American Flag Wallet

There has been a lot of talk lately about budgeting, fiscal cliffs, and the government’s management of money. Everyone agrees that the government is doing a poor job of managing our tax income, and many are quick to throw in their thoughts on how to balance the federal budget.

But the hard truth is that the average citizen has no say in how the government handles its money. We only get to voice our opinions through the voting process, then sit back and hope for the best. However, we can make changes to our money management skills, as well as teach the next generation to manage money better. Lasting change starts small, and you can start at home.

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Housing development

My wife and I recently relocated to Florida, where the streets are lined with gated communities. Most are operated by homeowner’s associations that set rules and regulations, maintain the grounds, offer services — and charge a monthly fee. The number of associations in Florida is significantly greater than where we lived before, which led us to wonder: if you’re buying a home, is a community with a homeowner’s association worth the cost?

Here are the factors you should consider:

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Emergency fund piggy bankRecently, the sky opened up and dumped a great deal of snow on my mountain valley town. While the snow piled up, we were fortunate enough not to lose power or run into other problems commonly caused by lots of snowfall. The potential for problems, however, as well as the memory of recent disasters, had me reviewing my emergency preparedness.

Here’s how to figure out whether you’re prepared for an emergency.

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One of the best things you can do for your finances is to pay down your debt. Not only does debt cause stress in your life, since your money is no longer your own, but it also reduces your ability to build wealth effectively. You can’t use your financial resources for your own good (and the good of others) when you’re paying interest straight into someone else’s pocket.

Because we at MoneyNing feel so strongly about the importance of paying off debt, we are one of the sponsors of The Debt Movement.
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Financial Awareness Month

January is already here! Can you believe it? 2012 has fallen from the calendar, leaving you — and everyone else — to wonder if you’ve done enough during the year gone by, and if you can do more in the next one.

Many people love January because it’s like a giant reset button for their life; it’s a chance to renew hope that the coming year will be better than the last.

A new year gives you the chance to recharge yourself and prepare for brand new challenges.

It’s probably not a coincidence that January is Financial Awareness Month.

That’s what we’re going to do together right now — become financially aware of ourselves enough to make our goals for the coming year easier to hit.

Accurate financial awareness will give you a clear view of where you are and where you want to go, and most importantly, how to get there.

The best part is that finding your way isn’t hard. Follow these four simple steps, and you can start your path to financial renewal and awareness.

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Woman doing taxes

We may have just rung in the new year, but now is the perfect time to start thinking ahead to tax day. If you usually find yourself scrambling to get all of your documents together on April 15th, a little advance planning and work can make filing go much more smoothly.

While tax preparation and filing will never be fun, taking these three steps will help make it less of a dreaded chore. [ continue reading… ]