Personal Finance - North Light Financial Services

The Importance of Financial Literacy

The Importance of Financial Literacy Too few Americans understand personal finance fundamentals. If only money came with instructions. If it did, the route toward wealth would be clear and direct. Unfortunately, many people have inadequate financial knowledge, and for them, the path is more obscure. Are most people clueless about financial matters? That depends on what gauge you want to use to measure financial knowledge. The U.S. ranked fourteenth in Standard & Poor’s 2015 Global Financial Literacy Study, with just [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-09-11T08:42:35-04:00September 5th, 2017|Business/Economic News, Investing, Personal Finance|Comments Off

Having the Money Talk with Your Children

Having the Money Talk with Your Children How much financial knowledge do they have? Some young adults manage to acquire a fair amount of financial literacy. In the classroom or the workplace, they learn a great deal about financial principles. Others lack such knowledge and learn money lessons by paying, to reference William Blake, “the price of experience.” Broadly speaking, how much financial literacy do young people have today? At this writing, some of the most recent data appears in [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-08-21T08:43:40-04:00August 17th, 2017|Financial Fitness, Personal Finance, Saving & Budgeting|Comments Off

Why Retirees Need Good Credit Scores

Why Retirees Need Good Credit Scores Careers & businesses end, but the need to borrow remains. We spend much of our adult lives working, borrowing, and buying. A good credit score is our ally along the way. It retains its importance when we retire. Retirees should do everything they can to maintain their credit rating. A FICO score of 700 or higher is useful whether an individual works or not. For example, some retirees will decide to refinance their home [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-07-20T10:29:28-04:00July 20th, 2017|Personal Finance, Savings and Investing|Comments Off

Beware of Emotions Affecting Your Money Decisions

Beware of Emotions Affecting Your Money Decisions Today’s impulsive moves could breed tomorrow’s regrets. When emotions and money intersect, the effects can be financially injurious. Emotions can cause us to overreact – or not act at all when we should. Think of the investors who always respond to sudden Wall Street volatility. That emotional response may not be warranted, and they may come to regret it. In a typical market year, Wall Street can see big waves of volatility. This [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-06-20T13:08:43-04:00June 15th, 2017|Business/Economic News, Investing, Personal Finance|Comments Off

The Real Cost of College

The Real Cost of College It may not be what you think. How much will your family end up paying for college? Your household’s income may have less influence than you think – and some private colleges may be cheaper than you assume. Private schools sometimes extend the best aid offers. Yes – it is true that the more money you earn and the more assets you have in a tax-advantaged college savings plan, the harder it becomes to qualify [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-06-20T13:02:12-04:00June 1st, 2017|College Savings, Personal Finance|Comments Off