Latest Posts

If you’ve ever played the Game of Life board game, it becomes clear that compressed into the colorful path there are various stages of life. Each stage holds its own major financial challenges as well as prospective profits in addition to surprises (new baby!) and forks in the road.

You’re 25 and feeling alive. You’re settling into life after university, paying off your debts and slowly figuring how to “adult”. But with the responsibility of bills, rent, and even keeping up social appearances, prioritizing financial planning is something far too often pushed to the side.

There are a variety of financial management tools and applications available today that can be used to help you manage your money. From software applications to phone apps, there’s no shortage of help available.

Unfortunately, those apps and software programs can only do what you set them up to do. And all the apps and software products in the world will make no difference in your financial situation if you don’t do the following:

Whether you like it or not, a good credit score is essential. Your credit score factors into everything from insurance rates, to whether you get the job you applied for. A good credit score is also needed to buy a house, obtain cell phone service, rent an apartment, and buy a car.

While it may not seem so, there are a lot of painless ways to save money. Not just for those who have a limited cash flow, but also for those with plenty of surplus cash who will appreciate ways to cut back on monetary waste.

Here are just a few things you can do to save:

Donating money to our favorite charitable organization is a year-end ritual for many of us. While monthly giving has gained in popularity in recent years, most of us still tend to open up our wallets just a bit wider at the end of the year.

But what about the organization that we’re giving to? What are they required to do once they receive our donation?  If you’re unsure, here’s a quick run-down of what you should expect.

If you’re in your 20s, rejoice! You’re in a great position to create the life you want, starting with a secure financial future. While it’s common to feel overwhelmed when entering the workforce full time, there are a lot of things you can do fresh out of college that will help you attain your professional and financial goals earlier than you may expect. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

Have you ever wondered exactly what those initials after a financial professional’s name mean?  You’re definitely not alone. The easy way to tell is to visit the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which provides a list of professional designations and what they mean. Below, we’ve created a short list of some of the frequently used designations and what they mean.

Has a dog or cat grabbed hold of your heart?  It doesn’t take much. A paw on the arm. A lick on the nose, or a soft purr or whimper can turn most of us into dog or cat parents in minutes.  With animal shelters across the U.S. frequently at their max, there are a record number of dogs and cats available for adoption. Of course, there are also those that are looking for a particular breed, and are willing to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars when they find it.

There’s nothing more exciting than buying your first home. Whether it’s a condo for one, a sprawling mansion, or anything in between, buying your first home makes you feel like a true grown-up.

While you’ve probably already figured out exactly how much home you can afford, which is something your mortgage broker will communicate to you fairly quickly during the mortgage approval process, have you considered the cost of all of the other expenses associated with home ownership?