Smart401k Blog

Credit cards, student loans, car payments, personal loans, and mortgages, are but a few contributors to what can become a crushing debt burden.  In a rush to alleviate the burden and get your head above water it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.

Sure, nobody wants to find themselves under the weight of overwhelming debt.  But if you do, it does not mean your financial plan should focus on nothing else.  It’s tempting to pour all your energy and resources into eliminating debt.  Much satisfaction can be derived from the systematic whittling down of your outstanding balances each month.

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This week is America Saves Week and in honor of this great week, we offer up some useful tools, sites, posts and graphs to inspire you and others you know to make a savings goal and set up a plan to achieve it.

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Photo Credit kenteegardin

During the past few years, I’ve attended countless birthday parties for the young children of family and friends. Though each event celebrates a special milestone for a child and family, the parties tend to look similar: 20-50 people each bring at least one toy or article of clothing. Parents assist in opening a stream of packages while desperately trying to get the birthday child to acknowledge the gift and thank the giver. At the end of the event, the room looks like a combination toy store/gift wrap scrap yard and the child is in the next room playing with a wooden spoon and an empty box. Sound familiar?

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We follow lots of really good blogs – mostly related to personal finance and economics. The Blog Round-Up allows us to point you in the direction of some great content from the blogging world. Posts* included in today’s round-up are our favorites from the month of September.

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Photo Credit Charlie Brewer

Believe it or not we’re already approaching the home stretch of 2011. With only about two months left until the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, it’s a great time to start preparing for the holiday season. Whether it’s putting together a budgeting strategy, or finding a seasonal part-time job to bring in some extra spending cash, planning ahead can keep you from emptying your pocket book.

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