When your household expenses exceed your income, you know you need to adjust your spending. You've heard it all before: snip the streaming services, turn down the thermostat, cancel the gym membership — basically, cut out just about everything in your life that brings you joy or comfort. While these are excellent ways to save hundreds of dollars, who wants to deprive themselves of all those things...

Money lessons begin at home. Unfortunately, many parents are unaware they've been teaching their kids about money for years. Whether your teen always sees you paying for groceries with plastic (and assumes it's your credit, not debit card), or you frequently tell your eight-year-old, "Put that back. It costs too much", you're forming your child's understanding of money. If you're ready to get...

When you're ready to buy your dream home, understanding your mortgage options is key to securing a loan that works for your finances. But confusing mortgage terms can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Unless you become familiar with some of the jargon, it becomes difficult to navigate the homebuying process. Fortunately, you don't need to take a real estate course to learn essential vocabulary and...

When volatile markets negatively affect, retirement accounts, you might feel uneasy about your investments. It’s natural to question whether you should change your saving strategy to preserve gains or exit the market altogether. While circumstances vary, there are six things investors can do to stay on track toward achieving their retirement savings benchmark. 1. Review your asset mix. Recent...

Scoring those elusive tickets to see your favorite artist or sports team can feel like hitting the jackpot. But before you start your victory dance, pump the brakes. With ticket scams skyrocketing, it's wise to stay cautious. Scammers are lurking, ready to turn your excitement into their payday by snatching your hard-earned money. What is a Ticket Scam? Ticket scams trick people into buying...

On the internet, as on Halloween night, it's not always easy to distinguish between tricks and treats. Much like a candy-filled jack-o'-lantern, your smartphone contains an enticing array of personal and financial information. This makes cybersecurity crucial for protecting your financial well-being from digital ghouls and goblins. Unmasking the Monsters Cybercrooks constantly change their...

As temperatures drop and heating bills rise, you might be shopping for ways to improve your home's energy efficiency. While legitimate products and services exist, scammers use the transition period from fall to winter to con unsuspecting homeowners with too-good-to-be-true offers. Insulate your defenses against home-related scams by learning about them before the season’s first snowfall. What is...

Despite the predictable nature of federal tax filing season, an unexpected tax refund can ignite surprising financial behaviors in taxpayers. A sudden windfall can tempt even the most frugal-minded individuals to spend the entire amount on lottery tickets or an unnecessary shopping spree. There’s nothing wrong with a splurge or two, but consider using most of it in a way that’ll benefit you long...

Earlier this year, pet adoption and fostering surged during stay-at-home orders limiting social contact. Shelters in Colorado happily announced they had no animals available for adoption. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reported that several states experienced a near 70% increase in pet fosters when compared to the same time last year. It's a win-win for both...