We often play games to entertain us or to help teach life lessons in a pretend or safe environment. How about making savings a game? For many people, asking or requiring them to save as part of their overall spending plans, may feel like a punishment. I have to save this money so I...

The Affordable Care Act requires that United State citizens have health insurance. However, for some, this information is coming as a surprise when they files taxes this year AND they're surprised by the penalty they need to pay too. If you're one of the ones who first learned of this when you were...

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about "The Credit Question" for my series on How to Buy a House! This week our focus is more on credit utilization as well as ways to potentially fix

Brightly colored scarecrows crowded by pumpkins, yummy pie recipes featured online, holiday lights displayed in local stores, it's that time of the year: the holidays are upon us! It can be a wonderful time of the year to catch up with friends and family, and enjoy the changing seasons. But with...

To reach financial goals, like college or down payment on a home or a special trip, we need to save money. But it can be hard to start saving. One way strategy that works is to start small and to save regularly! And when I say, start small – I mean small. How much do you think you'...

Recently I heard an excellent presentation by Ella York, an attorney from the Illinois Attorney General's office. Identity theft is the #1 issue that is reported by consumers to the Illinois Attorney General's office. I appreciated Ms. York's well-thought out presentation and came away with several...

Money Smart Week is coming, April 18 to 25, 2015. It's the best time of year to learn anything you want about managing your finances. Why is it the best time? It's all free. There will likelyworkshops near you. Over a...

So far in this series we've talked about renting verses buying, credit, and finding a realtor. Today's blog post will be slightly more fun as we'll briefly talk about the pre-approval process and the house hunt!! The Pre-Approval Process Getting pre-approved is an important step in...

Last time I left you with the end of our house hunt! We found the home of our dreams and put in an offer, but I left out some important details that went into the process. In this post we'll be talking about the home inspection and other important home buying details! Price Point...

Please welcome guest blogger, Tammy Greynolds from America Saves! Very few of us have money at the ready to cover an emergency, never mind the money for the larger purchases we'd like to make. This is why it's that much more important to prioritize savings to cover both...

To save money in most retirement saving plans, you often need a minimum already saved to get started. Not the myRA offered my the US government. I think the low amount needed to start saving and the NO FEES are the best parts of the myRA, and making checking out this saving option...

There's a new tool you can use to help predict if the person you are dating is a good prospect for a long committed relationship. It is your credit score. It is one more reason to improve your credit report and keep it good. A recent...

After deciding whether to rent or become a homeowner, checking your credit and possibly fixing it, the next step you'll want to do is find a real estate agent! Just like any other advisor, you need to establish some rapport with them. Below are a few traits and other items you should look for in a...

It's easier to make New Year Resolutions than to keep them! Let's take a look at some strategies to keep your financial resolutions on track. State the resolutions effectively. Research by behavioral economists suggests that how we frame our resolutions may affect how successful we...

For the past several months, I've been writing about the financial decisions that young adults face. This month, I'm switching gears to talk about a different kind of transition that could happen at any point in your working years: leaving a job. Whether you're taking a new job, being laid off, or...

I'd like to take a minute to toot our own horn. The writing team behind the Plan Well Retire Well blog just won two awards for Internet Education Communications from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) at their annual conference held November...

It's back to school time and that means busy schedules for many families! Between juggling work, after school activities and sports, it can be challenging to provide healthy, low-cost meals for you and others. Making a weekly plan for meals is one way to gain control over your food budget, and...

One of the largest factors of purchasing a house comes down to your credit. What does it look like and will you be able to purchase a house with your history and score? People tend to focus on the score, and while it is important – the history is what creates the score. Together...

Finding money in a tight budget to put towards savings is challenging. However, tax time may provide an opportunity to kick-off that saving goal! The first step is to check if you are eligible for any tax credits. The Earned Income Credit is designed for people who worked part-time or full-...

It seems like only yesterday that we were saying goodbye as our students left for college, and now the semester is quickly winding up. As the students return home for the holidays, now is a good time to revisit financial plans. Spending plans (budgets) are working documents. After using a plan for...