With school spring breaks in the next few weeks and summer right around the corner, you may be planning upcoming travel with your kids. 

Lending institutions offer such a wide range of home improvement financing products that deciding which best serves your purposes can be dizzying. Friends and family members who have secured home improvement loans or leveraged some form of credit often offer their perspectives and advice. But everyday homeowners or prospective home buyers come to the table with unique financial situations and goals. Credit scores, equity, cash-on-hand, and long-term family plans all play a role in the decision-making process. That’s why it’s essential to understand these home improvement financing options before signing on the dotted line.

In honor of Women's Month, I was joined on the March Financial Friday Community Panel by special guest, Henrietta Golding. 

Whether it is updating a kitchen, covering medical expenses, consolidating debt or refinancing your mortgage, there are times in life when you need access to cash. One possible way to get the money you need is through a home equity loan which relies on the equity you have available in your home.

What is equity? Good question! Equity is the difference between what you owe on your mortgage and what your home is currently worth. Every month that you pay your mortgage you gain a little more equity which can be taken out in the form of a home equity loan. There is a lot to learn about this type of loan but it’s well worth your time to understand the benefits as well as what to expect when you decide to apply.

This weekend is the 2nd Annual Waccamaw Sportsmen's Expo in Downtown Conway. The Expo focuses on the outdoor lifestyle along the banks of the Waccamaw River. 

The event kicks off on Friday, March 24, as DockDogs bring their high-flying competition to Conway's Town Green at 200 Laurel Street. On Saturday, March 25, the DockDogs events continue all day, and the full Expo opens at the Conway Marina at 4 Elm Street. Saturday's busy schedule of activities includes vendors, music, cooking demonstrations, a reptile program, an outdoor quick draw event, a wildlife rehabilitation session, and much more.

As a self-proclaimed "SportsWOMAN," I'm super excited about the event and wanted to give you all tips to navigate it if you decide to attend.

Families sometimes struggle to find the perfect home with enough space and amenities in the perfect neighborhood. The financial constraints of growing families can limit your real estate options to undersized homes in less-than-ideal locations.

That’s why everyday people are turning to a home renovation loan that allows them to consider larger, lower-priced homes in need of repair. A renovation loan could prove invaluable in terms of purchasing a home in a favorable area at a fraction of the cost. If you rank among the many people on a budget, understanding how a renovation loan works can help you make informed decisions on which home to buy and how to finance home improvements.

Eating out is a budget killer, especially if you do it constantly. The best alternative, of course, is to eat at home. However, while this will save you money, cooking every meal can be daunting for some people—unless you make a meal plan.

No matter how hard I try to focus on making the most of my money by saving or investing it, I also work hard for it, so it's only natural to want to spend it how I want to. Although it seems a bit counterintuitive to splurge, doing so in a budgeted way may help you in the long run. 

You probably won’t be deciding where in your community the schools or shopping centers will be built. Similarly, you likely can’t exert power over whether or not your neighbors maintain their homes or beautify their lots. In short, you can’t always control the external factors that determine your home’s value. But you can control the general attractiveness of your own home.

Home improvement projects can be a tremendous tool for increasing the value of your home. However, given the size and relative complexity of these projects, it is very easy for the cost to quickly spiral out of control. That’s why it’s so important to establish a budget for the project before it begins and to do everything you can to adhere to that plan.
Here are some constructive tips for building the best possible home improvement budget.

America Saves Week is an annual celebration and a call to action for Americans to commit to saving successfully. Over the past few years, America Saves has been exploring what it means to be financially confident. Financial confidence is inclusive in that it recognizes that Savers have unique circumstances. Even if you are in a scenario that makes it difficult or impossible to save at this moment — you are committed to doing the work, taking control of your finances, and becoming more financially stable. 

In honor of America Saves Week, I wanted to share this exclusive Financial Friday segment where Carolina Trust Chief Operations Officer, Christina Naylor shares some saving tips and tools with me on how to jump-start your savings and grow your wealth once you've developed healthy savings habits.