Cars are no more a luxury; they have become a necessity in today’s lifestyle. Most consumers choose to keep their cars for much longer durations, and with traffic dictating our lives, it is crucial that everybody has a car warranty. While you may trust your own driving, you can never completely trust other people. Another important point to remember is that car financing by itself has become easier and, hence including the warranty in the plan would always prove to be a sensible decision. Therefore, if you get a better deal with a car extended warranty while you are looking for a car loan approval, it is advisable to take it. Following is why we think that getting a car extended warranty is beneficial for some cases though not quite useful in others. Pros of buying an extended warranty Customize your warranties as per your own needs While we look at car financing and different options for a car loan, we ensure that our needs are met before finalizing an option. Similarly, a car extended warranty can help you choose the features you need; for example, you may opt for bumper-to-bumper warranty only if you require. This helps you make your normal car warranty even more useful, especially in times of need.

Everyone needs sound advice about how to handle their money and plan well for a safe financial future. However, the average person don’t often read the fine print when it comes to financial decisions. Whether it means planning how to best pay off your debt, how to increase your credit score, how to get the best student loans, or simply getting advice on retirement savings, hiring a financial planner is usually the smart option. However, like most, you might still wonder if it is worth the heavy price? A financial planner passes a demanding CFP certification and is thereby fully qualified to advise you on making some of the most important financial decisions you will ever make. Some of the advantages of hiring a financial planner include: 1. Plan for the future With all the stress of daily life, planning for a secure financial future is a tall task for most. A financial advisor will help you foresee the near and distant future and plan successfully for retirement savings, give you advice on investments you should be making, and also guide you on education savings and student loans for when your children go to college. 2. Make complicated financial decisions We must face the truth.

If you are a first-time home buyer, buying a home can be as exciting as it is daunting. Budgeting is one of the most important aspects of buying a home. Consider the following tips to help you budget for your first home sweet home: 1. Assess your current housing budget If you are a first-time home buyer, you must evaluate your current housing budget. You have to see how comfortable you are with the budget, what concessions you have to make in your life to set aside this budget for a home, and the like. If you are not comfortable with the rental budget, you could go for a finance mortgage after factoring in all the expenses. 2. Set realistic goals Do your homework. Take out the time to figure out the houses that are available in the market. Narrow down your selection based on the features that are must-haves for you in your new home. While it is good to know what you want, do not be unrealistic. Be ready to compromise if required. Understand the difference between needs and wants and take an informed decision. Your needs would be primary features like the number of rooms, bathrooms, location, schools in the vicinity and the like, which you would not want to compromise upon.

If you parent a teenager, you know that nothing comes easy to today’s generation of teens. You have to teach them the value of money and money management early on. You have to inculcate the habit of personal savings as early as possible. Right from helping them understand the importance of financial management to helping them open a bank account to save money and invest, everything falls on your shoulders as a caregiver. Teenagers mostly get the money they have from their parents in the form of an allowance. Some parents also pay out of pocket for the things their teens want. However, there are definite skills that can help your teens start off with building their personal savings, before they leave your nest and go off on their own. Here are a few such tips to get your teenagers started on the path of responsible money management: 1. Be frank about your family’s income and expenses As teenagers, your kids may have no idea about what the monthly income of your family actually is and what the living costs actually are. It is important to educate them on this aspect before they learn the concept of personal savings. Share actual numbers with your children.

In today’s world, our wants and needs are ever-growing. Simultaneously, the options for obtaining alternate finance are also growing. If there is a sudden emergency, such as huge car or health expense, you can always opt for a personal loan. There are many banks willing to offer small loans and even promise approval within 24 hours of loan application. As personal loans are mostly unsecured, the rate of interest is normally higher than that of a secured loan. Due to this, personal loans require a high credit score for approval. The following steps can guide you through successfully securing a personal loan: 1. Check your credit score This is the biggest qualifier for you. Your personal loan application can get approved or rejected depending on your credit score and credit history. The interest rate that you will be charged will also depend on your credit score. Before applying for a personal loan, check your credit score. Request for credit score reports from relevant authorities, study them carefully, and rectify them in case of any errors. Ensure that you have a clean and genuine credit report before applying for a personal loan. 2. Do your homework Did you know that every time you apply for a personal loan, it actually activates an examination of your credit score, which in turn reduces your score a little?

Do you spend most of your free time wondering how you can save money and avoid maxing out your credit cards? If this seems like an impossible task, what you need is simply a great money saving application. Fortunately, there are several apps that can help you control your budget. However, how would you know which ones are worth it? The following list features the best money saving apps: 1. Mint Mint, from Intuit Inc., is one of the most popular money management apps. Through Mint, you can connect all your bank and credit card accounts and successfully track your expenses. This saves you the hassle of signing in on multiple websites and remembering a dozen passwords. Moreover, the app sends you payment reminders and also lets you know how much is due where so you never get late on any of your bills. You also get information on any hidden fees being charged to you. The biggest bonus with this app is that it provides you a free copy of your credit score. 2. Goodbudget This Android application is a must-have among money saving apps if you are nit-picky about managing expenses down to the last detail. Goodbudget allows you to plan and budget expenses with family and friends the hassle-free way.

If you facing having trouble reining in your expenses and splurging on every pair of shoes, you are in dire need of a personal budget app to control your spending. It is an unhealthy habit and a little bit of financial discipline can mean great savings in the long run. While there are a number of different apps to help with money management that help you save more, it can be a little difficult to decide on the bets one. However, we have done our best to sort out the best personal budgeting apps below, including some with honorable mentions, such as Digit, Personal Capital, and Simple. Here’s our list of the best personal budgeting apps to help you save more in the long run: 1. Mint Mint is a new app from Intuit, a tech company that also developed QuickBooks and Turbotax. This app can help track your exchanges with several well-known banks, brokerages, and a whole list of financial institutions. They also have a budget page, that links to your credit or debit card as the case may be, to track your spending. The app will allow you to set a budget, and if you exceed that budget for the month or week, they will send you alerts telling you if you are exceeding your budgeted amount.

We know that bad credit can increase mortgage rates and wreak havoc on our monthly instalments for car loans or home loans. While business credit is separate from personal credit, do not think for a second that your personal credit can’t negatively impact your business, because it can and some financial institutions ask to see your credit scores. This means, if you have any outstanding dues, debt repayment should be made a priority. Here are the negative effects of poor credit on a business venture: 1. Personal credit scores If you do not have any credit history, or very little credit when it comes to business credit, banks and other financial institutions will refer to your personal credit score. This can be problematic for some people. The bank will most likely reject your application for a loan if your score is too low. If you happen to be accepted, your high interest loans will set you back considerably. The other drawback to compound your troubles is that you may fail to get upgrades or inventory, and in this way you may be stifled at every corner before your business can take off. You might have to dig into personal finance options if this is the case.

Living with a low credit score is difficult. You may find yourself getting rejected for loans and credit card applications and being subjected to higher rates of interest, among other things. Statistics show that at present, almost one-third of Americans have a score lower than 601. This is indeed alarming. If you are wondering how you can improve your personal credit, the following expert recommends are ways in which you can boost your low score : 1. Check for credit report errors Before you begin to repair credit, it is important that you verify all the information that the credit bureau has about you. You can source your credit report from either one of the three main bureaus, which are TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Check if all your personal details, such as name, age, and social security number, are correct. After that, make sure that all your accounts are being reported. Check for any credit card numbers or accounts that do not seem familiar. Check which late payments are affecting your records. Once you have the right information at hand, it becomes easier to begin fixing your bad credit. If there are any errors in your credit report, dispute them at once with the credit bureaus.

Anybody can invest in the stock market and learn the tricks of the trade from a young age. Millions of people trade in corporate securities and it can be quite a profitable venture for them. There is no luck involved, as, in order to succeed, it takes dedication and learning from the experiences of these experts. While intelligence is an asset in any endeavor, when it comes to investing in stocks, superior IQ doesn’t guarantee to get you ahead. Anybody with basic fifth-grade math skills can follow the stock market. Here are five tips and tricks to help you succeed in the stock market: Long-term goals The stock market game is about the magic of compound interest and letting your money work for you. Ask yourself what you need the money for. Is it for retirement? Is it for your children’s college tuition? Is it for a future wedding fund? Depending on the answer, you will have to determine if you want to stay invested for 5, 10, 15 or 20 years and what amount of return on the interest you would like. If you want a quick payout, the stock market is not for you. The stock market is too volatile to give you capital over a short timeframe.