Smart Money Links 4U

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . You know your finances could use some serious TLC, but you’ve been putting it off… and off… and off. When you finally do sit down to think about it, you immediately become overwhelmed. Which goal do you attack first? You need a budget, a savings plan, a debt-repayment strategy, a better credit score, a plan for retirement and… oh, you’re running away again, aren’t you? Calm down and come back. To tackle big goals, you have to start small. Simple Money Management Steps to Take Today Here are a few simple steps you can take today to get your finances under control and start working toward a healthier financial future. 1. Have a Cup of Coffee and Assess the Damage Did you know that around 20% of consumers have an error on their credit report that is likely bringing down their score? And those poor...

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . You’ve done it. You’ve built up a little cushion in your bank account — $1,000! It feels good, right? Those days of checking your account balance in a panic are behind you. Congrats! You’re on the right path. Now it’s time to think about some longer-term goals. What do you want to accomplish next with your money? Do you need to save more? Do you want to buy a home someday? Invest? What’s the next step you should take? What are some specific things you can do you to take your finances to the next level? We’ve got some ideas for you: 1. Invest Like a Tycoon (Even If You’re Not Rich) Maybe you’ve thought about investing some of that cash, but you’re not sure where to start. We found a company that helps you become a real estate investor — and you don’t have to be a millionaire. You can get started wit...

After a long day of teaching Chinese to middle and high schoolers, cooking dinner for her daughter and husband and prepping her spare bedroom for Airbnb guests, Sara Chen likes to call out to her Echo Dot: “Hey, play some soft music.” This is when most people would plop on the coach and let out a deep sigh of exhaustion. Maybe pour a glass of wine and call it a night. But Chen isn’t most people. She’s just getting started. Soft music humming in the background, she heads to her garage and starts sanding, priming and painting furniture – usually mid-century modern dressers – for her side gig, Sara Chen Design . Until earlier this year, Chen, 40, hadn’t found the right outlet for her strong creative streak. It was by chance that she stumbled upon upcycling furniture, work she finds energizing and inspiring. The extra $2,500 to $3,000 a month is just an added benefit. Finding Furniture, Fulfillment With Sara Chen Design When Chen left her HR job in China to move to the U.S. 10 years...

Conventional wisdom has a lot to say about video games. It says gamers are male basement dwellers who live on a diet of Mountain Dew and Cheetos, that gaming makes people lazy, and that it’s impossible to make a living by playing games all day. Well, au contraire . According to a 2018 Entertainment Software Association survey, the video game industry and its players are flourishing. A 2018 survey by ESA found that 60% of all Americans play video games. Every day.  “From Fortnite to League of Legends, games have captured the hearts and imagination of a lot of folks,” said Chris Greeley, commissioner of the League of Legends Championship Series. With so many people playing, there are ever-growing opportunities to land video game jobs in the $43 billion industry. Video Game Careers Are On the Rise, Experts Say At its peak, the 2018 League of Legends World Championship drew in more than 200 million viewers. (The 2018 Super Bowl had an audience of 103 million.) The League of Le...

You’ve got receipts bursting out of your wallet. You’ve scribbled down financial goals on a random sheet on paper you can no longer find. You’ve forgotten the limit you gave yourself for grocery shopping this month. If any of that sounds familiar, your financial life could probably use a little organization. A budget binder can help you corral all the important documents regarding your spending, debt, savings and more. It’s the old-fashioned, pen-and-paper way to stay on track of your money. What Exactly Is a Budget Binder? A budget binder is precisely what it sounds like. It’s a binder where you store your budget and other relevant financial information, like your loan payoff strategy or your sinking funds tracker. Having all the goods in one place means you don’t have to scramble to find, say, a record of last month’s spending to make adjustments to next month’s budget. You can customize your budget binder to include whatever money management tools you’d like. Some suggestion...

Defaulting on your student loans is a serious financial issue you should avoid if at all possible. But if you’re already there, you may be looking for a way out. Have you considered rehab?  Loan rehabilitation is one option for getting your federal student loan out of default.  It’s not an easy or quick process — and we’ll offer some alternatives — but it can help you recover from the financial crisis a default can cause. Here’s how student loan rehabilitation can help. What Is Student Loan Rehabilitation? First, you need to know if your federal student loans are in default, which is easy enough to figure out. Start by determining how much you owe in student loans — and to whom you owe it.  If you’ve missed payments on your Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or direct student loan for 270 days (about nine months), your loan is considered to be in default. Unfortunately, if that’s the case, you have company. More than 350,000 borrowers had loans that entered d...