Savvy Money Blog
I want to learn about…
Learn from our Experts.
Get $avvy financial tips. Read an article today!
Do Money Books For Women Hurt Women?
by Manisha ThakorWhat do you think...Do personal finance books written by women for women perpetuate the myth that women are bad with money?Why is there a "money management for women" section but no "money management for men" section at Amazon and other...
What to Consider When Setting Your Prices
by Elisa BalabramI received great feedback on Facebook and by email about the article “Six Myths that May Be Stopping Your from Valuing Your Work Well”. The key to setting your prices is to first investigate if you believe in any of those myths, and if you do, figure...
Money Myths That Hold You Back
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFALast week, I had the opportunity to help an extremely wealthy woman sort out her finances. Now, my favorite part about this is not the fact that she is one of the largest clients I have ever signed, but that she is an interior designer. She...
The Best Time to Shop for Bargains
While the holiday season may be over, there’s no need to feel depressed. Now is the best time to shop for bargains! Here are a few tips on how you can take advantage of the year’s best sales. When to Shop. Sales begin promptly when stores open on December 26th. You’ll...
Take Steps to Protect Yourself from Credit Fraud
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAThe FTC says that the average victim of identity theft is unaware of the problem for 12 months. You don't want to let 12 months go by before finding that you're a victim. Follow these top tips to protect yourself from credit fraud.Reduce...
How Do You Get the Best Price and Walk Away With More For Less?
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAWith the holidays in full swing many are left wondering how we can make our buck go further. The best way to get the best price and walk away with more for less is by bargaining. The biggest problem most shoppers have with bargaining is...
End of Year Tax Tips for the Savvy Investor
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAYou only have a few weeks left to take the bite out of your annual taxes. Here are some tax strategies that you can put into effect before the end of the year, saving money when it comes time to file your annual tax return.Time capital...
Top Tips for Saving on Holiday Airfare
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAThe airlines are gearing up for what looks to be one of the busiest holiday travel seasons in years. This is good news for American Airlines, Northwest and Continental, but it’s bad news for you. Travelers who need to fly over Thanksgiving...
Savvy Ladies Get Prepared! Do You Have the Right Legal Documents?
It makes sense to want to exercise control over decisions about your health care even when you are physically or mentally unable to do so. But how can a Savvy Lady do that exactly? The best way for Savvy Ladies to accomplish that control is with the combination of a...
Investing 101
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAIf you're a novice investor -- or you're looking to brush up on a specific investing concept -- this is the article for you. Savvy investing requires knowledge of several key financial concepts as well as an understanding of your personal...
Stop Flirting With Disaster
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFANobody likes (or needs) to spend much time thinking about a possible future disaster. But sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a lot more than a pound of cure. Losing precious documents to disasters such as theft, fire, earthquake or...
Buying a Home When You’re Female and Single
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAAre you thinking about buying a home? Here's some expert adviceA lovely little house with a white picket fence and a husband to buy it for her used to be the average little girl's fantasy, or so goes the stereotype. But these days, the...
College: An Affordable Luxury?
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAThousands of young people will enter America’s colleges and universities this fall. Will your child be able to afford to go to school? With the skyrocketing cost of college many parents consider college tuition a luxury they cannot...
The New Ozzy and Harriet – Financial Tips for Unmarried Couples
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAA sharp rise in the number of opposite-sex, unmarried couples moving in together this year may be less about romance and more about surviving in a struggling economy, according to a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau.The share of couples...
Do You Know Where Your Investments Are?
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAA survey of those who own mutual funds found about 40 per cent didn't know the names of the funds they bought. Even if you are a pro when it comes to rattling off the latest mutual fund you purchased, you still may not have a clue about the...
Savvy Ladies Celebrates Labor Day
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFANow that Labor Day is right around the corner you might be planning to spend that weekend relaxing at some oh-so-swanky resort in the Hamptons or that cute mountain hideaway in the Poconos. But have you ever really thought about why we...
Helping the Medicine Go Down – Medicare and You
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAMost people get Medicare when they turn 65. You qualify for it automatically if you're eligible for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits. Or you may qualify on a spouse's (including divorced spouse's) record. Others qualify...
An Emergency Fund: Your First Line Of Defense
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAIf you don't have an emergency fund, it's time to get serious about building one.The purpose of the fund is to sock away a minimum of three to six months' living expenses. But this money could also be used when you're staring at major,...
Catch Up with Your Cash
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAMost folks get down to serious money-making much later in their careers than they'd like. If this is you, and you are trying to make up for lost time with your savings, there are a couple strategies that can help you get back on track and...
How Smart Investors Blow It
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAGoing back to the early 2000s, our friends at Dalbar have been conducting a study to determine whether investors’ investment decisions impacts their investment performance. Unfortunately, it does. In a BIG way. As with every year’s study so...
Top IRA Trouble Spots
by Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFAIndividual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) now hold more assets than any other retirement savings vehicles, but many people do not understand how they work and many IRA owners make critical mistakes that can cost them money. Here are some ways...
