Best Mortgage Company for 2013
When it comes to saving money, it’s critical to shop the best mortgage company for a low-rate mortgage or refinance. A home loan is typically the largest debt you’ll ever have, therefore there’s a lot at stake–especially when mortgage interest rates are at historic lows. Getting the wrong mortgage or failing to refinance when you should, can really hurt your...
Read More6 Ways to Pay Off Credit Card Debt
One of the best ways to get a fresh start on your financial life is to pay off credit card debt. Carrying credit card balances from month to month and racking up interest charges wastes your financial resources. Instead of paying money to a card company, why not use it to build wealth for yourself? Here are 6 tips to tackle credit card debt: Tip #1 — Stop...
Read MoreShould I Cancel a Credit Card? (VIDEO)
Laura gives 5 important tips you should know before canceling a credit card. Should I Cancel a Credit Card? – YouTube Many people mistakenly believe that the best way to raise your credit score is to get rid of your credit cards. But that can backfire because you need available credit in order to boost your score. Here are 5 tips you should know about closing a credit card: #1 —...
Read MoreHow to Build Safety Nets for Personal Finances (VIDEO)
Laura gives 5 ways to protect yourself and your personal finances, no matter what happens. How to Build Financial Safety Nets – YouTube If you worry about money, that’s a sign that you need to build safety nets for your personal finances. Here are 5 ways to stay safe: #1 — Reduce Your Debt Getting rid of debt means that you won’t have so much...
Read MorePay Lower Interest Rates on Debt
No one should pay more interest for their debt than they absolutely have to. If you can’t pay off debt using your existing assets, the next best option is to exchange it for lower interest rates until you can pay it off. Shifting your debt from a higher-interest account to lower-interest account is called “optimizing” your debt. Optimizing certainly doesn’t make debt...
Read MoreHow to Get Rid of Your Mortgage PMI
There’s a lot of confusion about how to get rid of Private Mortgage Insurance or PMI. Many homeowners overpay PMI for years because they don’t understand the rules for canceling it. On a $200,000 mortgage your PMI could cost $2,000 per year. That’s serious money that you should be saving or investing for your future, instead of handing over to a lender. I received this question...
Read MoreHow to Use a Balance Transfer Credit Card to Get Out of Debt
One of the dilemmas I solve for coaching clients is how to get rid of debt the fastest, cheapest way possible. There are 3 steps: Don’t increase it Reduce the interest rate Reduce the principal balance When you slash your interest rate, you reduce the amount you have to pay each month. That extra savings can be the ticket to really getting ahead by allowing you to pay down more of your...
Read More5 Ways to Retire Rich: Get Started in 2012 (VIDEO)
To watch the video go to the bottom of this post. It’s our human nature to procrastinate—especially when the deadline for getting something done is decades away. We put things off until the last possible moment because that’s when the pressure builds and we finally force ourselves to take action. Putting something off until the last minute can work out when you’re talking about meeting...
Read MoreThe Best Way to Pay for College (AUDIO)
If you’re wondering how you’ll ever be able to afford college for yourself or your kids, don’t miss my interview with Zac Bissonnette, the author of Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching Off My Parents. Zac told me exactly how he graduated from the University of Massachusetts without borrowing a dime in student...
Read More6 Tips to Get Rid of Credit Card Debt
If you have credit card debt you know it’s expensive. Carrying consumer debt on a high-interest credit card can drain your finances and be the source of a lot of stress. In “How to Get Rid of Credit Card Debt” I show you what credit card debt really costs and tell you how to turn a bad situation around. You’ll learn 6 tips from my award-winning book, Money Girl’s Smart Moves...
Read MoreIs it Smart to Pay Off Debt Early?
On Money Girl this week, I answer a question from a podcast listener named Donna. She wants to know whether it’s smart to pay down her debt early or if she should use her extra money for other expenses. This is a question that comes up frequently. In “Should You Pay Down Debt Early?” you’ll find out how you can solve this common dilemma by asking yourself three questions...
Read MoreHow to Maximize Your Eligibility for Student Financial Aid
On the Money Girl blog and podcast this week, I give you strategies to qualify for the most student financial aid. When you understand how financial need for students is calculated, you’ll maximize your eligibility for loans, grants, and work study programs and have more flexibility to pay for the rising cost of tuition. Episode number 222, “8 Ways to Get the Most Student Financial...
Read MoreSmart Ideas to Improve Your Personal Finances
This week on Money Girl new graduates can get great tips to start their lives on the right financial foot. You can read the blog post or listen to the free Money Girl podcast. Here are some additional resources that can help anyone improve their personal finances: Earn as much interest on your bank accounts as possible by using a high-yield checking or savings account at an FDIC-insured...
Read MoreThe Best 5 Money Tips for New Graduates
In “Best Financial Tips for New Graduates” I give 5 financial tips that I wish I had followed when I was fresh out of college. When I think back about how I handled money back then, I made some mistakes that would have been easy to avoid. They weren’t earth-shattering screw-ups that scarred my finances for life—but I could have gotten a faster head start if I’d been wise...
Read MoreHow to Increase Your Credit Score in 7 Steps
In 7 Steps to Raise Your Credit Score, I offer solid steps or rules to follow that will help you maintain a good score or pull up a low one. Even if you don’t like the idea of being graded on your credit, the reality is that your credit score has a surprisingly far-reaching effect on your financial life. Not only does your score affect your ability to get a loan or credit card, but it...
Read More
