THE IMPORTANCE OF BUDGETING
A recent Gallup poll revealed that only one-third of American households keep a monthly budget. If you find yourself within the other two-thirds, this article is for you. When you hear the word budget, what do you think of? Restriction? Hassle? Does the thought of keeping a household budget tend to turn you off? If […]
What Type of Insurance Should You Choose
If you are a first responder, every shift, every moment on the job can be risky. Being prepared for the worst, your death, is the best way to protect your family. A quality life insurance policy can protect your family and help them maintain the same lifestyle you are living today in the event of […]
The Debt Snowball Method to Pay Down Debt
When the Forbes 400—the 400 richest people in America—were asked what is the most important key to building wealth? 75% said becoming and staying debt-free was the number one key to wealth building. What do the rich know and practice that the rest of us don’t? Being free from debt! How do you attack your […]
IRAs-401ks – What’s the Difference
I bet you always thought IRA was short for Individual Retirement Account huh? Nope, it’s actually an Arraignment as weird as that sounds. So what are they and how can you use them? There are two types of these IRA’s, a Traditional IRA and a ROTH IRA (named after the late Senator from Delaware named […]
Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
Happiness is often directly related to financial security and financial wellness. For officers and first responders, financial security and stress go hand-in-hand. We need to be able to focus on doing our jobs and not worry about bills. The key to this is building a strong financial future that prepares you for everything life throws […]
From Financial Ruin to Freedom
In 2005, I was in a dark place. I had been a cop for about 2 years, and I was sitting down looking at a mountain of bills totaling over $80k at the age of 25. I had just finished my shift on patrol that started with 5 hours of overtime, before I even hit […]
Budgeting Utilizing the Zero-Based Method
The foundation of any good financial plan is also something most of us hate doing: a budget. When was the last time you made a budget to track every dollar you spend? The biggest wealth building tool you have is your income. It is best to start making a budget before the month begins. If […]
Is Financial Wellness Part of the Discussion at Your Department?
The emphasis on officer wellness has been all the buzz in law enforcement. We are doing great work teaching our first responders how to eat better, get in shape, and work on their mental fitness. But the single biggest aspect of wellness that is overlooked is financial wellness. That taboo subject you’re not supposed to […]
Riding the Stock Market Roller Coaster
In our class “Building Financial Strength in FIRST RESPONDER Families” we tell a quote we’ve heard Dave Ramsey refer to many of times “The only people that get hurt on a roller coaster are the people who jump off” and this quote specifically refers to the roller coaster that the stock market can be. It’s […]
Budgeting During a Trap Month
Monthly budgets are tricky sometimes and it can be even trickier when you run into a trap month that has added expenses that you aren’t used to. I’m not talking about your typical trap like Christmas sneaking up on you in December. I’m talking about traps that sneak up on you because we get so […]