Budgeting
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5 To-Dos Before Buying a Home
February 20, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Mortgage, Personal Finance, Savings
Are you about to begin the hunt for your future home? We understand that the home buying process can become overwhelming, which is why we’d like to offer you a little insight. Start your home buying journey off right by completing this checklist! Strengthen your credit. A 620 FICO score means you can get a mortgage, but that doesn’t mean you’ll want to. According to recent data from myFICO.com, someone with the minimum credit score can expect to pay over $82,000
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Saving for Retirement: How Much Is Enough?
February 13, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Retirement, Savings
Over the years, we put away money for important events such as a baby, college tuition, a new car or house. Those tangible items make it worth the amount we set aside. However, retirement is a harder concept to grasp, as it is far off into the future. For this reason, we wanted to help shed some light on how much is actually enough when saving for retirement. How much do I save at my age? Trying to figure out how much to save at any age can be tough, especially when saving for other items.
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6 Steps To Improve Your Finances
February 6, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings
Staying on top of your finances can prove challenging, especially when bills, debt, daily expenses and saving come into play. Finding your way to financial freedom takes time which is why Bank of Louisiana has compiled a few steps you can take to improve your finances. Coupon Like Crazy Some people always pay full price for items. Nowadays, there should be no reason to empty your wallet to that extreme. You can go old school and buy extra newspapers when the coupons are good. We also recommend
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Money Management for College Students
January 23, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings
If you’re fortunate, your parents may have taught you how to save your allowance or a certain percentage of each paycheck. However, if those skills weren’t taught to you or you just plain didn’t listen, we are here to help you at the beginning of your financial journey as an adult! Stay tuned for some simple tips you can start doing now to strengthen your current and future financial habits. 1. Create a Budget Most adults who have been managing their money for years have
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5 Creative Ways to Save for Your New Home
January 16, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Mortgage, Savings
You’ve made the decision that you are tired of renting and ready to step into the world of home ownership. Good for you! You may be wondering what your next steps should be in order to be financially prepared for this major investment. Here are some creative ways to ramp up your savings for this exciting adventure! 1. Consider a Move Now Is the place you’re living in now truly the most cost effective for your budget? Consider moving to a temporary location that can significantly
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Saving For Retirement in Your 30’s
January 11, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Retirement, Savings
Congratulations, after your roaring twenties, you have made it to the thriving thirties. Unfortunately, with another candle added to the cake comes another responsibility. People in their thirties have a very high amount of expenses from a house payment to the cost of little ones, which is why we wanted to offer the following solutions to saving. Automate Savings You have hopefully already begun a savings account for the other financial goals in your life. If not, no worries! You’ve likely
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Holiday Savings Plan
November 28, 2018
Categories: Budgeting, General, Holiday, Savings
The holidays are among us, but have you put together a savings plan? With all of the expenses hitting you at once, it’s important to have a plan of action. With the below tips and tricks, we believe you can keep your holiday shopping merry and bright. Make a List Create an entire list of every single expense you will have over the holidays. This can include presents, envelopes, stamps, cards, wrapping paper, bows, name tags, food, a tree, decorations and so forth. Once you create that
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5 Fun Money Challenges to Try
November 14, 2018
Categories: Budgeting, General, Personal Finance, Savings
Finding different ways to save can be tough, however, we want to encourage you to stay on track and jumpstart your finances. With these fun money challenges, you can push yourself to become the savvy saver we know you can be! 1. 52 Week Face Off Instead of changing your spending habits overnight, try this challenge. Over the course of the year, you’ll end up with a grand slam total of $1,378. Start by putting one dollar in a jar the Monday of week number one. Increase it by
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Ways You Can Teach Your Kindergartner About Finances
November 7, 2018
Categories: Budgeting, Family, General, Savings
Finding ways to make money fun can be difficult when working with your little ones. However, starting money management off right when they’re small is a must! Use these tips and tricks to teach your kids to be a successful money master. Utilize Clear Jars Use a clear jar to allow your child to see their money grow. Just talking about how their dollar from yesterday is two dollars today doesn’t click for them. Let them put money into a place where they can continuously see it grow
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How to Save for A House Down Payment
October 24, 2018
Categories: Budgeting, General, Mortgage, Savings
If you’re looking to buy a house, having a larger down payment will offer you a lot less financial stress in the long run. However, in order to put a larger sum of money down, you will need to take the right steps to save. Follow these 5 steps and you will be on your way to being a first-time home owner! Step 1: Figure out how much you will need to save - If possible, secure a number or range on the amount you can responsibly spend on a house. You can plan to sit down with a mortgage lender
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