Girls Just Wanna Have Funds Women's Personal Finance Blog

  As the new contributor to Improvementcenter.com, check out my recent article on short sale alternatives.  Getting the bank to approve your request for a short sale may not be as easy as you think.  It is often an arduous process wrought with paperwork requests which means the bank loses it or stalls on giving you a decision. If you’ve found yourself in this trap or if the bank has denied your request, check out 4 alternatives to a short sale over at Improvementcenter.com. Read More »

Financial independence is at the core of the American Dream. No one sets out fresh out of college with aspirations and hopes of being dead broke at the end of their life! But the unfortunate reality is that scores of people find themselves in significant personal and household debt by the age of 30. Fortunately, there is good news. No matter how bad your current financial situation is, there is hope. If you take the right steps today, you can still reach your financial goals and find true financial independence. Paying Down Debt The first major step a person must ... Read More »

Are debt consolidation loans as evil as they sound or do they serve a purpose?  Looking at the cons of debt consolidation we see the following can be true for some: Debt Consolidation Cons Encourages more debt as most end up acquiring more debt in the process Doesn’t promote responsibility of paying down debt Moves money around and doesn’t really have an impact on credit score Now that we’ve looked at the negatives of debt consolidation, let’s discuss the positives: Debt Consolidation Pros Consolidate scattered debt into 1 monthly payment Payment is often lower than paying several accounts at once ... Read More »

Our friends at Fox Business are back with information to help us understand the recent global bank downgrade by Moody’s.  If you’re like me, you may be wondering, how does this affect my bottom line?  Cheryl Casone answered a few of our burning questions about what this means while discussing how this may affect us personally. Citing ongoing global economic turmoil and housing woes in the U.S., among other things, Moody’s lowered the credit ratings on a host of global banks. While not unexpected – Moody’s said earlier this year that cuts were possible – the downgrades are nevertheless fresh ... Read More »

While statistics show that we are pulling out of the ongoing recession, many families still feel the financial squeeze of being unemployed, underemployed or bad budgeting habits -let’s be honest!  Enter payday loans.  These are instant loans anyone with a job and decent credit can get in as little as 12-24 hours and they’ve become more common than we realize in today’s society.   Often, they are demonized by those who haven’t been in a situation where they need money immediately and abused by those who do. There are a few questions you should ask yourself before taking out a payday ... Read More »

I used to carry around my monthly budget with me everywhere I went:  a page printed for every month, hole-punched and bound in a blue folder.  While it was the source of teasing by co-workers and friends, my husband claims its part of what made him fall in love with me.  (Just your everyday “Type A” meets “Type A” love story…)  Compared to the many electronic personal budgeting tools available today, my “blue folder” budgeting system was rather archaic.  Nevertheless, it was effective because it employed the most basic components of the paycheck life cycle.  It boils down to this: ... Read More »

Credit cards are being marketed by just about every major retailer, financial institution, supermarket and small and large business entity in America, from the big guns like Citi to Zappos the online shoes store. With hundreds of opportunities to borrow, it’s no wonder so many people find themselves in credit trouble. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can enjoy the convenience and benefits of using a credit card without having to deal with the pitfalls that many people experience. Neglecting the Fine Print Opening a new credit card account is an agreement ... Read More »

If you can afford to have someone impersonate you and gain access to your financial records and rack up debt in your name then skip this article.  If not, read on. There’s ‘protection’ services offered for nearly every possible mishap that can happen in life – life insurance to cover injury or death, extended warranties for big ticket purchases, homeowners and auto loan insurance to cover accidents, etc. Each of these services essentially saves consumers money by covering emergency expenses that might otherwise come from their personal savings or other resources. But if a covered situation never arises, the money ... Read More »

Buying a home for the first time has to be one of the most daunting things I’ve experienced.  Sorting through tons of financials, deciding where to live, taking a hard look (read: several looks) at my finances – whoo!  Looking back at the process, I had no idea how permanent the decision would be.  That said, if you’re reading this article, I want to help you understand the moving parts necessary to move this transaction through like a well oiled machine.  Once you decide to buy a home, the 3 things you must consider are: getting the pre-approval, asking your ... Read More »