Getting Started With Savings
I recommend maintaining three distinct types of savings accounts: an emergency fund (with 3-6 months’ worth of essential living expenses), a big-ticket item replacement fund (where you save for your next vehicle or to pay for a new furnace), and a periodic bills and expenses fund (where you save each month for bills and expenses that you’ll have to pay sometime in the year, such as an annual life insurance premium or Christmas gifts). You could open 3 separate accounts. Or, I use Capital One 360, where one account can be set up with numerous sub-accounts.
I know a man who started saving for his daughter’s wedding when she was just a little girl. Long before she ever met the man she would marry her father was setting money aside for her special day, even when money was tight. Over the years, he could have spent more on himself, buying a […]
For far too many people, money is a source of stress or frustration. Consider these findings from a recent Federal Reserve survey: About 46% of U.S. adults said they would be unable to cover a $400 emergency expense without selling something or borrowing the money. About 31% of non-retired adults reported having no pension or […]
Weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. When it’s time to choose time over money (She Picks Up Pennies). The last section of this article says it all—doing the blocking and tackling of wise money management gives us options to build our lives around what matters most. 6 […]
Weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. Financial superpowers (A Wealth of Common Sense). If Stan Lee had come up with Money Man, here’s what he’d be able to do. It’s what we should all be able to do. This common job advice is actually setting grads up […]
Weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. What we want doesn’t always make us happy (Bloomberg). Are you pursuing things, and spending money on things, that won’t make you happy? Here’s how much more money you’d have for retirement if you saved $100 a month starting at age […]
A helpful new survey from TD Ameritrade highlighted some key differences between “super savers” and everyone else. The survey defined a “super saver” as someone who sets aside 20% or more of his or her income to save or invest. A peak into their financial lives offers good lessons for anyone who aspires to save […]
Weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. This fascinating new tool lets you map the cheapest flights to anywhere from any city (MarketWatch). If you’re planning a trip, give this a try. Six women share their biggest financial mistakes (Fast Company). An opportunity to learn from other people’s […]
Weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. Money really can buy happiness if you spend it these 4 ways, according to science (Inc.). What uses of money have brought you the most joy and how do they line up with these four suggestions? The more money you make, […]
Waiting can be tough. We seem to be hardwired to resist it. And our culture does us no favors here. Whatever we’re interested in buying, there are ways — and we’re strongly encouraged — to have it now. Paying for it? That can wait until later. But there are great rewards for those who learn […]
There’s a new report out that says very few Americans are financially healthy. Working with researchers at the University of Southern California, the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) developed an eight-question survey that was taken by a representative sample of U.S. adults, leading to what it calls the U.S. Financial Health Pulse. Its results […]
