If you’ve started a new job in the last 3 years, you may have been enrolled in your company’s 401k plan without choosing to do so.

One of the best things you can do to improve your financial situation right now is to join a community bank or credit union.

Buying local helps protect our environment by spending less on fuels to transport the food which also means less pollution in the air. It also may help you figure out where your food is coming from and how it’s been grown or raised.

The best advice one can give to help people be financially responsible is this: plan ahead. Plan waaaay ahead. Your bills come every month. Know what day they are due and set aside money to pay bills before they are due.

For the honor of providing you with your money a few days earlier tax refund companies will charge as much as 20%! Instead of thinking about it as getting a bonus, think about it as a repayment of a loan you already made- to the government. Be patient and get all your money back.

Your bills come every month. Know what day they are due and set aside money to pay bills before they are due. Think of ways that paying early, or in bulk, can reduce your rate. For example, paying your car insurance in one yearly lump sum is usually cheaper than paying every month. Save up ahead of time to pay the yearly rate and save money over the whole year.

Many of us think about our financial worth in terms of how much money we make a year. This can be misleading. We all know people that make $90,000 and spend $100,000. They have all the nice things, but are constantly worrying about credit card debt, car payments, and keeping up with the Joneses. The real yardstick of our monetary value is net worth.

I was listening to a Joe Budden tape when I heard something that made me heart stop. He said something like, “there are 3 kinds of people: those who saw what happened, those who don’t know what happened, and those that make things happen.”

Getting your credit score from all three credit reporting bureaus can be as easy as 1, 2, 3! You may even be able to get it for free. The government enacted a law (allowing each person to have access to their personal credit report for free once a year.

I am thinking about having my boyfriend move in with me and I have heard about different ways to pay the bills such as separate accounts and joint accounts. What do you think is the best way to approach paying bills?