Get life insurance if you need it. If anyone is depending on you financially – and this can be not only your kids but also a spouse or even your parents or siblings – you need life insurance. Term policies are generally better deals than whole life policies as they only have you paying for life insurance and no one depends on your income any more — your kids are grown and your spouse will be fine financially without you — consider ending your policy in order to save money.

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Have  fund an emergency. Here is an alarming statistic: Fully 44% of Americans didn’t have ready funds to cover an unexpected $400 expense and would have to resort to borrowing money or selling something, according to a Federal Reserve report last year. Have 3 to 9 months’ worth of living expenses saved just in case.

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Get and stay out of debt. It is good to carrying minimal debt. Having a mortgage is often unavoidable, and most people that’s not a big problem as interest rate are currently low. But any high-interest rate debt, such as credit cards, should be paid off as soon as possible. Many credit card companies are charging cardholders annual interest rates are 25% or more, and on $20,000 of debt at 25% can cost you around $5,000 each year!

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If you are unable to save, consider these 3 things:

1. The past 12 months were filled with budget busters such as car repairs, medical copays, and a need to replace major appliances.
2. You were already living paycheck to paycheck, and the increased costs of food.
3. You simply didn’t make it your business to save.

It’s vital to have an emergency fund and ideally additional savings for future goals, such as replacing a vehicle, buying a home or building up a college fund. In the end, you must take responsibility for making them happen.

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Happy Veterans Day! There are some valuable perks and benefits available for those in the military and their family members. Whether you’re already serving, or considering it, check out the many financial benefits and discounts that may be coming to you and your family.

1. movie theatre tickets
2. low rates for financial products
3. family health care
4. housing allowance
5. Disney tickets and hotels
6. Busch Gardens, Sea World and more
7. Military shopping benefits
8. Childcare assistance
9. Dining-out discounts
10. Recreation benefits
11. Space-available flights and discounted airfare
12. Military lodging and hotel stays
13. VA home loans
14. Car discounts
15. Motorcycle discounts
16. Car loan assistance
17. Educational benefits
18. Cellphone savings
19. Spouse career development
20. Employment assistance
21. Legal assistance
22. Retirement savings
23. State tax breaks
24. Emergency loans and resources
25. Business loans

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Young adults on their own for the first time can be attractive prey for financial fraudsters. Here is how to spot the red flags:

1. Phony online booksellers
2. Fake credit cards and real ones
3. Tuition scams
4. Advance fees
5. Blackmail
6. Nonexistent apartments
7. Public Wi-Fi
8. Weak passwords
9. Check cashing scams – if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
10. Don’t part with personal information unless you’re where it’s going
11. The more someone needs money upfront, the greater the likelihood you’re about to be robbed.

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Before I started working form home, I worked for a mortgage company in an office next to a Starbuck. Every weekday for a year, I brought a Grande Caramel Macchiato for $4.55 and boxed lunch from a deli for $6.95. I thought that was a bargain. But at the end of the year, I added up my lunch money and discovered I had spent $1,288.50 on coffee and $1,876.50 on sandwiches. That is $250 per month. If I took the same money and invested it I would have 200k. If this is similar to your life experience. Think about investing and saving and watch your money grow.

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At the beginning of their careers, women earn more than men. But when they reach this age, the good times end. Pay growth for college-educated women suddenly stops at around the age of 40, according to the new findings from compensation research firm PayScale. The reason for this gap? PayScale chief economist Katie Bardaro says it all comes down to job choice. Bardaro says jobs that men choose – such as software developer and engineering roles – have longer real-wage growth. By contrast, women choose professions – teacher, health care worker, social worker, administrative worker – where wades don’t rise as much over time.

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Many retailers across the nation offer a wide variety of ”senior” discounts to people as young as 50.  Here are the stores:

1. Bealls
2. Bealls Outlet
3. Walgreens
4. Michael’s
5. Pep Boys
6. Kohl’s
7. Harris Teeter
8. Rite Aid
9. Ross
10. Goodwill

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If you’ve got medical debt, or any kind of debt that’s causing you a problem. You can negotiate with your medical billing office or the collection company. At times, there maybe an error in the billing statement. Check to see if your statement is correct. You also can contact Medical Billing Advocates of America to see what assistance they can offer.

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