Living Greater

The holiday season is a time for festivities, cheer, and reunions with family and friends. But as we deck the halls or spin the dreidel, many of us will have something else on our mind: money. In fact, more than three in four Americans overspend during the holiday season, with the average household adding nearly $1,000 in debt. While it may seem like a fact of life, going into gift-purchase debt is not inevitable. In today’s post, we’ll offer four key tips to stress-free holiday spending, allowing you to devote yourself to some worry-free celebrating.

CONSIDER THIS: The credit cards consumers choose can have a considerable impact on their overall financial health, so it’s important to choose wisely.

Although there are no set rules for finding the perfect credit card, here are some ways to make that search a little easier:

A good credit score is much more than simply paying your bills on time. Those with the best credit tend to have overall healthy habits, like only buying necessities and keeping luxuries to a minimum. They also make smart decisions when making big purchases, carefully maintain their belongings, and live a fiscally responsible lifestyle.

Most financial institutions offer both debit and credit cards. Debit cards (also called bank cards) are typically tied to a checking account and are an alternative to writing paper checks.  

CONSIDER THIS: College graduates are finishing school with high hopes, bright futures—and decades’ worth of student debt.

Student Loan Hero estimates the average 2016 college graduate has $37,172 in student loans. 

Are you having trouble paying your bills, getting notices from creditors or worrying about losing your home or vehicle? Help is out there, though you need to proceed with caution. Let’s take a look at some of these options.

If you haven’t thought about refinancing yet, maybe it’s time to look into it. According to Mortgage Professional America (MPA), American homeowners are missing out on $5.4 billion by not refinancing as mortgage rates have dropped. There can be a lot of benefits to refinancing your mortgage, but how do you know if it’s a good idea for you? 

Buried in credit card debt? You're not alone. According to NerdWallet, in 2015 the average U.S. household with debt had $15,762 in credit card debt at an average 18% interest rate. Annual interest alone was $2,630, or more than $50 a week.

Here are nine tips on how to climb out. Remember, though, there are no magical solutions.

Winter break is almost over and soon many Nevada college students will head back to school for new classes, new teachers, and maybe even a new budget.

College is one of the fastest changing times of our lives and often the first time living away from home. Being on your own can be fun, though it can also lead to more stress if you don’t know how to keep your finances in order while keeping your grades up at the same time. Here are a few tips to help keep you on track.

Being that I’m the only person in my group of friends that works in banking, I frequently get asked financial advice and recommendations to help with any given situation. I have one friend who is a 21-year-old college student who is relatively new to the work force. He has no credit to his name and had asked me why having credit was so important in the first place.

The goal of this blog is to provide information that will help you Live Greater financially. Sometimes banks and credit unions take it for granted that consumers understand all of their financial lingo, but I know from personal experience that’s not always true. So this week I am going to address a question some of you may have about a commonly used term: home equity.