6 Tools That Can Help You Become Debt Free

J. Arky  Tue, May 28, 2024

Close your eyes and just imagine it: Being debt free. For many people working today, that feels like an impossible dream to realize. Between having to take out loans for your education, getting a mortgage on a house and putting expenses on a credit card, debt can feel never ending.

Thankfully, there are some modern tools that can help you become debt free. This doesn’t mean you won’t slip into debt here and there along the way — it’s almost inevitable these days — but these methods can aid you in getting yourself out, managing any future debt and staying in the black going forward.

Here are the six tools that can help you become debt free.

Banking Habits You Should Change in Retirement

Jordan Rosenfeld   Sat, May 25, 2024

While retirement is often a time when you finally get to stop thinking so hard about many of the little details in life, there are some you want to stay on top of, like your banking habits.

Some of your pre-retirement banking habits may not be as useful, protective or financially savvy after retirement.

Experts explain some banking habits you might still be doing that you’ll want to change in retirement.

Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them.

Not Saving More Than Before

Retirees should consider having more money in a bank account than they did while they were working and earning an income, according to Chris Urban, CFP, a retirement planner and founder of Discovery Wealth Planning.

9 Ways To Become Rich If You Were Born Poor

Cindy Lamothe   Fri, May 17, 2024,

Growing up with wealth is a privilege that lends financial stability and provides greater opportunities for future success. But what if you weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth? It’s hard to fathom going from poor to wealthy in a single lifetime, but according to experts, it’s not some distant fantasy. It isn’t easy either.

 “Wealth building for individuals starting from a disadvantaged economic position requires a multifaceted approach, focusing on education, smart financial decisions and leveraging available opportunities creatively,” said Dennis Shirshikov, head of growth at Summer.

“Education, both formal and informal, is a cornerstone. It’s not just about earning degrees but acquiring financial literacy,” he added.

Overall, though, some experts disagree on how best to build wealth — especially when starting from a place of financial insecurity. Some say to invest in education, while others suggest skipping the fancy schools altogether.

I’m a Super Saver: Here’s Why I Regret Being So Extreme Saving Money

G. Brian Davis   Sat, May 18, 2024

Most people spend too much and save too little of their paycheck. But it’s possible to go too far in the opposite direction.

While saving more money helps you build wealth and passive income streams, and possibly reach financial independence at a younger age, extreme savings and frugality come with a cost. Before budgeting for a high savings rate, beware of the following pitfalls.

Missed Experiences with Loved Ones

Life is meant to be shared. Sometimes that means spending money to share experiences with your family and friends.

“In their relentless pursuit of savings, I’ve seen many people sacrifice cherished experiences, personal growth opportunities, and meaningful connections with loved ones,” said Abid Salahi, co-founder of FinlyWealth. “One particular client of mine, driven by an insatiable desire to save every penny, missed out on attending important family events and cultivating hobbies.”

I’m a Bank Teller: 9 Reasons Banking In-Person Is More Financially Savvy Than Banking Online

Laura Beck   Fri, May 17, 2024

Most of us do our banking completely online now. It’s just a fact of the digital age — when you can deposit a check right into your bank’s mobile app, what’s the point of trekking to a branch? However, veteran bank teller Rachael P. says we shouldn’t abandon in-person banking entirely.

 “There are still plenty of advantages to physically going into a branch,” Rachael shared. “Sure, digital banking is easy. But something can be lost when you have zero human interaction with your bank.”

While digital banking is booming, she believes making an effort to head into branches periodically can actually pay financial dividends. Here are the nine reasons you should consider in-person banking over banking online, according to a bank teller.

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An Economist’s Rule for Making Tough Life Decisions

Quartz  Sarah Todd

"Whenever you cannot decide what you should do, choose the action that represents a change."

 “You must change your life,” Rainer Maria Rilke exhorts readers in the final line of his poem “Archaic Torso of Apollo.” It’s a surprise-twist ending, meant to capture the sudden nature of epiphanies. Having spent the entire poem contemplating the beauty of an ancient Greek statue, Rilke practically reaches through the page to shake readers by the shoulders, urging us to transform ourselves—to use our rapidly-dwindling time on Earth as wisely as Apollo’s sculptor did.

But changing your life is a big deal. It takes a lot of work and emotional energy. And it’s often very difficult to predict if a dramatic turn will actually make us happier and more fulfilled, or if it will be the biggest mistake ever and we’ll shrivel up into little raisins of regret.

The Latest Social Security Trustees Report Spurs Angst About The Program's Solvency

Kerry Hannon·Senior Columnist  Yahoo Finance  Fri, May 17, 2024

Amid uncertainty around Social Security, here's what financial advisers are telling clients

Social Security isn’t shattered, but it’s shaky.

The new report on Social Security, which predicts that the combined retirement and disability trust fund reserves will go broke in 2035, has put more Americans on edge, especially those nearing retirement who are worrying about how much in benefits they can expect.

The 2024 Social Security and Medicare trustees report projects insolvency one year later than last year’s estimate. That scarcely brighter outlook stems from the strong economy and wage growth, which has ramped up payroll tax payments that fund the program. For now, low unemployment has meant that more workers are adding to the program, even while a rising number of baby boomers begin to tap their benefits, the trustees said.

7 Secret Perks of Having a High Credit Score

Adam Palasciano   Wed, May 15,

In an economy highlighted by sky-high interest rates for auto and home loans, having a good credit score has probably never mattered more.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a credit score is a prediction of your credit behavior, such as how likely you are to pay a loan back on time, based on information from your credit reports.

If your credit score is lacking, you might want to consider ways to boost it as soon as you can. Why? Because having a high credit score comes with some sweet financial perks.

Best Perks of Having a High Credit Score

Here are seven secret perks of having a high credit score, according to RedRoofRipon and Equifax:

5 Simple, Effective Ways To Set Yourself Up for a Financially Secure Future

Gabrielle Olya  Tue, May 14, 2024

One of the easiest ways to set yourself up for a financially secure future is to contribute to your workplace retirement savings account — but many women are not doing this. In fact, only 52% of women participate in 401(k) plans, and the average 401(k) account balance for men ($89,000) is 50% greater than that of women ($59,000), according to Bank of America’s 2023 Financial Life Benefits Impact Report.

This means they may also be leaving free money on the table if their employers offer matching contributions. Given the unique financial challenges that women face — including the gender pay gap and a longer life expectancy resulting in a need for more retirement savings — we should be doing all we can to maximize retirement accounts to ensure we’re on track for a secure financial future.

In this “Financially Savvy Female” column, we’re chatting with Julie Virta, CFP, senior financial advisor for Vanguard’s Personal Advisor Services, about how women can set themselves up for a financially secure future.

5 Ways The Rockefellers Created Generational Wealth

The Rockefellers Are Still One of the Richest Families of All Time — 5 Ways They Created Generational Wealth

Dawn Allcot   Sun, May 12, 2024

Only 10% of family wealth makes it to the third generation, according to a landmark Williams Group wealth consultancy study reported by Reuters in 2015. But a handful of families throughout history have managed to buck this “third generation curse” to create a legacy that has lasted for centuries. Among the best known are the Rockefellers.

How John D. Rockefeller Built His Wealth

John D. Rockefeller was one of the most famous business moguls of the 19th and early 20th centuries, building his family’s fortune through the Standard Oil Company. His company controlled 90% of the U.S. refineries and pipelines at a time when a need for oil was increasing thanks to the introduction of internal combustion engines and growing demands for electricity, according to History.

Rockefeller had amassed a net worth of nearly $900 million by 1912, according to Smithsonian Magazine. That’s equivalent to about $28 billion in today’s dollars and a staggering sum by 1912 standards.