My partner and I are in the process of combining households, and with that comes a very scary conversation - money. We're planning a future together, and we both know that money is one of the major reasons couples fight, so we're trying to figure out the best way to handle money. There are a lot of different ways to handle money in a relationship. The obvious ones are: Combine everything Keep separate accounts and split bills … [Read more...]
Hierarchy of Savings – What Should Come First?
It can be difficult to establish a hierarchy of savings. What should come first when you are paying yourself? Three basic areas represent parts of your life that need financial attention; your retirement fund, your money set aside for emergencies, and debt repayment. The last one doesn’t sound like you are paying yourself--at first. But debt management is an important part of establishing financial freedom. Emergency Fund: A Savings Account You … [Read more...]
Stunning Items Made Out Of Pennies
Some people doing online sales don't bother with LuLaRoe or Dani dresses; instead, they create (or resell, or upmarket) stunning items made out of pennies. As in, literally made out of pennies. They sell these items on Etsy, eBay, and other online sales platforms. If you need a gift for the coin enthusiast in your life, or if you want a piece of art made with unique materials, coin art and items made out of coins could be just what you’re … [Read more...]
What to do if you fall victim to a financial scam?
Last week, I talked about how to protect your family members from financial scams. But what if you're sitting down for Christmas Dinner and you come to find out that Grandma has fallen victim to one of these scammers. What do you do? Find Out What Information Was Given Out First things first, find out what sort of scam the family member fell for. Did they go and buy gift cards and transfer the numbers? That's good and bad. Bad in that … [Read more...]
How to Talk to Your Family About Financial Scams
Recently, the Wall Street Journal published a great (yet horrifying) article regarding a woman who lost her life savings, over $340,000, to what began as a robocall scam. This story has some incredible twists and turns and shows just how sophisticated these scammers are. The scam started when someone left a message on her voicemail saying that her Social Security Number had been stolen and then used to commit a number of crimes. To protect … [Read more...]