Planning & Managing Your Finances

Financial Basics

• Developing a Financial Strategy - The thought of developing and adhering to a personal financial strategy can be overwhelming. Learn how to create the segments of a total financial approach that can lead to your future financial security.
• Financial Life Stages - Your financial goals and situation change over time. So should your financial strategies. Learn some of the ways to make sure your strategies match your life stage.
• Importance of Financial Literacy - The importance of making informed financial decisions continues to grow. This article describes why financial literacy is critical and offers five ways to financial literacy part of your financial life.
• Financial Planning Basics - In times of economic uncertainty, understanding and using some fundamental planning may help you be prepared for whatever the future holds.
• How Does Inflation Impact Your Finances? - For the past several years, inflation has seemed under control and yet the costs of many products and services have risen at a much higher rate. Taking overall inflation expectations, as well as the potential for even greater cost increases for things like healthcare, should be part of everyone's financial planning process.
• Nine Financial Planning Basics - The nine suggestions to help readers organize their financial affairs can serve as a guideline for a lifetime of financial control.
• Benefits of a Good Credit Record - A solid credit history can pay dividends in a couple of ways - faster loan approvals and potentially lower interest rates on your borrowing. Learn how the major credit agencies compile information and how to order a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate.
• Review Your Credit Report - A solid credit history can make borrowing easier and cheaper. Learn where to get a copy of your credit report.

Managing Your Finances

• Annual Financial Check Up - An annual check up of your financial condition should be part of your financial life just like going to your doctor for an annual medical examination. This article describes several items to consider as part of that annual financial check up.
• Preparing a Personal Balance Sheet - Monitoring your financial progress should be part of your financial management. This worksheet helps you break your assets into categories so you monitor your asset allocation too.
• Company Offered Benefit Options - Many employers offer a number of benefit programs in addition to a retirement plan. This article explores how you may want to consider them as part of your overall financial planning.
• Does Debt Consolidation Make Sense? - While consolidating your debts may sound appealing, it is important to look past an initial low interest rate and consider all the factors. Debt consolidation is debt management, not debt elimination.
• Eight Steps to Simplify Your Finances - Take some of the stress out of managing your finances.
• Preparing for Major Financial Events - Every individual encounters or anticipates major financial events and milestones. Some preparation for these events can reduce the associated anxiety and make decision making easier.
• Monitoring Your Monthly Spending - Household budgets can be a chore to create and follow. Here is a worksheet to make the process easier.
• Take Actions on Your Finances - Uncertainty over the economic future should not be a reason to delay or avoid handling your finances more effectively. Learn some of the things to consider in any economy.
• Have an Organized Financial System - There can be a lot of paperwork handling your finances. Each month you will have bills to pay, every year you will file a tax return, you will have receipts for purchases and you will have important documents that deserve special attention. Having an organized system instead of just putting everything into a drawer or box can save time and reduce the stress of not being able to find something when you need it.
• Reduce Your Financial Anxiety - Eight steps detail how simplify your financial life, save additional funds and reduce the day-to-day stress with managing your finances. The article was written to be customized with references to your organization.
• Reducing Your Debt Burdens - Taking control of your borrowing can help relieve financial anxiety. Learn some ways to pay down, consolidate and control your debt.
• Sooner Rather Than Later - It is easy to put off making financial decisions and changes to your financial habits. Delaying those decisions and actions can make reaching your financial goals much more difficult. This article offers some examples of why starting earlier is better and some ideas of relatively easy things to do that can pay large dividends.
• Two Easy Steps to Make Your Financial Life Simpler - Managing your finances perfectly can be difficult, if not impossible. But there are some simple steps to take that will save you time and help you accumulate funds for any financial objective.