Finance Globe

Last week, Earth Day was celebrated by more than a billion people across 190 countries, the Energy Department reported. First started in 1970 to encourage environmental reform, Earth Day is a time for each of us to take steps to protect the planet’s natural resources so they will be available for future generations. And as an added benefit, these actions also save us money.ElectricalUpgrade old appliances to energy efficient appliances - look for the Energy Star...

Some surprises are welcome: a surprise birthday present, a surprise engagement, a surprise job promotion. However, when it comes to your finances, surprises are typically not appreciated. Avoid many surprises by staying in the know with your own money. Read your mail. Banks and other businesses will typically send account notifications to you by mail. Sometimes notices are included with your regular billing statements or they may be mailed separately. Often, important notifications are sent in...

A recent survey from the NFCC reveals the top financial concerns of consumers: saving money, not having or affording health insurance, making debt obligations, credit score concerns, fear of job loss. There are definitely a lot of pieces that fit in the personal finance puzzle and fitting them together is key to completing your financial picture. It can be tough, but take it one step at a time, doing the best you can. How to Save...

The National Foundation of Credit Counseling and the Network Branded Prepaid Card Association surveyed American consumers about their financial concerns and 57% answered that they’re worried about their savings. Slightly more of respondents were worried about having an emergency fund than a retirement. Both are important, but the consequences of not having an adequate emergency fund are more imminent for many people than not having retirement savings. The survey results are on par with other studies...

The Federal Trade Commission has long been warning consumers against advance fee loan scams where scammers trick consumers into wiring a fee to receive a loan. There are all kinds of variations of this scam, but you could generally spot the scams by the fact that you were being asked to wire money. Scammers have a new twist: they’re asking unsuspecting consumers to send money via Green Dot MoneyPaks. You can fund a Green Dot prepaid...

You may have read it over and over again – a budget is a good thing – but that doesn’t make the process of budgeting any easier. Sticking to a budget can be as difficult as sticking to a diet. Dieting is often difficult because you have to retrain yourself to eat healthy and stay away from unhealthy foods. Part of you still wants those unhealthy foods because it’s what you’re used to; it’s what you’re...

People say that money isn’t everything, but somehow financial problems can affect your entire life. Financial difficulties can affect your work life, your home life, and your relationships. Money troubles can lead to depression, stress, and other health problems. If you never get to the root of the issue, you may never fix the real problem and financial struggles can continue forever. That’s no way to live. Here are some possible reasons for your financial struggles....

There are plenty of things to do that are far more exciting than watching ourselves spend money. But, if you have lofty financial goals like saving for retirement or paying off debt, paying attention to your money is critical. Even if you’re not trying to reach a good goal, you should watch where your money goes simply because you’ve earned it. Because you work hard for it. Money does not come easily for most of us....

Often our financial goals are so big, that it can take months to see significant progress and years to accomplish them. Staying the course can be hard considering the number of obstacles and distractions you encounter along the way. Your goals are important; otherwise you would never have set them. Here are some tips for sticking to you financial goals, even when you feel like giving up. Make sure you’ve set a realistic goal. Your current...

According to the 2013 Identity Fraud Report from Javelin Strategy & Research, 1 in 4 people who received a data breach notification letter in 2012 became a victim of identity fraud. A data breach happens when secure information gets compromised. Sometimes it’s intentional, for example, when a person hacks into a company’s computer files. Other times it may be unintentional, like when a company employee loses their laptop, which contains sensitive information. In either case, the...