TessMore Finance Blog

Wouldn’t it be nice if you never had to mow your own lawn? Or shovel snow from your driveway? How about having a swimming pool you didn’t need to maintain?  Living in a homeowners association (HOA) can sometimes provide these benefits and more. However, you will usually need to pay an HOA fee. With that said, what are HOA fees exactly, and what do they cover? Here’s what you need to know.  What Is a Homeowners Association (HOA)? A homeowners association (HOA) is an organization that makes and enforces rules within a residential community. These communities can be subdivisions, condominium buildings, or other planned communities.  While HOA governing boards are run by a select group of volunteers, HOA memberships are mandatory for all residents living within the community. This means when someone moves in, they automatically become a member of the HOA and must pay HOA dues — meaning monthly, quarterly, or annual fees. Prospective homeowners should keep these fees in mind when budge

If you’re a fan of envelope budgeting , the right budgeting app can make it easier to track your spending in today’s digital world. And for years, Mvelopes has been one of the more popular envelope budgeting apps. Sadly, Mvelopes is closing down permanently on December 29, 2022 , after 21 years of service. While existing users are being given the option to transfer to Dave Ramsey’s EveryDollar at a discounted rate, you may be interested in exploring other budgeting apps that are like Mvelopes. To help you in your search, I’ve compiled the following Mvelopes alternatives, including EveryDollar and how it stacks up. Table of Contents Best Mvelopes Alternatives You Need a Budget (YNAB) Tiller Money EveryDollar Goodbudget Mint PocketGuard Printable Budget Worksheets FAQs Final Thoughts Best Mvelopes Alternatives Here are seven premium and free budget apps that make it easy to practice the enveloping system while incorporating other effective budgeting strategies.

When it comes to banks, something is comforting about being able to walk into a physical branch and talk to a human being. Online banks may offer higher interest rates, but there’s no one to go to. Community banks and credit unions may offer more perks, but they don’t have the national footprint. You can’t walk into a branch if you’re not near home. National banks may not get as much love as others on the internet but they still play a crucial role. If you’re wondering about which national bank to go with, we will share with you the best national banks in the United States so you can find the best one for you. Table of Contents How We Established Our List Chase Bank – Best For New Customers Discover Bank – Best for Cash Back Bank of America – Best For College Students CIT Bank – Best for Good Rates Ally Bank – Best Online Bank Truist Bank – Best for Basic Accounts Barclays – Best For Savings Citi® – Best For Large Balance Transfers PNC Bank – Best Checking/Savings Packa

When you first start making money, there are a lot of tools and services you can pick from. The market is huge so there are a lot of companies competing to be your budgeting tool or your investment tool. As your net worth grows, the number of tools and services begin to shrink. One big reason is because situations get more complex. For example, new investors generally stick to the basics – robo-advisors and brokerages. Those link up nicely with tools like Personal Capital through Plaid. As your investment universe expands, many platforms don’t integrate nicely. Some don’t have integrations at all. That’s when a paid service and tool like Vyzer makes sense. If you’re doing a lot of your money management by hand because there are no tools that integrate with the accounts you have – Vyzer may be the solution. Table of Contents Who is Vyzer? Vyzer Features Portfolio automations Cash flow planning Wealth management Vyzer Pricing Vyzer Sign Up Experience What Assets Can V

When it comes to building your wealth and planning for your  financial future , investing is one of the best decisions you can make.  The benefits of smart investing are plentiful. When done strategically, investing can allow you to  outpace rising inflation  and build wealth on your own terms. Additionally, good investments can generate earnings when they’re reinvested, allowing your initial investment to compound over time.  All this is to say that the  benefits of investing  can be profound, provided you do your homework ahead of time and maintain awareness of your budget and the riskiness of the investment.  The list below highlights the best investments for 2023, mixing both long and short-term investments as well as the varying levels of risk for each. While other solid investment options exist, these 15 investments take into account rising inflation and interest rates while providing options for both high- and low-risk investors.  1. Value Stocks Value stocks are stocks th