It’s exciting to step into your own place for the first time. You get a rush of independence you’ve never experienced before. You can make the space your own. Your home is a part of your identity now, so you want a place that fits.

If you’ve just started your first full-time job, you may be looking for that first place to call your own as well. While many young professionals return to live with their parents for a period after finishing school to pay off debt or save up for large purchases, you may be ready to make your own way, or perhaps you need to relocate to start your career.

When digging into your housing options, one of the decisions you will need to make is whether to buy or rent. You may feel overwhelmed by the number of boxes you have to check to secure a place to lay your head at night. These options may lead you to the age-old question, “should I buy or should I rent?” Changing housing market landscapes and varied financial situations are important factors to consider.

Luckily, if you plan to live in Missouri, especially the Mid-Missouri area, you may enjoy a lower cost of living, including housing. Before you start looking for housing options, it’s a great idea to develop a financial overview, so you have a strong grasp on how much you can spend on housing. 

Let’s look at the pros and cons of renting versus the pros and cons of buying a house.

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If you’re looking to save for retirement or have another substantial financial goal, setting aside money in a savings account is a great start, but it may not yield the returns you need. This could lead you to explore a variety of investment options to see where you can put your money to work.

While there are many options out there, you may be considering how risky different types of investments are. It’s important to realize that every investment has an element of risk. However, the range of risk varies depending on how you choose to invest.

Stick with us to learn more about the importance of investing, different types of investments and how to better understand your appetite for investment risk.

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“A new job is like a blank book and you are the author.” – Unknown

As you start your first full-time job, many opportunities open up. You get a chance to put all the hours you spent studying, training and developing your craft into practice. It’s exciting to start setting your goals and think about what you want to accomplish. The feeling of starting your career can make it tough to envision life after you finish working. After all, you just got started; why should you have to think about how you will live after employment?

Regardless of how long you plan to work or the level of your ambition, saving for retirement should be approached like the tortoise in the race. Slow and steady is the only way to win, so starting your saving plan early is essential. But the best part: you don’t have to give up on your current dreams to prepare for retirement.

Keep reading to learn more about standard retirement accounts, how they work and how you can start saving.

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As you begin a new year, you get a chance for a fresh start in many aspects of your life. This time is a moment for self-improvement and setting goals. It’s a chance to dream a little bit about what the next 12 months have in store for you.

Everyone has to deal with one carryover from the previous year: filing their tax returns. Yes, the old Benjamin Franklin idiom is true, “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” 

While tax filing can seem daunting, an accurate and on-time submission is easier to obtain than you think and can help you receive your return quickly and avoid potential penalties. If this is the first time you are filing a tax return, you may be wondering where you can start. That’s okay! The IRS estimates that there will be 168 million tax returns filed this year, and we’re sure that a few of those will be first-timers like yours. 

Let’s walk through some common tax forms, how to file taxes, whether you should use tax filing software or a tax consultant and how your bank is involved. 

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That tiny piece of plastic with your name in your wallet or purse has grown in prominence in our commercial landscape. In 2019, there were more than 108.6 million credit card transactions per day in the U.S. alone. This staggering number shows how much we depend on credit and debit cards to make daily purchases. These cards are similar in name or appearance, but their function and effect on your financial outlook can differ significantly. Continue Reading…