As we approach the vacation season, I want to cover the basics of preparing for roadside emergencies and dealing with car breakdown. I have had my fair share of roadside emergencies and breakdowns. My experience includes minor incidents such as punctured tire, malfunctioned windshield wiper, drained battery, and locked in key. And the more serious … Read more
Don’t you find it kind of funny when you hear high school students putting off learning about their finances because they think that’s what college is for? Just by talking to younger relatives and high school students in the community I have noticed that many assume they will learn how to handle their personal finances … Read more
Question My husband and I have $36,000 in credit card debt with an average interest rate of 6.7%. We can only make minimum payments on this debt. We have about $3,000 in savings and are 30 years old with 3 children, the oldest is in kindergarten. We both work part-time 12-18 hours a week, and … Read more
Last night, I was pondering the subject of cash flow (essentially how money flow through our hands) and about financial well being. I played around with various visualizations that consist of income, expenses, debt, and assets. What I came up with was the 5 stages of financial health below. I believe that all of us … Read more
There’s someone I know that I have been trying to help improve her financial future. Unfortunately, she seems to be stuck in a self-inflicted financial ineptness that’s beyond rescue. Somehow, she always come up with some lame excuses when it comes to money. “Hey, I can always make more” She symbolizes the living paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle. … Read more
For both parents and students, off-to-school shopping can be an important financial lesson that should be shared. It is a prime opportunity for parents to get to teach their kids a few remaining lessons about budgeting and personal finance: two very important lessons college kids should be learning before leaving the nest. Here are fifteen … Read more
Whenever the question of paying for college comes up, it seems to spark a heated debate. Some parents want to pay for it all, others are firm believers that their children should have to put themselves through college, and there is a third group that thinks half and half is a good solution. When we … Read more
On Monday night, I stumbled upon the Dave Ramsey Prime Time on Fox Business Network Show and stopped channel surfing to watch it. I heard about Dave Ramsey through my friends — many of whom greatly admire him (e.g., Ana, Randall, Lynnae, Gibble, and Mrs. Micah). Personally, I like how he helps thousands of people get … Read more
A week ago, my wife bought me a book, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki. This book has been around for many years, but I didn’t read it until my wife threw it on my lap. My first reaction was inspired and mesmerized — the book got me thinking about money and wealth … Read more