Recent Federal Trade Commission data shows consumers reported losing nearly $9 billion to identity fraud in 2022. This is an increase of over 30% from 2021.  While the sharp increase in financial fraud can be alarming, there are steps that you can take to minimize your risk of becoming a victim. This includes knowing how … Read more

Flagstar Bank is a regional bank that has 420 branch locations located in the Northeast and Southwest United States. They’ve been FDIC insured since 1987 (FDIC Cert #32541) and you may have heard of their parent company, New York Community Bancorp. NYCB acquired Flagstar Bank in 2022 but after the acquisition of Signature Bridge Bank … Read more

Psychology was one of my favorite subjects in school. It was like getting an instruction manual for how people worked. A cheat sheet. One of my favorite “theories” in psychology is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Here it is: It’s a theory of human motivation. We aim to satisfy the needs at the bottom before … Read more

A week ago, I received a letter from AcreTrader about one of the farms we invested in. (it’s the Middle River Almond Ranch in San Joaquin County, CA) Costs were going up, revenues were down, and they were going to run out of money. Cost Inflation: Farm input costs (fertilizers, fuel, labor) have skyrocketed, exceeding initial … Read more

We too often tend to only provide feedback when it’s negative. But great customer service deserves a shoutout and you never know how your review could help someone. Customer reviews from surveys can impact people’s ability to get a raise or a bonus at their job. Taking a couple minutes out of your day to … Read more

Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash Before I answer, let’s take a quick Translation Timeout to make sure everyone understands the question. Leaving a job means you have to make a decision about what to do with your retirement account. You usually have three options: Leave it where it is (but there might be a minimum balance … Read more

That is black and white thinking in a nuanced conversation because you can do two things at once: build wealth and pay off debt. This question is so frustrating to me! Certain folks in the personal finance community preach that you have to achieve debt freedom before you start the next phase of building wealth and working … Read more

“Well, that was my first dermatologist visit in which I was told it’s not a matter of if but when one of my moles will turn cancerous,” I said to my husband after coming home from a doctor visit. It was a jarring experience to essentially be told cancer was almost an inevitability, but I’m … Read more

Here’s something I’ve never shared with you: I’m a procrastinator. A big time procrastinator. Snoozing the morning alarm. Waiting until I’m right against a deadline to complete a project. And I perpetually reschedule reminders on my phone to ding me tomorrow. One of the most egregious ways I procrastinate is canceling subscriptions, especially if I’m … Read more

Nowadays, a family cell phone plan can include anyone from your kids to your parents to your best friend.  Finding the cheapest family cell phone plan is important regardless of who you include in your plan. Family plans with major cell phone carriers can cost $60, $70, or more per month, per line, depending on … Read more