If you’ve ever read this blog before you know I’m a huge fan of the book, The Millionaire Next Door. Written in the mid ‘90s the authors sought out the rich in the U.S. to learn how they became wealthy. To their surprise, they learned that most were ordinary working professionals who lived beneath their means, saved with a purpose and became wealthy the old-fashioned way: steadily, over many years. Since most of us accumulate our wealth through our 401(k)s or 403(b)s, here are 5 tips to maximize the value of those accounts:

Most people who are eligible to receive Medicare benefits pay no premium for Medicare Part A. However, upon enrolling in Medicare, you will need to factor premium costs into your budget for benefits available under Parts B, C, D and Medigap, based on your needs and preferences.

Personal finance, like just about everything else, is mainly common sense. Advice like “don’t spend more than you make; start investing while you’re young; don’t loan money to friends with the expectation of getting it back,” have been around for generations, and most likely will survive the next few generations as well.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” retells the story of a patriot who shouts a harrowing warning to his fellow colonists, “A recession is coming! A recession is coming!”

Global stock markets posted their best quarterly performance since 2013. This quarter’s rally was largely a snap back move after a difficult 2018. The rally this quarter was helped by a more accommodative tone from central bankers around the world, global economic data showed improvement (from low expectations) and hopes that a US and China trade deal would be concluded in the near term.

Finances are complicated for some of us. That’s okay, we’ve all been there. Featured today are some real-life financial mistakes that real people have made, that they’ve learned from, that they want you to also learn from so you don’t make the same mistakes. (Or if you’ve made these same mistakes, just know that you’re not the only one!

If you’re interested in beginning to invest but are nervous, or simply don’t have a lot of money to invest, why not start slow?

There are a multitude of ways to get started without risking a lot of money in the process. If you have $1,000 and are ready to start investing, here are some ways to do so:

Many of us cringe at the thought of paying for college. How do we even begin to think about that process? It's an incredibly expensive pursuit. The costs are forever rising when it comes to college expenses and that goes for private, public or trade schools.

In a few short years, it seems as though the banking industry has revolutionized. It is now easier (and more convenient than ever) to tend to your banking needs, all from the comforts of your pajamas. Gone are the notions of banking hours, and the never-ending lines when you want to deposit your paycheck.