Buying a car? I’d always heard that your vehicle was a depreciating asset. Outside of classic cars, the joke was always “you lose 50% of the value the minute you drive it off the lot.” Then COVID came along and it seemed that the reverse might be true. Used cars were suddenly appreciating … [Read more...]
Emergency Fund Check-In
In the last two years, we have seen wide ranges in our monthly spending. Two years ago, many people saw their savings increase as they stopped commuting and going out due to COVID-19. When interest rates dropped, individuals lowered their monthly housing costs by refinancing their mortgage. A year … [Read more...]
Home maintenance planning
Most of us spent more time at home during the pandemic. We saw an increase in home maintenance projects that had been deferred but suddenly were elevated on the priority list. Personally, 2021 gifted me the purchase of a pellet stove and a water softener, the repair of a broken sprinkler line, and … [Read more...]
Why No One Needs a Budget
No one needs or should use a budget. I realize this may seem like a bold statement. Before you begin forming arguments to disagree with me, please understand that I am a huge fan of spending plans. But I hate budgets. Budgets are difficult to maintain because people don’t like feeling restricted … [Read more...]
2nd income analysis
If you're like many folks right now, you may be trying to determine if having a stay-at-home spouse go back to work would be beneficial to your financial situation. The answer is not always clear-cut, so you want to make sure you do the math. A second-income analysis involves an evaluation of … [Read more...]
Keep an eye on your credit
The Credit Card legislation passed last month should ultimately help consumers. However, in the short term, many people are being squeezed. We have a combination of factors: banks attempting to shore up their financial statements by reducing the available credit on credit cards, home equity … [Read more...]
10 Tools to Build an Emergency Fund
So, you know you need an emergency fund. You've been trying to build one, but just can't seem to get there. The percentage of people living paycheck to paycheck ranges depending on who’s surveying from 47% (Careerbuilder 2008 survey) to 71% (American Payroll Association 2008 survey). This issue … [Read more...]