Viewpoints about Financial basics
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Four ratios to help keep your personal finances on track
When you’re managing your personal finances, you may come across ratios you don’t understand. But some of them can make it easier to get your finances in order, and, knowing how to use these ratios can help you achieve your financial goals.
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What are asset classes?
Learn about the different investments and how they can help you reach your savings goal.
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What's a fund fact sheet?
Fund fact sheets play a critical role in helping you make informed investment decisions and determine if a fund aligns with your financial goals. But don’t let all the data points overwhelm you—let’s break down the key components, so you can walk away feeling confident that you understand the funds.
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How does investing work? The basics
You’d like to start investing, but you’re not quite sure how to get started. The basic concepts are simple once you break them down despite the fancy terms. Let’s go through some of the essentials so you can feel better about getting started.
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Renting versus buying a home
Is it better to rent or buy a home? The short answer is “it depends.” Here are some key financial, economic, and lifestyle considerations that can help you decide which option is best for you.
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Three strategies for managing your debt
Most people have debt of some kind—a mortgage, student loan, or credit card balance. Learning the difference between good and bad debt and how you can manage them can help you reduce your stress and improve your credit score.
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Seven financial planning mistakes to avoid
Healthy money habits can help you achieve your financial goals—children’s education, dream vacation, retirement—and avoid these seven financial planning mistakes.
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Emergency savings—do you have the cash if a crisis occurs?
Life has a way of surprising all of us, at times—emergencies happen. An emergency savings account may sound like a luxury, but it’s an important part of getting your personal finances under control. To get started, you should understand why it’s so important and how much you need.
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Three steps to help you avoid the dangers of credit card debt
As you save for the future, you also have plenty of things you need to pay for right now. Credit cards offer the appeal of instant gratification and can help out when you’re short on cash—but you must use them with caution. Here are three steps to help ensure that the cards in your wallet serve as valuable tools, rather than potential sources of trouble.
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Everyone needs estate planning—and this checklist makes it easy
These manageable tasks can help you cut estate planning down to size.
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