Buyer Beware! The Risks With so Called Free Apps

“Nothing in life is free; you always pay in the end.” – Wayne Static Despite claims that apps are free, that is often not the case. Every owner is looking to monetize their apps, so it’s important to understand the hidden costs of so-called free apps. Here are four drawbacks: 1. Privacy, privacy, privacy The… Read More

Envelope Budgeting is easy ith Banktivity! Learn how to track your paycheck splits, and loan principle and interest.

Envelope Budgeting with Paycheck Transfers and Loans

Most people find the concept of envelope budgeting fairly intuitive. You put your money into various envelopes designated for various spending categories, like Rent, Groceries, Cell Phone, etc. When you spend from one of those categories, you take the money out of the appropriate envelope to cover the expense. This works if you have physical… Read More

Learn about the different Retirement Accounts options avialble to you.

Retirement Account Planning… 401k, IRA’s and Other Options

This Personal Finance 101 article focuses on upping your knowledge on all of the various retirement accounts that are available to people living in the US and Canada. If you are anything like me, you want to make sure that the next time a retirement account alphabet soup conversation starts up, you can jump right… Read More

envelope budgeting using high yield savings accounts

Making the Most of a High Interest Savings Account With Your Envelope Budget

I’m a huge advocate of envelope budgeting. It’s a time-tested method at making sure you don’t spend more than you have. But envelope budgeting is more than that; it’s also a practical and philosophical money management strategy. It forces you to look at the money you have right now and decide how you should spend it,… Read More

Paying for Expensive Items Without Taking on Debt

I’m going to get this right out in the the open. Debt is bad. Now I know some of you are already thinking, “yeah, but what about my home equity line of credit, that isn’t so bad. I took that out to make a home improvement which is contributing to the overall value of my… Read More

New Year, New Budget – When, Why and How To Start Fresh

Starting a budget, paying off debt and building savings are some of the most common New Year’s resolutions. According to a study by Fidelity(1), more than a third of Americans had a financial New Year’s resolution in 2017. They also found that the majority of people were able to stick to their resolution and save… Read More

The Five Most Important Steps to Getting Your Personal Finances In Order

There are two types of people in this world, those that track their finances and those that should track their finances. I know, some people out there hate numbers. They don’t want to look at their finances. They might not even know where to look if they wanted to. If you don’t track your finances, then suddenly… Read More

Paying Off Credit Cards Using the Debt Snowball Method

Grab a nice cup of (iced!) coffee, sit back and let’s discuss the debt snowball method, one of the most effective ways at paying off debt. If you carry a balance on your credit cards from month to month, then the debt snowball method is probably just the right thing to start some serious changes… Read More

DIY investing

Investing has never been easier for the general public. With the onset of online trading and various apps, it doesn’t take much to invest a little of your extra cash. But for many, the idea of investing immediately invokes walls of fear and the idea that it is too complex for a lay person. In… Read More

You need more than a budget

Yes, budgets are important – I won’t argue otherwise here. They can be crucial to getting out of debt, planning for upcoming expenses and more. But if the secret to getting your financial house in order stopped at budgets, we would be selling our customers short. In reality, really understanding your finances and getting on… Read More

Personal Finance 101 Blog

Author: Ian Gillespie