Financial Tips for the People

  It’s frightening to think how easy it is to become a victim of identity theft now that data breaches have become so common. Unfortunately, identity theft protection services and the marketing of them are built on those fears. While identity theft is a very real threat, the fact, is you probably don’t need to…

Negotiating your salary starts by making strategic choices from the very beginning of the job search process.  Follow these four steps to walk away with a new job, and a salary makes you feel valued, and motivated to do the best work possible. Don’t provide a salary number out the gate. Your salary expectations are…

So you filed your tax return and got news that a tax refund will hit your bank account in the next few weeks. Naturally, your next question is: “What Should I Do With a Tax Refund?” 1. Reduce your credit card debt. You probably wouldn’t pay someone 15% (the average credit card interest rate for…

The answer to the question “Am I Living Beyond My Means?” is personal and fluid at different times in your financial life. But if you can answer “yes” to any of the six statements, there’s a good chance you might be. 1. You don’t have six months worth of your income saved. If your savings…

You can save money this holiday by scouring online deals and making homemade gifts, but a holiday budget plan will ensure you’re prepared not to overspend. Here’s your simple guide to creating a holiday budget that will keep you out of debt.  Know your starting point Before you create a holiday gift list or invest…

  What’s the best way to save money if you’ll shop this Thanksgiving weekend?  Avoid these retailer marketing ploys that are designed to distract, entrap, and ultimately, get you to spend more money. Make purchases painful The National Retail Federation estimates that 116 million holiday shoppers will head out on Black Friday, and 75 million…

I’ve been fortunate to build a successful career as a personal finance writer, borne of my experience in financial services marketing, and necessitated by my search for a more flexible and fulfilling career when I had my son in 2009. Ironically, I had no interest in personal finance in my mid twenties. I didn’t understand…

Using your phone to access bank accounts, make deposits and pay is convenient, but is it really secure? According to an analysis by IO Active Labs, the answer is…not really.  Of the apps it audited, 40% did not validate SSL certificate authenticity, and 70% did not use multi-factor validation. That makes life pretty easy for…

Most parents want their kids to have more opportunities than they did. But for all the hard work and sacrifices parents make to give their kids every possible advantage, most of us fall short when it comes to teaching kids basic financial literacy. Regardless of your own level of knowledge or interest in money, you…

You work hard for your money in life. Why let it get caught in probate when you die? Here are common mistakes even the financially savvy make when it comes to estate planning. Thinking estate planning is only for the wealthy.  The term “estate” tends to have a connotation that conjures images of old money…

The average student loan debt is upwards of $30,000 for today’s college grad.  How you can possibly establish solid financial footing for the future when you’re struggling to keep your head above water in the now? Here’s a five step plan to help you dig out from under student loan debt. Make payments no matter…

None of us like to lose money in a stock market dip. But you can use market downturns to deal with–or avoid–debt. In fact, the degree of panic you feel when you see that your retirement account balance has decreased is one of the most honest gut checks there is about the state of your…

Daydreaming about starting your own business? Say”yes” to these four questions, and there’s a good chance you’re financially, emotionally and mentally prepared to become an entrepreneur. 1. Have you saved at least one year’s worth of your take home pay?  Financial experts recommend that an emergency savings fund have three to six months worth of…

Smartphones, tablets, social media and text messages have led us to a paradox of productivity. Now that we can find nearly any answer, person, or place on a mobile device within seconds, and talk, walk, read, listen (or act like we are) all at the same time, we’re less apt to accomplish our most important…

There’s a belief that you become a blended version of the five people you interact with most. But did you know there’s scientific proof that having the right friends can make you rich? Here are some subtle ways the company keep can either build or bust your bank account. Surface friends can cause you to…

Having a baby is an experience you’ll never forget. But learning you’ll  add a new member to your family also tends to bring to the surface important questions that aren’t so easy to answer. You’ll wonder if you or your spouse can you afford to take unpaid maternity or paternity leave. You’ll start to research…

  If you used a credit card to finance your holiday purchases and don’t have the cash to pay your balances in full, now’s the time to form a plan for how you’ll dig out of holiday debt. (Or any debt you’re ready to shed, for that matter). Despite the many apps and budgeting software…

Before you go into holiday mode, set a aside an hour to check in with your financial accounts to see if you could benefit from any of these simple financial moves before year end. Give strategically.  You can minimize your 2015 tax burden by being mindful of how you make charitable donations–but you must act…

Ready to kick back and let someone else make thanksgiving dinner this year?  You’re in good company, according to the National Restaurant Association, which estimates more than 14 million people choose to eat at restaurants on Thanksgiving. Here are some ways to ensure your thanksgiving dinner remains enjoyable, even when it’s spent in the “professional”…

Now that the percentage of Americans who own a mobile device outranks those that don’t, entrepreneurs can integrate mobile as a business strategy to cut costs, increase efficiency, improve customer experience, and deepen customer relationships. Here’s how.  Confirm maps listings are accurate. Forrester predicts that a businesses’ ability to connect with customers during relevant mobile…

The ability to command a respectable salary, influence positive social change, or bring new ideas to a stale or conservative industry can draw you to a profession in the beginning. With any luck, it will keep you engaged for years. But just as your life changes, so do your goals and interests. But when you…

Debt consolidation loans might sound like an easy way to get out of debt. But there’s no need to pay someone to lower your debt, when you’ve got all the tools you need to do it on your own, starting now. (Plus, let’s be honest. The money they’d charge you to consolidate debt could go…

In 2011, The Radicati Group predicted that there would be more than four billion email accounts worldwide by the end of 2015. Back then, it estimated that “the typical corporate user” sent and received about 105 emails a day.  Fast forward to today, and the research firm says that number has jumped to 121 messages…

If you’re a parent who expects that your kids may go to college at some point, you’re probably well aware of the doom and gloom that surrounds the topic of college tuition, student loans and financial aid. Not only are tuition costs rising, student loan debt is a big reason millenials put off a whole…

Most people have some kind of debt–whether on a credit card, student loans, an auto loan, or a mortgage. And not all of that debt is a problem. But when your debt climbs to a point that far outweighs your income, starts to lower your credit score,  puts you in jeopardy of missing monthly payments…

How’s your financial well being? I don’t mean the amount of money you make, what you own, what you owe, or what you’ve saved for retirement. I mean how “well” you feel about it.  As scientific studies conducted at the University of Southern California show, you’ve got far more power over whatever your degree of…

If you shop at Target frequently, you’ve likely been offered the option to save 5% on your purchase that day—and every other time you shop at Target—if you apply for and open a Target RED Card. Typically, there’s one answer to stick to when you’re offered a store-branded credit card: “No thanks.” Why? Because store-branded…

Steve Jobs once said deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. It makes sense on the surface. But it’s tough to put the benefits of that philosophy into action, especially for entrepreneurs.  Taking down time when you’re self-employed inherently means your income and opportunities come down a notch or…

Most of us say we want success.  In fact, we may spend our whole lives striving for it. We want our kids to experience it, and we want others to perceive us as the embodiment of it. But success is a subjective term that few of us take the time to define before we pursue…

Most of us have a smartphone—and most of us spend too much money on our mobile plans in the United States compared to other nations. Data compiled by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reveals that the average phone plan with 500MB of data costs $85 in the U.S..  In China, that same plan costs $24.10.…

Deciding you’re ready to buy a house is one of the bigger life decisions you’ll make. It’s a big commitment financially, and emotionally. When you buy a home, you’re basically deciding that a particular lifestyle a home provides you with now is one you’ll still be happy with years later. If you want to avoid…

LinkedIn can prove a simple place to stay in touch with former colleagues, connect with others in your industry, find opportunities and stay on pulse with the hot topics relevant to your profession–but it probably has a few norms you don’t know, that can beef up LinkedIn presence. I sought the advice of several LinkedIn…

Your high school years may be well behind your, but in the world of office politics, the dynamics of popularity are still alive and well. Though the rules of engagement have changed (having a pair of designer jeans or boyfriend who is captain of the football team doesn’t mean much in the working world), the…

Remember that career test your high school guidance counselor provided to help guide you in choosing the right college major, and potential career path? It likely asked a series of questions about your interests, your personality, your strengths and weaknesses to determine where you’d likely be best suited in the working world. Regardless of whether…

Remember that career test your high school guidance counselor provided to help guide you in choosing the right college major, and potential career path? It likely asked a series of questions about your interests, your personality, your strengths and weaknesses to determine where you’d likely be best suited in the working world. Regardless of whether…

I’m not a just a freelance writer. I’m a small business owner, too. Like you, I’m working the hustle, and trying to find enough hours in the week to manage the business needs of my clients, while growing my own businesses. Though you may think I have a bit of a leg up when it…

As a freelance writer, my challenge is to write content that leads to real results for my clients, whether that means simply boosting search engine relevance, increasing engagement on social media, or producing work that gets published in industry trades, and potentially, syndicated on major media outlets. When you’ve got a compelling topic or really…

Blogs are the great conundrum of web marketing. They can be established in minutes, yet they take real commitment, and habitual behavior, to build in a way that is truly effective.  Most of us experience those days when you have an energy overdrive that makes you want to write, write, and write some more. But…

Like anyone who has a website that shows up in search, I’m constantly sent solicitations from self-proclaimed “SEO experts” promising to improve my site’s search engine rankings. While there are certainly some SEO experts out there, I’m of the belief that anyone who sends you an unsolicited email claiming to be one of them, isn’t!…

Getty Images recently announced an Embedded Viewer feature that gives bloggers — and anyone who runs a site for “editorial, noncommercial uses” — legal access to publish millions of its images, free of charge. Since the announcement some sites have widely (and incorrectly) reported j how the feature can be legally used, and by whom.…

The people who like your business page on Facebook are for all and intents and purposes your “friends” on social media in the sense that they presumably support your cause, the latest Facebook algorithm update indicates that fans of business pages do not in fact, react to posts in the same manner that a Facebook…

There’s a lot of misinformation swirling the web around Facebook’s NewsFeed update–and some of it is being published by  outlets who are supposed to be experts in social media for small business. Here’s what you need to know about the updates Facebook has made to the NewsFeed. It’s still EdgeRank; Facebook still doesn’t call it…

So you’ve come to terms with the fact that maybe your small would benefit from the help of a professional freelance writer to make your company’s blog look professional, appear within the first three pages of a Google search, and engage readers? Congrats! Accepting that writing is a skill not everyone has is the first…

Does your business really need a Facebook page? If so, how do you even use Facebook for your business? Here’s the straight scoop on all your social media questions for small business. There’s a lot more to Facebook than setting up a page.  If limited social media know-how is holding you back from using Facebook…

Wondering how or if you can use Twitter to promote your small business? You can–even without the help of a social media manager. You can read the full article “How to Leverage Twitter for Your Small Business” that I recently wrote for Intuit Small Business Blog, but if you’ve only get a second to skim–here’s…

Recognize that your business could benefit from a freelance writer–but have no idea how to go about finding one? Here are five simple things to consider when you’re ready to hire a freelance writer. Have a budget. Whether you’re posting on Craigslist, Elance or some other industry site, have a firm number in mind. Not…

As a freelance writer for the personal finance, small business, career, and health/wellness space, I come across a variety of clients, large and small. Some realize the value of hiring a professional, and understand that with experience, comes a certain rate. Others figure that investing in a writer who commands a certain rate per word…

SEO has lived an interesting life over the past several years. In what has been a fairly short period of time, it has evolved from keyword stuffing, managing density, backlinking, and trying to manipulate outcomes through various paid advertising, image tags and search times. Unbeknownst to many small businesses, and even, digital firms, Google has…

  It may sound counterintuitive, but you can actually save money as you spend for the holidays–with the right strategy, and a little self-discipline. Read “6 Tips for Saving Money While You Spend” at Minyanville It is possible to exit the corporate rat race, and come out the other side more knowledgeable and arguably, more…

Should babies come to work? Whether you love or loathe kids, there’s a financial benefits for moms and businesses. Read my story “The Financial Benefit of Babies at Work” at ForbesWoman. The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask…especially when it’s an investment question that could cost, or make you money. Have you…

I’m guilty of procrastination home maintenance and car repairs because I don’t understand it, and hate to spend the money on it. But there are simple things you can do that can lead to major cost prevention, including asking the repair shop to check your car battery before cold weather strikes, which they often do…

Sure, college football programs make money–but pockets aren’t as deep as you might think. Read my complete article “The Surprising Economics of College Football” on Minyanville. Gmail has a new look. While the move is part of an overall strategy to streamline user experience from any device and replicate the flow of real conversation, some…

This week brought a lot of interesting findings, among them: Beggar’s Night on Monday is a bust I am allergic to Codeine (painful lesson learned). A plastic slide in your family room is acceptable when mom is upstairs dying of the flu, you’ve got a rowdy toddler and dad is trying to get school work…