TessMore Finance Blog

Social event: check.   Standing in the corner creepily observing guests hoping someone will come over: check.  It doesn’t take a genius to know that staring people into a conversation doesn’t work. Quite the opposite, in fact. But what if you’re just not social?  Here’s the thing. Founder of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Ramit Sethi , has discovered something influencers and easy communicators already know: Being a better conversationalist is a skill. And if it’s a skill, you can learn it. Let’s get started with our best tips for improving your conversational skills!  It’s never too late to start building healthy habits. Download Ramit Sethi’s Ultimate Guide to Habits to get started TODAY. 1. Write a script  The perfect conversation starter depends on the situation and where you find yourself. For some reason, we tend to gravitate to the cliched, “So what do you do?”, which might help you launch a conversation, but it makes people feel ick.  Not everyone wants to be defined by th

Many of us pick a cell phone plan without giving it much serious thought. Maybe we pick the same carrier we’ve always had or the same amount of data we’ve always bought. But is it really the best plan based on your typical usage? Is there any way you can lower it?  The average cell phone bill  per month for an American is around $70, but it can be as much as $127 per month  for some. $70 a month is $840 a year! Imagine what else you could buy with that $840. It may feel unavoidable. What are you going to do,  give up your cell phone ? Of course not. But you’re far from stuck paying a small fortune for your phone.  The good news is that with a few simple steps, you can cut that bill significantly. A lot of the time, we find ourselves overpaying for our cell phones, but it doesn’t need to be that way.  Below, you’ll see some handy tips on how to reduce your cell phone bill each month. You’ll also see a few simple scripts to negotiate your cell phone bill. 1. Use autopay One of

Have you ever wondered how to get into consulting or what you could do as a consultant?  Here, you will learn everything you need to know about what consultants do, how to become a consultant, and how to gain some insight into the job through an interview with Pamela Slim, an award-winning author and writer for Escape from Cubicle Nation .  By the end of the article, you will be ready to take the next step in your professional career by making an informed decision about getting into consulting. What do consultants actually do? Before you take the time to learn how to start a career in consulting, it is important to understand exactly what a consultant is and what they actually do. It can often seem like quite a vague job title since it can apply to many different industries and niches.  A company often hires a consultant who needs an expert in something specific for a short-term project. Sometimes a consultant can work as a freelancer for hire, while at other times, they might

At IWT, we talk about 401ks – a lot. (See here , here , or here for proof) And, that’s with good reason. If you want to be rich, the 401k is one of the most powerful investment tools at your disposal, especially for retirement planning. It is also one of the most misunderstood money-maximizing vehicles, starting with how much you should have in your 401k. That is a solid question, but it doesn’t have a simple answer. To answer that burning question — How much should I have in my 401k? — we need more details. How much to invest in 401k investments will depend on your age and a few other considerations.  Let’s start at the beginning. Bonus: If the COVID-19 pandemic has you worried about money, check out my free guide on Coronavirus-Proofing your Finances with the CEO approach What is a 401k? A 401k is a powerful type of retirement account that many companies offer to their employees as a perk. With each pay period, you put a portion of your paycheck into the account. It happens