The term “mindfulness” refers to the ability to live in the present. Mindful people focus on what matters most, directing their attention to the richness of everyday experience in the here-and-now. When it comes to deciding how to spend money on entertainment, mindfulness works better than impulsiveness. Pondering how much pleasure you’ll gain from attending a live concert, … [Read more...]
Why Parents Prefer Prepaid Cards for Their College Students
Your son or daughter is off to college in the fall, away from home. Congratulations. You have a plan in place for the tuition to be covered. But what about the other college-related expenses? Books? Meals? Laundry? Rent? And a little fun—just a little? What about emergencies? With previous generations, parents would often wire money or send their kids monthly checks. But … [Read more...]
A Guide to Refinancing Your Student Loans
Student loans can be the biggest debt burden you carry. According to a Brookings Institution study, only 2% of student loan borrowers carried balances over $50,000 in 1990. Fast forward to today, where the majority of student loan holders owe at least as much, if not more. But that’s not all—if you attended four years of college, you could have as many as eight different … [Read more...]
Save Money Through the Lost Art of Negotiation
In a world driven by social media, our preferred vehicles of communication keep changing. From email to texting, streaming live video to tracking our friends’ whereabouts, our digital connections continue to evolve. When it comes to saving money, however, age-old customs remain intact. Sometimes you have to haggle. And the best negotiators know that there’s no substitute for … [Read more...]
9 Things to Do If You’re Behind on Your Student Loans
Falling behind on debt can be terrifying, but falling behind on student loan debt can be even more so. You can’t get rid of your student loans by filing for bankruptcy, so it’s crucial to get on top of them now. Not to mention, if your debt has been passed onto collections, you may also have to deal with nagging calls and letters from debt collectors. If you're feeling … [Read more...]