t go as well as you had hoped it would in the “savings” department. But that doesn’t mean 2017 has to be a disappointment financially for you, too. All you need to do is focus on turning your bad habits into good ones for the new year. Up Your Savings Game First, you need to change your way of thinking. For most people, they think earning more money is the only way to be able to save more. Read on →

Being a parent means passing along good habits, such as how to handle conflict, respect for elders, succeeding in school, etc. However, we often forget to pass along lessons and good habits around money. Therefore, make 2017 the year you start building up good habits in your children financially! Gift Your Children With Money Confidence When it comes to teaching your children money lessons, the earlier the better. However, even if your child is headed to college this year, now is still a good time to start teaching the financial habits needed to become a financially successful adult. Read on →

December is known as the season of giving. However, some people have taken it to mean the season of going into debt. Don’t be one of those people who overspend over the holidays—learn how to make some extra money to help purchase gifts instead. More Money, More Gifts Putting all your Christmas gifts on your credit card isn’t the best game plan. Your better option is to pay in cash. But where can you get that cash? Read on →

During the holiday season, everyone wants to make the Thanksgiving get-together one that each person will remember. While doing so, our budget a lot of times falls by the wayside, which ends up causing more stress in the new year because of all the debt incurred over the holidays. But not this year! This year, you are going to make memories without overspending, right? Right! A Thanksgiving Budget Being a “host” or “hostess” for Thanksgiving dinner can be quite an honor. Read on →

It’s nice to escape from reality every ounce in a while—as long as you don’t go too far away from reality. Because when you veer off the road for longer than planned, that’s when mistakes happen. Don’t let this happen to your finances: Be realistic about what’s going on with your money. Time to Get Real About Your Money When we’re younger, we have an idea in our mind about how our life is going to go. Read on →

You’ve probably heard this word over and over again when it comes to being successful in your finances. What’s the word? Budget. And while we hear the word, BUDGET, and we know we are supposed to create one to keep our finances on track, how many of us are actually living out our budget on a daily basis? Stick to Your Budget So between back-to-school shopping, school fees and fall sports registration, your budget has fallen off track. Read on →

One of the main resolutions people make after every New Year’s Eve celebration usually has something to do with finances—preferably saving. If your resolution was to save more money, how are you doing in meeting your yearly goal? Did you save the amount of money you aimed for? Or have you yet to save a dime? Start turning those bad spending habits into good saving habits starting today! Time to Go on a Diet Read on →