I recently saw an television ad for a bank that offers overdraft notification so that you can choose how to fund the mistake. My first thought, “If the person was managing their money properly, they wouldn’t need this option.” And then I got frustrated. A bank wouldn’t create a service like that or spend moneyContinue reading “Overdraft Notices Can Be Avoided”
Author Archives: Cindy McCourt
Credit Cards Can Make You Money and Raise Your Credit Score
We’ve all heard about credit cards that give you miles, cash back, and/or any number of benefits for simply using them. The tricky part about credit cards is their ease of use and how quickly the balance on the card can grow out of control. The following is a way to maximize the power ofContinue reading “Credit Cards Can Make You Money and Raise Your Credit Score”
My Drupal is Showing
I posted a personal finance management series and opened one of the pages, just to see it live. I clicked on an embedded link and it went to a locked page. I recognized the locked page. Long story short, the links I used were to a version that was dated in June 7th. I scheduledContinue reading “My Drupal is Showing”
Financial Headaches: A Series on Personal Finance Management
The process of balancing your checkbook isn’t just about knowing how much money you have to spend right now. It can yield huge insights into your future. “Years before I created the technique shared in this series, I gave a presentation for a speech class I had to take as part of my college curriculum.Continue reading “Financial Headaches: A Series on Personal Finance Management”
Lesson 1: Checkbook Duh! Factors
Before you can dive into managing your personal finances (checkbook balance, budgets, savings, loan payoffs, etc.), there are some basic money management concepts that you need to know. Duh! Right? Perhaps you already know the basics, but please give the following questions and answers a read before continuing to Lesson 2: A Map for theContinue reading “Lesson 1: Checkbook Duh! Factors”
Lesson 2: A Map of Personal Financial Processes
In Lesson 1: Checkbook Duh! Factors, you were introduced to the concept of lagging and future commitments. In other words, the bank doesn’t know if a check is about to be cashed or that you will need to write a check for a bill that’s about to arrive. In this lesson, you will be introducedContinue reading “Lesson 2: A Map of Personal Financial Processes”
Lesson 3: Get Ready
In Lesson 2: A Map of Personal Finance Processes, you were introduced to the processes for managing personal finances. In this lesson, you will explore the process of getting ready to track your current status and plan your future. The effort to gather information about your financial commitments might seem obvious. However, it’s easy toContinue reading “Lesson 3: Get Ready”
Lesson 4: Set Up the Spreadsheet
A paper transaction register is part of the past, but its purpose never will be. With a spreadsheet, manual computing is no longer needed. And forget about sloppy handwriting. Typed entries are the way to go. In order to use the data collected in Lesson 3: Get Ready, follow the steps below to get setContinue reading “Lesson 4: Set Up the Spreadsheet”
Lesson 5a: Single Monthly Paycheck Plan
If you completed the tasks in Lesson 3: Get Ready and Lesson 4: Set Up the Spreadsheet, you are ready to move forward in preparing your digital tracker and planner. In this lesson, you are going to focus on a scenario where you get one paycheck per month. This mimics a basic budget approach: incomeContinue reading “Lesson 5a: Single Monthly Paycheck Plan”
Lesson 5b: Twice a Month Paycheck Plan
If you completed the tasks in Lesson 3: Get Ready and Lesson 4: Set Up the Spreadsheet, you are ready to move forward in preparing your digital tracker and planner. If you reviewed Lesson 5a: Single Monthly Paycheck Plan, you will see the same steps below. However, the running balance will be different. In this lesson,Continue reading “Lesson 5b: Twice a Month Paycheck Plan”
