The Money Tracker Blog

Are you… …tired of debt? …feeling like you’re just surviving? …wanting to move over to the thriving side of life? Perhaps in your case, this debt was not all related to unconscious overspending. There may be numerous reasons for accumulating your current debt including health issues, major unexpected house –car –family – pet emergencies or job loss.  Overall, the goal is to be debt free.    The following tips will certainly help you make a significant dent in that debt … Read More

For Valentine’s Day, and in the spirit of couples, I’m sharing 14 tips to guide you through a healthier relationship with each other and your money. If you’re interested in taking a simple little assessment along with your partner, stick around and I’ll share a link with you at the end. Pay Attention to the Clues.If you’re still in the early dating stages, listen and notice important clues for how your partner manages (or fails to manage) and thinks about … Read More

Does this time of the year make you feel warm and fuzzy or anxious and stressed? The concept of holiday giving and receiving, whether gifts or helping someone out, seems simple enough, yet after many discussions with clients and friends, I continually see that both areas are very loaded issues.  Consider the following ideas as you go through the holidays right now and for next year. Holiday Budgets and Giving Giving and receiving is definitely about more than the material … Read More

What if you slept in this holiday season and saved $1000s? If you saw the commercial you know where this is going. The first time I saw this commercial I thought it was perfect. It starts out with 2 neighbors in their driveways talking about Black Friday. One guy is pulling out huge piles of boxes from his trunk and stands up revealing this shining black eye. His surprised young neighbor says “Phil, what happened to you?” Phil says “Oh, … Read More

By Jess Pearse Guest Blogger Mortgage payments, tuition, grocery bills, retirement contributions, and insurance premiums represent only a few of the wide-ranging expenses faced by household spending managers. Depending upon the scope of your spending obligations and the income available to cover living expenses, accounting for these and other financial commitments can present formidable challenges. Even the best household spending managers face occasional difficulties, so don’t be too hard on yourself when cash flow problems arise.  Instead, use a proactive … Read More

By Guest Blogger, Dolly Santos Nobody enjoys tax season. The key to a more pleasant experience completing your taxes is to get prepared now. There are many things you can do now to not only make things easier but perhaps even save money next tax season. Below are some ideas to help you get set for next year’s tax season. Where to Start Be sure to keep all of your tax forms, statements, last year’s return, and any relevant receipts … Read More

A lot is written about financial strategies for millennials, and with good reason. Despite the much-publicized entrepreneurial spirit of the current generation of young professionals, there are some very serious economic disadvantages that have fallen on the shoulders of the same group. Massive student debt, lack of access to retirements funds, falling wages, and scant job opportunities with concrete career paths are crippling millennials these days, no matter how much initiative they show to start their own businesses. A lot … Read More

Sometimes the early bird does not get the worm when it comes to shopping. If you are looking to tighten your budget, it may pay off to to be a little late. From booking off-season flights to buying summer clothes in winter, here are a few unseasonable purchase ideas that will help you find new ways to save. Do the Math A great method of saving money is to let the numbers work for you. Retailers estimate a certain number of … Read More

Even though the focus right now is on the holidays, it won’t be long before tax time rolls around and digital tax fraud becomes rampant. Read how to become more aware and more diligent for protecting your information. According to the IRS, a Security Summit with public and private tax administration leaders met to discuss ways to combat the rapid rise in digital tax-related identity theft. Led by IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, the group reached an agreement on a series … Read More

By Judy Lawrence, M.S. Ed. Financial Counselor, Money Coach and Author of “The Budget Kit 6th Ed.” 1. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED Remember the last time your budget was thrown out of whack with some weird, unexpected emergency? The nasty dog fight that landed Fido at the vets. The washer breaking down when you had a load full of soaking, dirty clothes. And yes, that last precious bite that broke your tooth. You’ve heard it hundreds of times, but the “Pay … Read More