To some, a credit score might seem like an arbitrary number we’re given. But it’s really data representing your credit responsibility and future financial wellbeing. Credit scores determine what steps you can take in life to own the things you…
For many people, making the decision to buy a home is exciting and means starting a new chapter in life. But preparing to take on a mortgage requires thought, preparation, and the right people around you to help the process…
No one ever said raising a family would be a piece of cake – or affordable. Annually, the prices of little things like diapers and baby food go up. The big things, like childcare and education, are on the rise,…
Last month, I discussed the legal documents necessary for a solid estate plan. This time, the focus is on the equally, if not more important side of the coin: making sure one’s financial assets are titled properly. The inherent need…
It’s a new year, so let’s look at some financial resolutions, specifically, the basics of a solid estate plan. Not having these basics in place can cost a person’s family thousands of dollars in legal, medical, and/or probate fees. When…
For any new investor wondering where to start, the number of options, decisions, and issues can be daunting. Having worked at a banking center across from a major university early in my career, I can tell you that most of…
Prepare yourself. $20,298. That’s Virginia’s average in-state cost for one year of college (tuition and room and board). If the average annual cost increase remains the same as the current 6.8 percent, in ten years, the price tag for a year…
Wait, Mom did what with her money?” Questions like this are uttered amongst siblings many times over, and will continue to be asked with the aging demographics of our society. The problem is, too often, adult children find out about…
No matter how you slice it, the cost of going back to school is expensive. Notebooks, pens, pencils, paper, backpack, calculator, computer, tablet, and you know the rest of the story. If the annual inflation rate of 7.3% for back-to-school…
The bottom line for success in your financial house boils down to one word: budget. More specifically, know your monthly budget and the numbers that make it up. Now, I’m not talking about the easy figures, like the mortgage, power…
