Easing Into Home Ownership
For the first 10 months of our marriage, my wife and I rented an apartment. Then we bought a condo where we lived for five years. And then we bought a house. We didn’t purposefully set out to follow that…
Membership Matters! Why You Should Join a Credit Union
Have you ever considered joining a credit union? If not, why not? Credit unions offer the same products and services that banks do. Plus, when you join a credit union, you’re part of a movement—a movement of people helping people. Banks serve…
Why You Need to Save Now
You may think you’re doing pretty well financially. You keep up with your everyday bills without too much trouble. You have a credit card or two in case of emergency. So why save? If you’re not saving, you could find yourself in…
Striking the Right Balance Between Saving and Investing
You may have heard the advice, “Pay yourself first.” The idea is to set aside a portion of every dollar you receive and use that money for saving or investing. But which one should come first: Saving or investing? Or…
Don’t Drive Your Financial Life Without a Dashboard
I needed to make a quick trip to the grocery store on a recent evening. So, I got in my car, turned the key, flipped on the headlights, and started backing out of the garage. But I didn’t get very…
How Millennials Can ‘Score’ a Mortgage at the Best Rate
If you’re a Millennial and are thinking about buying a home in the near future, you’re not alone. Credit bureau TransUnion estimates there will be between 2.8 and 3.4 million first-time home buyers per year over the next five years,…
How To Survive Wedding Season–Without Busting Your Budget
"A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” (Proverbs 17:17, NLT) It’s wedding season! You’ve probably got a few dates circled on your calendar for weddings to attend this summer. It’s fun…
Keep Your Social Life Without Busting Your Budget
Love getting together with friends but worried about how much those weekly outings are costing you? You don’t want to offer excuses that make you feel like a bad friend. And you don’t want to get yourself into debt by…
How To Write A Check
You might prefer to use electronic payment options, but paper checks are still important. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2013 study, 18.3 billion checks are written every year. Another study by market research firm New Heights Research showed that over half of all…
Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft And Online Fraud
"For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10, NLT) Many of us shop with cards instead of…
