If you’re shopping around for a new bank or credit union, you should take a few minutes to research your choices at Bankrate. Bankrate offers a Safe & Sound rating service that looks at the relative financial strength and stability of U.S. commercial banks, savings institutions and credit unions. The Bankrate system applies 22 tests to each institution to measure the following…

Capital adequacy.
Asset quality.
Profitability.
Liquidity.

Of course you shouldn’t rely on one system when choosing a bank. You should actually head into the nearest branch, look around, talk to some folks, and so on, but getting a basic overview …read more

Karen wrote a post a little while ago, 10 Financial Signs He’s Cheating, and it was good, but the second I read it, I noticed that the list of ten behaviors could potentially point to another bad behavior, gambling. Gambling is a serious issue in the United States. The National Council on Problem Gambling notes that annually about 3 million adults can be considered pathological gamblers while another 2-3% of adults are problem gamblers.
Having been with a gambler in the past I can honestly say that it’s JUST like cheating, only your partner’s not dating another woman they’re dating the …read more

Being able to successfully defuse a money argument is an awesome skill for couples to learn. Money is a number one reason why couples break up so the next time you feel the need to get crazy during a money discussion try some other tactics instead that will defuse not enrage the discussion.

Be proactive: If money is ONLY something you discuss when you’ve got a problem, well, that right there is your problem. Couples who are open about their money style and discuss bills and finances when there’s no problem are better equipped to deal when a problem arises. The …read more

There are plenty of money traps out there, but some are far more significant that others. Two biggies to watch out for include:
Assuming you’ll always be a two income family and not planning for survival as a one income family:
SO many things can happen to a two income family. Couples break up – yes even when you don’t see it coming, people get sick and can’t work, people get pregnant and make a decision not to work, layoffs occur, and sadly sometimes the worst happens and one of a couple dies. The problem is that too few people plan for …read more

Let me start by prefacing this article by saying that I do not advocate cheating on your spouse or significant other. I believe wholeheartedly in a monogomous relationship, however, unfortunately there are women (and men) that find themselves on the other side shocked that this happened to them. Here are a few signs that may send up a red flag. Each of these by themselves may not mean anything, but it’s good to be aware of the financial warning signs of cheating.

An unusual increase of ATM withdrawals and/or credit card cash advances.
Failure to mention overtime, bonuses, or an increase in …read more

Unless you want to be a renter for life – which note, is a viable option, you may want to know how to figure out how much actual home you can afford. Nowadays it’s much easier to get a realistic housing budget from a bank. In the past banks would loan out what you could afford sure, but that amount was usually far over what you should pay or could live with. Now, with the economy as it is, banks will give you more realistic figures to deal with.

That said, you don’t have to head to a bank. If you’re …read more

With all of my close friends, I have noticed a similarity.  My personal finances and financial decisions affect them. 
They say opposites attract and I guess that can be true of friendships as well.  I have had three close friendships.  I’m talking tight, share all secrets with girlfriends.  All three of these ladies had issues with spending.  After being friends with them for a while, I noticed that all of them began to tone down their spending, their impulsive shopping, their wild credit card spending, and they began to look for bargains on the things they purchased. 

Of course when you are …read more

As Thanksgiving is coming near, stores are looking to lure you in.  One way that they do that is through rebates.  Promises of good savings from rebates is enough to get us in the stores.  The problem is that many times we forget to send in the rebates or the rebate has too many hoops to jump through.
There are some ways to make sure you get your rebate money.

1)  Make copies of everything before you send it in. My husband and I always make a copy of all of the paperwork.  This includes the papers we filled out, the receipt, …read more

Recently I was talking to a friend.  In the conversation, I mentioned that I was going on a business trip to New York and regretted that I couldn’t stay a few more days and site see.  When he asked why, I told him that we had recently purchased a home and didn’t have any extra money at the moment.  He replied that he had always been a renter and always would be because he liked having the freedom and extra money in his pocket.

His comment really got me to thinking.  Would someone really be a renter forever?  Here are some reasons why I …read more

Sometimes more than we’d care to, we have to tell our kids “no”.  They want a new dress, a new toy, to go out to eat, and to buy whatever they decide that can’t live without.  Raising kids can be very expensive and it’s important to realize that you can’t give in to their every request.  Not only will you put yourself into a financial mess, but you’ll also be depriving your child of important life lessons.
Telling our kids “no” is inevitable.  Here are some tips to make it a little easier.

1)  Use emphathetic and understanding statements. “I understand that …read more