Four ways debt sneaks up on you—and what to do about it Unless you track your overall spending with every little purchase, debt can ambush you. Fortunately, you can prevent it from piling up; you just need to be aware of the ways in which you spend money. Here are four common causes of debt [...]
Nine Ways to Master Your Money 1. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals Saving tends to be easier when you have a certain purpose in mind: Saving for your first house, your retirement at a certain age, a child’s college education, or even a trip around the world. The important thing is for your goals to be specific, [...]
10 ways to spend less when shopping online Get what you need without overpaying—or being tricked into overbuying. Key takeaways Retail sites have features that entice you to buy more than you need, but savvy shopping can help you stick to a budget. These tips and habits—including staying focused, carefully timing purchases, and factoring in [...]
How To Go From Living Paycheck to Paycheck to Retiring Early Let’s take a look at a chat with Dr. Lakisha Simmons, a financial freedom coach who went from living paycheck to paycheck to saving $750,000 in four years and becoming financially independent. What steps did you take to become financially independent and able to [...]
WOMEN AND MONEY: Take Control Over Your Financial Life Ladies, let’s talk about a financial topic that’s taboo for many of us to even think about discussing with another person… money. No, not how to spend money–that’s the easy part–how to save and invest it, like stocks, bonds, and other investments. What is it about [...]
RX for Financial Health Talking about physical health and going to the doctor for regular check-ups is socially acceptable for many. So why is talking about financial health considered a taboo subject? Especially when, according to the Financial Health Network, only 34% of U.S. households are financially healthy. Imagine if financial health check-ups became the [...]
New Year Money Resolutions: 9 Tips to Meet Your Financial Goals Just having a New Year’s resolution can help your bank account, but most of the time, people fail. If you have trouble keeping that overly-broad, year-long goal you thought of while participating in rowdy New Year’s Eve festivities, here’s some advice: Keep it simple. [...]
How COVID-19 Has Changed People's Money Habits: The Significance of an Emergency Fund An emergency fund is a specific amount of money that you set aside for periods of uncertainty or suffering - such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people don't have (or even know about) an emergency fund until the pandemic struck and they [...]
Webinar Recap: Rebuilding After A Financial Crisis Our November financial education webinar focused on the steps you can take to rebuild after a financial crisis. Here are the highlights: BUDGET - Analyze the money coming in and develop a reasonable and goal-oriented plan for what goes out. **TIP: Use a money tracker, like Money Manager inside online [...]
Yes, credit cards can be dangerous. But credit cards are also a powerful tool if you know how to use them responsibly. How credit cards work A credit card is a revolving line of credit that allows you to make charges at any time up to the amount of a specific credit limit. When [...]
Welcome to Money Manager! All Green Country members have access to a host of money management tools for free - inside online banking. It's called Money Manager and it can help you track your money, set savings goals, work with a budget and monitor your cash flow. Dashboard See [...]
5 habits that can ruin your budget How did you ruin your budget last month? It was perfect on paper. You established different spending categories and set what seems like reasonable limits. Yet somehow it just didn't work out. And it keeps happening month after month. Sound familiar? The first thing to do is double-check [...]
Teens & Money Podcast Do you have 10 minutes? Listen to our quick podcast: teens and money. We're covering things like making a budget, setting goals, buying a car, and credit cards. Can't listen today? Download the transcript here.
Credit Card Makeover A look at our first financial education webinar of the year. Quick - without looking it up, do you know how much you owe on all your credit cards? If you're not sure, it could be a sign that you're getting into credit card trouble. Not knowing how much you owe, or [...]
