I bought my first house in August of 2007. It was the peak of the housing bubble. There were signs all around me that the bottom might be falling out, but I didn’t listen. For example, on the date I was to close, the mortgage company went bankrupt. They had to fund over $3 million in loans that day and had no cash on hand. I’ll get into the other issues throughout this … [Read more...]
How To Quickly Earn Travel Rewards With Very Little Effort
Everybody loves the idea of free travel. What could be more exciting than jetting off to a luxurious destination with a plane ticket for which you only paid taxes and fees? Or staying in a hotel that you booked entirely with points and miles? It’s every traveler’s dream come true! But the best way to earn travel rewards is often with credit cards. That spells disaster for … [Read more...]
Can You Fix Your Credit In 3 Months?
Sometimes life happens. Perhaps you’ve had to deal with being laid off by your employer due to downsizing. Perhaps you’re trying to manage the loss of a loved one. Perhaps you’ve had unexpected medical expenses or auto repair expenses or home repair expenses. There are a million reasons why you may find yourself with a poor credit score. Instead of beating yourself up, the … [Read more...]
Your Ultimate Debt Snowball Plan To Eliminate Debt (And Free Debt Snowball Calculator)
Are you buried under a mountain of debt? Have you finally said enough is enough and want to get out of debt once and for all? Great! Now you just have to figure out the action plan you are going to use to pay off your debt and follow it. For many people, the plan to pay off your debt comes down to the debt snowball method or the debt avalanche method. Both work well at … [Read more...]
Debx Review | Helping You To Automatically Stay Out Of Credit Card Debt
As longtime readers know, I was in credit card debt back in the day. I didn’t have a spending problem, I had personal issues and spending was my way of dealing with the issues I didn’t want to face. Buying things made me feel good, so I kept buying even though I didn’t have the money. Fast forward and I got real with myself and paid off my debt once and for all. But I still … [Read more...]
10 Little Known Secrets To Pay Off Your Mortgage Fast
Making payments on a mortgage for 30 years can seem like forever, especially when you look at your monthly statement. Not only do you have to make 360 payments and have a huge outstanding balance, but you also see how your $1,000 monthly payment only knocked $125 off of your balance! Frustrating times for sure. But there are little known ways to pay off your mortgage … [Read more...]
How To Survive On $1,000 A Month. The Tricks To Help You Succeed Are Here.
What is your financial situation right now? Are you making ends meet or are you struggling? Maybe you are somewhere in between. The choices we make every day with our money seem insignificant at the time. What’s $5 for some snacks at the convenience store? What’s $20 for that cool new case for our phone? In the long run, these small everyday purchases have a big impact on … [Read more...]
The Inspiring Joys Of Debt Free Living
Paying off debt can be hard. Trust me, I know. I found myself over $50,000 in debt in my mid 20s. Actually, I was only $20,000 in debt. I didn’t see a problem with being in debt, so I didn’t do anything about it. I kept spending money I didn’t have and making minimum payments and I thought it was all fine and dandy. Until it wasn’t. At 29 years old and after the market … [Read more...]
How Do You Compare To The Average Debt (It’s Over $230,000!)
Debt is a part of life for many Americans. We go into debt to buy houses, cars, to get an education and everything else. What many don't understand is how debt is holding them back. When you are in debt, you are really working for someone else. The money you are earning isn't yours, it's going to your lender to pay back your debts. And as long as you are in debt, you are … [Read more...]
Simple Steps To Improve Your Credit Score Fast
When it comes to your financial health, your credit score plays a vital role. While most people understand that their credit score is the key to getting approved for a loan, not all realize that having a high credit score also improves their finances. This is because a high credit score can save you money. The higher your credit score, the lower the interest rate you will … [Read more...]
10 Free Excel Spreadsheet Templates To Help Explode Your Wealth
In honor of the upcoming America Saves Week, I want to talk about budgeting today. For the most part, there are 3 options you have when it comes to budgeting. You can use a pen and paper and manually create and use a budget. You can create an excel budget template to use a budget. You can buy a budgeting program that helps you use a budget. All of these have their … [Read more...]
8 Painless Tricks To Avoid Debt Forever
If you want to experience financial independence or live the life of your dreams, you are going to have to avoid going into debt. Put simply, when you are in debt, you are working for someone else. Every dollar you earn is done so to pay someone else to satisfy your debt. As a result, you can never reach your goal of financial independence when you are saddled with debt. The … [Read more...]
Thanks again for visiting Money Smart Guides. My goal for Money Smart Guides is simple: to help you become a master of your financial future. You do this by learning to overcome your debt, making smarter spending choices and start investing for your future. When you succeed, I succeed. By teaching you about personal finance, you can take the steps needed to secure your financial future. As always, if you have any questions or want help with any personal finance issue, please contact me. I will do my best to help you out and answer any of your questions.
