A seemingly small stumble – such as forgetting to return library books – can cause your credit score to plummet. The next time you check your credit score, you might discover it has taken a tumble because of a seemingly small mishap on your part. Here are some other types of mishaps that can damage your credit score:

1.  Car rental reservations (settle the bill as soon as possible)
2. Past-due rent payments
3. Library delinquency
4. Outstanding medical bills
5. Delinquent tax obligations (city, county, state, or federal)
6. Defaulting on recurring bills
7. Breached gym membership contracts
8. Unpaid traffic citations
9. Closing credit cards
10. Too many credit cards applications
11. In-house zero-interest financing

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Being money smart is about more than having a budget and eliminating dumb purchases. It means creating a financial foundation that will carry you and your family comfortably through whatever life throws your way. To create that foundation and find lasting financial security, you need these 10 products:

1. Checking account
2. High-yield savings account
3. Health insurance
4. Homeowners or renters insurance
5. Auto insurance
6. Disability insurance
7. Life insurance
8. Retirement fund
9. College savings account

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Do your loved ones a big favor: Get your affairs in order so you don’t leave your survivors to face a legal mess. If you want loved ones to remember you fondly tackle your estate-planning tasks. Your heirs will thank you for not leaving a legal mess to sort out. Here’s what you should know about eight documents that can help you get your affairs in order.

1. Last will and testament
2. Revocable living trust
3. Beneficiary designations
4. Durable power of attorney
5. Health care power of attorney and living will
6. Provision for digital assets (emails, social media accounts, and webpages)
7. Letter of intent (last wishes and messages to kin)
8. List of important documents
   • Life insurance policies
   • Annuities
   • Pension or retirement accounts
   • Bank accounts
   • Divorce records
   • Birth and adoption certificates
   • Real estate deeds
   • Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds

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If you don’t polish your skills in these areas, hiring managers may move your resume to the bottom of the pile. Valuable skills come and go in today’s job market. Students and job seekers have to keep up. LinkedIn, the career marketplace, recently listed the skills and experience most in demand on its site. Consider the following pertinent jobs skills for 2019:

1. Aptitude in cloud computing
2. Experience in artificial intelligence
3. Analytical reasoning
4. People management
5. UX design (user experience design to improve user satisfaction)
6. Mobile application development
7. Video production
8. Sales leadership (bring business to the organization)

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Travel on a budget has become easier, thanks to the internet. Here’s how to save on some parts of your trip so you can splurge on others. Don’t let a tight budget keep you from planning a getaway. There are ways to do it for less that won’t diminish your experience. Some of these 11 money-saving travel ideas can make your trip even better.

1. Be flexible on travel dates
2. Consider nearby airports
3. Travel offseason
4. Travel in shoulder season (not prime & not off season)
5. Keep shopping after booking your airfare
6. Pack light
7. Stay in a national park
8. Try a hostel
9. Swap homes
10. Eat in
11. Save on entertainment

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Financial incentives beckon workers who’ll start, or start over, in these cities, towns and states. Even Italy beckons. With many communities’ gutted by plant closures and fleeing industries, young people are moving to big cities and glittering tech regions. In an attempt to keep towns, cities, counties and even states economically vibrant, state and local governments in the U.S. are offering financial incentives for in-migration. Italy, too, is enticing migrants to its underpopulated towns. For the adventurous, here are nine intriguing places that offer money to help you start over.

1. Kansas -up to $15,000 in student loan repayments and income tax waivers
2. St. Clair County, Michigan – up to $15,000 in student loan repayments
3. North Platte, Nebraska – student loan repayments and more
4. New Haven, Connecticut -up to $80k to purchase a home
5. Grant County, Indiana – up to 5k for a downpayment for a home
6. Detroit, Michigan- for business owners
7. Vemont – a grant of up to 5k for fulltime worker who live in Vermont
8. Tulsa, Oklahoma – $10k toward moving expenses, a monthly stipend
9. Italy – anyone with children is eligible for $6k-$9k

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Navy Federal Credit Union has published nine signs of identity theft. Every 2 seconds, an American becomes a victim of identity fraud. That is about 10 million persons a year have their personal information compromised. Many find out from their financial institutions. There are some red flags that indicate your personal information has been stolen for fraudulent purposes. Watch for warning signs to make sure you don’t fall prey.

1. Unexplained charges or withdrawals
2. Medical bills for doctors you haven’t visited
3. New credit cards you didn’t apply for
4. Errors on your credit report
5. Collection notices or calls for unknown debt
6. Your credit card or application for credit is denied
7. Missing mail or email
8. Errors in your tax return or Social Security statement
9. A warrant for your arrest

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Want a car that you’ll still be driving in 15 years? Buying from one particular manufacturer is your best bet -by far. One of the best ways to save money is to buy a used care and hold it for a long time. And buying from one particular manufacturer helps boost your odds of achieving that goal.

1. Toyota Highlander
2. Toyota Prius
3. Toyota Sienna
4. Honda Pilot
5. Toyota Tundra
6. Toyota Sequoia
7. Toyota Tacoma
8. Honda Odyssey
9. Honda CR-V
10. Toyota RAV4
11. Subaru Forester
12. Toyota Camry
13. Acura MDX
14. Toyota 4Runner
15. Toyota Avalon

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Eating well can be expensive – unless you know these tricks and tips for cutting your food bill. Food is one of those things none of us can live without. You might be able to save money by skipping cable TV or avoiding expensive travel, but cutting food expenses has to be weighed against survival – not to mention health and day-to-day satisfaction. Still those meals don’t need to be expensive. Are you ready for 25 ways to trim your food costs.

1. Skip serving-sized items
2. Don’t buy processed foods
3. Use coupons
4. Sign up for a store loyalty and e-coupons
5. Stockpile the best deals
6. Learn how to cook
7. Plan menus based on ads or what’s in your pantry
8. Buy fresh ingredients in season
9. Salvage food about to go bad
10. Make the most of your freezer
11. Invest in half of a hog or a quarter of a cow
12. Make a meat dish a side dish rather than the main dish
13. Make a list and stick to it
14. Don’t walk up and down the aisles
15. Grab the generics
16. Look high and low on the shelves in the grocery store for deals
17. Check the ethnic food aisle – you may find cheaper items
18. Go to the store alone
19. Fill your stomach first
20. Consider a ware house club membership
21. Shop for food in unexpected places
22. Check out outlet stores
23. Head to a stripped down store (Aldi or Save-A-Lot)
24. Plant a garden
25. Eat less

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A few years ago, I discovered Navy Federal Credit Union offers awesome FREE financial seminars. The best news is, you don’t have to be a member. If you want to become more informed about purchasing a home, estate planning, financial planning basics, retirement income planning, social security benefits seminar, investments basics, and auto buying. You’ll find the seminars very informative and you have the option of scheduling a meeting with a financial planner at a later date. I firmly believe this is the best keep secret for anyone who wants to take an hour to learn more to bolster their financial prowess. I highly recommend these FREE financial seminars! Sign-up and invite a friend to join you! For more information visit: resources, seminars and events at www.navyfederal.org

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