Setting goals is often easier said than done, especially when finances are involved. We would all like to make more money, pay off debt, start investing or make a big purchase. However, knowing how exactly to bring those wishes to life can be tricky.

If you’ve ever been shopping at a major retailer, you’ve probably had a cashier offer to sign you up for a store credit card with the promise of saving you money on your purchase. These offers are hard to miss because most stores are trying to meet a quota of new credit card sign-ups, and cashiers are required to offer them to you. Some of the sign-up discounts can be pretty appealing, as can the regular rewards, but should you sign up for a store card just to get a discount? 

Between February and March of 2020, the number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits rose from 6.5 percent to an unprecedented 14.7 percent. This is an all-time high for the nation, and although unemployment rates have started to come down, everyone who received benefits will have to take them into account when they file their taxes. That means that more than 60 million Americans will report unemployment insurance benefits as income on their 2020 tax return.

We look forward to the holiday season every year as a time to set aside our worries and focus on celebrating with family and friends. With this in mind, it’s especially important that you make a sound holiday spending budget so that financial concerns don’t get in the way of your fun. 

Money management can be tricky, but it’s much easier in 2020 with the wide variety of personal finance apps that are available. With just a few swipes on your smartphone, you can view your portfolio, track your bills and maintain your budget while on-the-go.

When your employer offers a retirement savings plan like a 401(k), saving for retirement can seem easy. These plans allow you to automate your savings so you can set it and forget it. If your employer doesn’t, not only do you miss out on benefits like a savings match, but you may not know how to begin planning for retirement.

Maxed out your credit card? It’s OK. It happens. The important thing is to understand the consequences and find out what you can do to get the debt under control. The immediate impact of maxing out your card depends on your current financial situation.

It’s the cardinal rule of credit card use: “Whatever you do, don’t max out your credit card.” It’s good advice, but there are always exceptions to rules. Remember, maxing out your credit card is risky if you won’t be able to pay down the balance fairly quickly. 

Making smart decisions with your money requires you to juggle multiple financial goals at the same time. That’s why we know that saving for retirement often goes hand in hand with managing your debt. If you are contemplating how to save for retirement when you have credit card debt, this blog will cover many common scenarios to consider when making your decision.

Having a credit card gives you the financial freedom to make large purchases and pay back the balance later, but this freedom only goes as far as your credit limit. Learn the do’s and don’ts of a credit card limit increase to