Like going to the gym or eating a healthy diet, saving money is one of those concepts that’s simple to grasp but weirdly challenging to put into practice. We understand its benefits. We agree that it’s essential to our wellbeing. We know that it’s something we should be doing. But paycheck after paycheck, it’s the same routine: after the bills have been paid and the regular expenses have been looked after, there just isn’t quite enough left over for our savings goals.
Face it — most of us spend more time planning our next vacation than we do creating a strategy to improve our financial well-being. According to research1, three in five Americans live paycheck to paycheck and just one in four have a written financial plan.
Contributing to a 529 College Savings Plan is a smart way to save for college and contributions are a great gift idea for friends and family members.
By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®
To get a handle on your finances, you must be able to distinguish between your needs and your wants. You need food, shelter and clothing. But you might want a juicy lobster and seafood dinner, a large upscale home and brand-name attire.
By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®
As someone who has had her fair share of economic setbacks — including being in debt, going through a costly divorce and being downsized — I know from firsthand experience the importance of having a financial back-up plan.
With so many financial products available, choosing which type of account to open can be just as stressful as deciding where to open one.
For consumers looking for earnings on their savings, one of the options that credit unions offer is share certificates. Here’s a brief overview of how they work and some of their advantages and disadvantages.
By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®
If budgeting and saving money seem like difficult tasks to conquer, perhaps the issue is that you’ve not yet created a financial strategy for achieving these goals. Here are some ideas to improve your savings, and make you a better budgeter, by creating a financial strategy that works for your lifestyle.
When you go on vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is your finances. The SchoolsFirst FCU Mobile Banking app is a great travel companion, because it helps make managing your money easy, fast and secure. Here are some tips to make your vacation a breeze:
By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®
“I can’t afford to save because I have too many bills!”
“Saving money is too hard because I don’t earn a lot of money to begin with.”
“I can never save consistently because something unexpected always comes up.”
Have you ever said or thought something like one of the expressions above?
By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®
Having an emergency fund is a surefire way to protect you and your family against unforeseen events. A solid emergency fund can give you a buffer if things go wrong — like when your car breaks down, or something in your household needs repair.
