TessMore Finance Blog

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . So you’re apparently a grown-up now. You’re successfully adulting. Congratulations! That means it’s time to stop procrastinating and ask yourself this “adulting” question — one you’ve been putting off. If you were gone, how would your family ever pay off the house? The unfortunate truth is, most of us die in debt, and studies have found that nearly 85% of people between the ages of 46 and 49 have an average mortgage debt of over $200,000. The last thing you want to do is leave your family with that debt. Luckily, in just five minutes, you could make sure your family is financially taken care of with a life insurance policy. A company called Bestow makes it easy to apply for coverage right from your phone. Yep. You don’t even need to leave your house. Spend Five Minutes to Make Sure Your Family Can Pay th

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . They’re calling it “the Great Resignation,” because everybody’s quitting their jobs now. At least it feels like everyone’s quitting. The COVID-19 pandemic has many of us reevaluating our lives and our careers. Some of us are burned out. Some of us aren’t ever going back to the office. Nearly 4 million Americans quit their jobs in June alone, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . In fact, most American workers are currently thinking about bailing on their jobs, according to a number of recent surveys. A surprising number of them are even willing to go into debt to do so. Are you in this boat? If you leave your current job without having another job lined up, you’re going to want to make these five financial moves before you give notice. Having a solid financial plan will give you the time, the

The S&P 500 index is hovering around record highs as of August 2021. But plenty of things could disrupt the economy, like the delta variant of COVID-19 and the supply shortages that are making prices of just about everything soar. With so much uncertainty, you may be worried that the stock market will crash again. First, the bad news: Yes, the stock market will crash again at some point. Stock market crashes are completely normal. The stock market has crashed 21 times — defined as a drop of 20% or more from its peak — since the Wall Street crash of 1929. It’s inevitable that it will crash at some point. We just don’t know when. Now the good news: Historically, though, the stock market has always recovered over time. If you start preparing now, your finances will bounce back next time the market crashes as well. 5 Ways to Prepare for a Stock Market Crash The problem is that many people don’t start thinking about how to prepare for a stock market crash until after the market h

When it comes to savings accounts, where do you even begin? Do a quick search, and you’ll find many different options with varying percentages and minimum requirements. It can get overwhelming, fast. Keeping this in mind, we’ve rounded up the best savings accounts — including ones at online banks and traditional brick and mortar — of 2021. We’ve included top information you need to know before opening or switching an account. And before we move on, yes , we recommend that Penny Hoarders have a savings account — keeping your cash in a box under your bed is not a solid, or safe, financial plan. We want you to feel empowered so you can get the best proverbial bang for your buck. We’ve ranked the very best savings accounts available today to help get you started. But first, here’s some background on key terms. Best Savings Accounts of September 2021, Ranked So what are the best savings accounts of September 2021? That depends on what you value most. In determining our top nine, we

Challenges are a great tool for testing out a behavior change. Whether you’re trying to eat clean, meditate every day, or just be more active, 30 days is just long enough to test your willpower without breaking it. No spend challenges are an increasingly popular version of this idea, and September is the month where it’s most commonly attempted. We’ll explain what goes into a no spend challenge, why it’s worth trying and how to deal with some of the most common obstacles. What is a No Spend Challenge? A no spend challenge is more like a detox than a diet. Instead of going on a budget where you still allow yourself to buy non-essential items, a no-spend challenge means eliminating discretionary spending altogether. The rules of a no spend challenge are personal and depend on your specific goals. The challenge can last as long as you want and include as many – or as few – categories as you want. Some people do year-long no-spending challenges, while others stick to a month-long cle

Challenges are a great tool for testing out a behavior change. Whether you’re trying to eat clean, meditate every day, or just be more active, 30 days is just long enough to test your willpower without breaking it. No spend challenges are an increasingly popular version of this idea, and September is the month where it’s most commonly attempted. We’ll explain what goes into a no spend challenge, why it’s worth trying and how to deal with some of the most common obstacles. What is a No Spend Challenge? A no spend challenge is more like a detox than a diet. Instead of going on a budget where you still allow yourself to buy non-essential items, a no-spend challenge means eliminating discretionary spending altogether. The rules of a no spend challenge are personal and depend on your specific goals. The challenge can last as long as you want and include as many – or as few – categories as you want. Some people do year-long no-spending challenges, while others stick to a month-long clean

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . Pound the pavement. Just go and deliver your resume in person. Get out there and shake some hands, why don’t ya!  We’ve all heard these financial pearls of wisdom from our parents (and not always because we asked). Despite their best intentions, a lot of these tips from our elders are, well… outdated. To say the least. Here are six pieces of advice from our parents that simply don’t apply to us anymore — and some smarter options. 1. Work Your Way Through College Working your way through college used to be an option — back when tuition cost a reasonable amount. That was a long time ago, though. Most colleges’ tuitions have easily doubled or tripled since the 1980s and ’90s. Working a job while you attend college can help pay the bills, but it won’t pay for college. That’s why so many of us are saddled wit

A new trustee’s report provides some scary projections about Social Security’s future. Social Security’s trust is now expected to be depleted by 2034. That’s one year sooner than originally estimated, in part due to the economic shock of COVID-19. Taken out of context, the numbers look frightening. But if you understand how Social Security works , you’ll see that things aren’t quite so dire. 5 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Social Security’s Shortfall You may hear that “Social Security is going broke” or that Social Security won’t be around for you. Neither statement is true. Here are five common myths about Social Security’s future. 1. Myth: Social Security Will Run Out of Money in 2034 The truth: Social Security now pays more in benefits than it rakes in through payroll taxes. But workers are still paying into the system. As long as they continue to pay in, Social Security won’t go broke. For decades, Social Security took in more than it paid out in benefits. That’s how it

Many class action lawsuit settlements have deadlines coming up in September, from brands like Kellogg’s and Shutterfly to Walmart and Kroger. Read on to find out if you qualify to file a claim and get some cash. Kellogg ‘Healthy’ Cereals $13M Class Action settlement If you purchased “heart healthy” or “lightly sweetened” Kellogg breakfast cereals, you could be eligible to claim a share in a $13 million settlement. The Class includes anyone in the United States who purchased one of the following products for household use between Aug. 29, 2012, and May 1, 2020: Kellogg’s Original Raisin Bran and Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch cereals in a package stating “heart healthy” Kellogg’s Smart Start Original Antioxidants cereal in a package stating “heart healthy” and/or “lightly sweetened” Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size (Original, Maple Brown Sugar, Strawberry, or Blueberry varieties), Big Bites (Original variety), Little Bites (Chocolate or Cinnamon Roll varieties), or Touch of