How to Save $4,000 on Your Next Car Purchase

You’re either a people-person, or you’re not.

People-people have this amazing ability to chatter on about anything with anybody, and they actually love to make small talk and figure out what makes other people tick.

Car salesmen are, by their very nature, people-people.

I am not.

If you’re like me, the idea of striking up a conversation with a total stranger about your work and your kids fills you with a bit of dread — especially if it’s while you’re trying to concentrate on making a huge purchase like a car. 

The Entertainment Envelope: Budgeting With Kids

You know those people who never talk about money? I’m thinking of the ones who suddenly drop their voices to a whisper when talking about getting a raise, or the ones who say things like “well-off” and “comfortable” to describe other people’s finances.

I’m thinking in particular of the ones who never mention money in front of their children. I know lots of people — and I bet you do, too — who never talk about how much things cost with their kids. “Oh, we would never want them to worry about money,” they say.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people are the ones who buy their kids everything they ask for, just to avoid saying they can’t afford the latest fad.

What Is a Qualified Mortgage?

Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make in your lifetime, and it can be difficult to choose a mortgage amid the swirl of terminology and numbers. In addition to understanding the interest rate, points and years of repayment, changing any one of these variables results in your paying more or less each month — and possibly much more or less over the life of the loan.

Recent government regulations aimed at protecting both consumers and lenders from the misunderstandings that can arise from all this data, help make the entire process more transparent. Known as Qualified Mortgage, these loans require lenders to get more information from potential buyers and do more paperwork.

5 Ways to Make College More Affordable

It’s no secret that college is expensive. These days, the average graduate walks away from the hallowed halls of their alma mater with nearly $30,000 in loans, and it can take years to pay it all off.

And that’s not even counting all your daily living expenses. If you’re feeling the pinch of trying to keep up with your friends and still afford books for next semester, try these tips to make campus life more affordable.

1. Leverage your meal plan

If you have a campus meal plan, take advantage! If yours is a per-meal plan, stock up on the goods by grabbing an extra box of cereal in the morning.

Change Your Life by Wanting Less: Frugality Is a Philosophy

Pop quiz: What’s the most popular piece of advice on the internet about saving money?

If you guessed something about the Latte Factor — you know, that old saw about giving up your daily cup of caffeine from Starbucks to retire early — you’ve probably read more than your fair share of personal finance articles.

And I’m pretty sure that if you were planning to cut out your daily cappuccino buzz, you would have already done so by now.

Whether you do or do not imbibe in a fancy morning drink now and again, the trouble with so much of the advice floating around about frugality is that it makes it sound like a punishment.

How to Prepare Financially for a Natural Disaster

Hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes — oh, my! With all that’s been going on in the news lately, it’s hard not to imagine yourself in a terrifying flood or other natural disaster. After all, your Facebook feed is probably covered in images of rising water and desperate people.

So what would you do? If this question has crossed your mind over the past weeks and months, don’t let it just be fodder for your nightmares. Now’s the perfect time to take your anxiety about how you would react to a doomsday scenario and turn it into an actual plan. 

Your financial safety plan is just as important — and this is something you can put together right now. Here’s what you need to know.