Who is the biggest target of online scams? Believe it or not, it may be military veterans according to the results of one study. Most of the people reading this have a veteran in their lives even if they don’t know it. Veterans become prime targets for scammers and con artists who use the Internet to do their business. How Scammers Target Veterans There are many dangers online: Identity theft, Phishing, Impostor scams, … [Read more...]
How To Tell You’re Getting Scammed
Do you know how to tell if you are being scammed? It doesn’t matter if you are investing money in a multi-level marketing program, applying for a line of credit, or taking the advice of Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey in the investment market; there are tell-tale signs you could be subject to a scam. Do your internal alarm bells start ringing when someone asks you to pay via wire transfer or Bitcoin? If not, keep reading. You may want to revise some … [Read more...]
Changing TSP Contributions
TSP, the Thrift Savings Plan, is a retirement investment program offered to federal employees and members of the United States military including members of the Ready Reserve. TSP is what financial planners describe as a defined-contribution plan. Some feel the features of TSP resemble a private-sector 401(k) retirement plan. Employees may be eligible for employer contributions, and many of the plan's investment options allow you to diversify … [Read more...]
When Your Side Hustle Isn’t Worth It
One of the biggest pieces of advice that you will see when it comes to improving your financial situation is that you should pick up a side hustle - some sort of a second job to supplement your income. The general wisdom is that it's easier to make more money than it is to reduce your expenses by the same amount. I'm a big fan of the small side hustle. There are plenty of people out there looking to hire people for small gigs, everything … [Read more...]
I got a bonus at work – now what?
I was awarded a mid-year bonus at work and it recently hit my bank account. After taxes, it ended up being a little under half of one of my paychecks, so not a world-changing amount, but also not an insignificant amount. Now I have to decide the best use for the money. Save It The common advice you hear is to immediately put your entire bonus into savings. After all, it's not money that I anticipated receiving, so putting it all into savings … [Read more...]