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Navigating the realm of shared finances in a relationship often gives rise to a sense of awkwardness and intricacy. Initially, there’s the discomfort of broaching the topic and contemplating whether merging finances is the right step. If that initial conversation sails smoothly, a more challenging discussion ensues on the intricate details of how to go…
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Becoming a first-time home buyer takes time, effort, patience, and persistence. It also takes a substantial amount of money, most of which goes toward a down payment (typically 20% of the purchase price). But buyers also need to factor one last thing into their budget; closing costs, which can add anywhere from 2% to 5%…
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Are you planning something big this new year? Taking a trip? Making a major purchase? Pursuing investments? For most of us, achieving those goals requires creating a budget and sticking to it – eyes on the prize, right? So, let’s talk about how to create a successful budget for the year ahead and the benefits…
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The season of giving and sharing with family and friends is upon us. For many people it is also the time for donating to communities, causes, and charities they care about. Whether your budget for making charitable donations is small or large, there are ways to increase its effectiveness that benefit recipients and donors. Following…
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Having your home or other property stolen out from under you may seem highly unlikely to most people, but mortgage-related scams and fraud have become more sophisticated recently mainly because so many real estate transactions now take place entirely online. Let’s be clear – it is possible to buy or sell a piece of property…
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Buy now, pay later. Sounds great, right? The attraction of these services and plans is obvious: you can purchase something now and pay for it later, typically with installment payments over a set period. It’s become a very popular online shopping method for young people because it doesn’t require a credit card or even a…
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Right now, there are two types of former college students who will soon be (if not already) repaying their student loans. The first are recent graduates (congratulations!), who, after graduating last spring are nearing the end of their six-month grace period on repaying federal student loans. The second are the millions of people who had…
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Investing is all about making your money work for you. It can also be about using your money to support and reflect your own values, priorities, and principles. This practice is commonly referred to as “sustainable investing” or “socially responsible investing” (SRI). You may also be familiar with a third term – ESG, which stands…
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You don’t have to be the smartest kid in class to know that getting a college degree is expensive. Today, more than half of all undergraduate students (or their families) borrow money to pay for books, tuition, college fees, and living expenses. According to U.S. News & World Report (USN), data submitted from over 1,000…
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