The Downsides of Using Debit Cards

Debit cards issued by your bank enable you to tap into your checking account and are seen by some as a better alternative to using credit cards. Most of them are now co-branded with either Visa or MasterCard making them more widely accepted. So why would you not choose to use a debit card? High…

Read More

3 Tax Tips to help Black Belt Your Financial Goals

Cartoon: "Don't bug me unless I can claim you as a deduction!"

Taxes can be difficult to figure out. Here are 3 tips for those looking to Black Belt their Finances with their taxes this year. These can help you meet your financial goals. First, there are plenty of FREE tax help places such as through your local library or, for older Americans, senior centers. These are…

Read More

Holiday Stress Busting

Red gift box with white bow

As the holidays gear up, it’s a time many people stress out trying to live up to the expectations. You deserve to enjoy the season, and those around you will enjoy it better if you do too. Here are 5 tips: Budget. Both your time and your money. Overspending now…pay for it later. Rethink your…

Read More

Using Credit Card Rewards

Discover Card

If you pay your credit cards off every month, you can earn bonus money from credit card rewards. Because of the difficulty of black out dates and other exclusions, I don’t bother with travel cards. Instead, I go for pure cash back. For favorite is Discover credit card rewards, which normally give me 1% back.…

Read More