Scams are a constant concern in the world we live in today. With methods of consumer spending and financial management ever-changing, scammers have created more ways than imaginable to try to scam innocent people. In this two-part blog series, we'll go over a few of the most common scams that you should avoid. Click here to visit our fraud prevention resources page, where you can get additional information on how to protect yourself from scammers. 

Scams are a constant concern in the world we live in today. With methods of consumer spending and financial management ever-changing, scammers have created more ways than imaginable to try to scam innocent people. In this two-part blog series, we'll go over a few of the most common scams that you should avoid. Click here to visit our fraud prevention resources page, where you can get additional information on how to protect yourself from scammers. 

Did you make any new year's resolutions for 2023? Have you done a good job of sticking to them thus far? If you haven't set any goals for the new year or are struggling to live out the action steps to achieve the goals you set, I encourage you to make a vision board and write your goals down.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to set goals and resolutions for change. Two common goals that folks have each year are saving money and eating healthier. With the cost of food and other goods rising at the grocery store, it can make these two resolutions a bit contradictory.

If you've been looking to make positive changes in your life or just looking for a fresh start, there's no better time than the beginning of a new year. Starting now, you have 365 days to make changes in your life and work towards new goals. I encourage you to reflect this week about areas of your life that you want to improve and set attainable goals to make positive changes.

If you're looking to improve your physical or financial health in 2023, check out the Financial Friday Community Panel segment below, where I was joined by special guests Dr. Kevin M. Satelle MD, Physician at Rapid Weight Loss and Esthetics Center and Christina Naylor, Chief Operation Officer at Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union to talk about creating healthy lifestyle habits for the upcoming year.

Giving gifts to the ones I love is one of my favorite things about the holiday season. However, as someone who sticks to a strict monthly budget, forking out additional money for gifts during December always makes me a bit anxious. It's hard enough deciding what to get everyone, but then trying to stay within my budget while doing it adds a whole other layer to the cake.

Below are a few tips I've been using this holiday season while shopping for gifts for others, which have helped me stay within my budget and less anxious about spending.

With the holidays right around the corner, you may do more shopping than usual. In the blog post below, you'll learn some of the most costly mistakes shoppers make and how to avoid them so that you don't fall into a trap while doing your holiday shopping.

Holiday décor and music are filling department stores, Starbucks and Dunkin have released their holiday drink menus, and some people have already started putting up their trees. Although I'm not quite in the holly jolly spirit yet, I have begun financially planning for the holidays so that my debt doesn't outweigh my cheer. Below are the tips I'm using to keep myself in check as I kick-start my holiday spending.

Are you heading to college in the fall? If so, I bet you're super excited! I remember how much anticipation I had the summer before heading off to Coastal Carolina University. I couldn't wait to arrive on campus, meet my roommates, get my new dorm room set up, and officially start my classes.

As exciting as starting college can be, it can also be nerve-wracking. I was moving away from home for the first time, where I'd be away from my family and have to make all new friends. On top of the social stress, I was worried about juggling college coursework and getting good grades to maintain my scholarships.

Luckily, I received a few scholarships to help with the expense of college tuition. However, scholarships don't always cover the entire cost. Luckily, you can apply for several federal financial aid programs through FAFSA, such as loans, work-study, and grants. Check out the BALANCE blog post below for 5 things you need to start your FAFSA application.

As we're still coming off the excitement of Independence Day, I thought, what better time to discuss the importance of financial independence and how to achieve it.