Attention Military Spouses! Would You Like to Become a Financial Counselor?

The National Military Family Association, in association with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation is accepting applications for the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Accredited Financial Counselor® Fellowship. This program will provide up to 200 military spouses with the education necessary to enter the financial counseling career field.

Tax Freedom Day is April 13th

According to TaxFoundation.org, Tax Freedom Day will arrive on April 13 this year, based on it’s annual calculation using the latest government data on income and taxes.

This is eight days earlier than in 2008, and a full two weeks earlier than in 2007, for two reasons: (1) the recession has reduced tax collections even faster than it has reduced income, and (2) the stimulus package includes large temporary tax cuts for 2009 and 2010. Nevertheless, Americans will pay more in taxes than they will spend on food, clothing and housing combined.

Hot Tips on How You Can Initiate a Credit Freeze

Here’s some great information supplied by the Federal Trade Commission on credit freezes. If you have to place one on your account at the credit bureaus, it important to know that credit freeze laws vary by state along with different fee schedules by bureau.

Many states have laws that let consumers “freeze” their credit – in other words, letting a consumer restrict access to his or her credit report.

Don’t Get Scammed on Your Way to College!

Here is an excellent article provided by Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, explaining how important it is to be on guard against scams targeted towards students seeking financial aid.

Financial aid scams are a hot topic these days. You should be aware of the tactics companies use to convince students to buy their services. Here are some of the most common claims students are hearing:

‘Til The Cows Come Home

Debt – It’s the four-letter word that’s acts as a cancer on the wealth of the American family.  Taking on debt that’s beyond one’s ability to payoff in the short-term, prioritizing want purchases over needs, spending for the sake of spending can all lead to a drop in household wealth.

Sure, debt is a reality when it comes to buying a home and vehicles but the question is, do we really have to take the 30-year finance route to pay it off when we could accomplish the same in less than half the time?  Do we really have to finance that new car every 2 or 3 years?

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

Last week I got a chance to watch, for the 5th or 6th time that is, the 1994 inspirational movie, Rudy, and couldn’t help but notice the parallels in this fact-filled story with the lives of millions of hard-working Americans going through some tough financial times right now.

For those not familiar with the story here’s a quick background. Daniel E. “Rudy” Ruettiger, has dreamed of playing college football for Notre Dame but there are some obstacles standing in his way. He’s a little guy, slightly over five feet tall, weighing just over 100 pounds. He has very little money, and is required to work his way through school. He has poor grades, dyslexia, and if that’s not enough, his family and friends ridicule his dream of playing football. He has to enroll in a nearby Junior College for 2 years before being accepted at Notre Dame. He qualifies for the football prep team, which is a squad that only plays against the regular team players at practice, and is basically a practice dummy getting beat up and bloodied playing against much larger guys.  He gives it all he’s got and initially other team members become annoyed with him but eventually wins their admiration because of his spirit of inspiration. He almost quits his dream but sticks with it.