The Psychology of the Shopping Cart You would not believe the number of studies done regarding shopping behavior and shopping carts. Cart abandonment, drive patterns, the creating of "dead zones" in the aisle, and yes, the quantity of purchasing. There are two takeaways from these studies we would like to share: 1) Using a larger [...]
Late Pays on Closed Accounts Be advised that you cannot be late on an account that is closed. However, a non-payment on a closed account can be entered if there is a balance due on a closed account. If the account is charged-off, then there can never be a late or missed payment reported- however [...]
A Dil-egg-ma. Have you ever noticed the more eggs you buy, the more expensive each egg becomes? It seems to defy the "laws of bulk shopping". No matter what store you go into, the 12 count of eggs is less expensive PER EGG than the 18 count. Why do you [...]
Understanding the Poverty Level There are certain events in life that cost based on a sliding scale. Three of the largest items are student loan repayments, medical bills, and down payment assistance when buying a home. Most of these payments are based on what percentage you are of the poverty level. For instance, at Tampa [...]
The Glass Half Full When looking to fix your credit, often times you have to make a decision on what accounts you need to focus. You will get much more lift in your score addressing the POSITIVE things on your report than the negative. This means making sure that the balances on your cards are [...]
Penalty & Penalty Free Reasons to Pull Out Of A 401k The decision to pull out of 401k can keep you up at night, weighing the pros and cons with the decision. There are penalties as well as tax consequences you may incur that diminish the benefit. Here are some situations you may find relevant. [...]
The Gift That Keeps On Giving. As we head into a new year there is the inevitable buzz about new year resolutions. Some of the resolutions are specific, like “reducing my $10,000 of debt”. Sometimes the goal is a little vague like, “getting myself in shape”. What we have discovered is the best resolution you [...]
"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."- President Bush Jr. Budgets do not have to be these complicated excel spreadsheet nightmares. As a matter of fact, your budget should be as simple as it possibly can be. There are, however, some essential ingredients to a good, sound budget: 1) Realism. [...]
Change Begets Change. The easiest way to change those around you is to change yourself. As long as you allow the same thing to happen, the more people will impose it on you. Don't let the banks continue to charge you fees. Don't allow your lender to strip your investment down to a loss because [...]
Stuff happens in life. There is nothing we can do about that. Sometimes this stuff appears as an opportunity- sometimes as an obstacle. Truth be told, you could win the lottery and it could be the worst thing that ever happened to you. Conversely, you could lose your job and it can be the best [...]
