Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — April 2018

Frugal Travel

9 Ways To Save Money For Your Summer Vacation, According To Experts — Natalia Lusinski, Bustle

With the weather finally warming up, many of us are ready to head into summer vacation mode. While you may already have booked your getaway, there’s still plenty to plan and budget for before your actual departure date. That’s why Natalia compiled a list of money-saving travel tips you can utilize to boost your vacation budget or save up for your next adventure.

Airline Change and Cancellation Policies: 7 Simple Tips to Avoid Huge Fees — Greg Johnson, Club Thrifty

The thing about travel plans is that they can often get ruined —sometimes due to forces beyond your control. Adding insult to injury, rebooking your flights or making other changes can cost you big time in some situations. To help you out, Greg offers a few ways to save on airline change fees while also highlighting the cancellation policies of several well-known carriers.

Financial Planning and Education

9 Financial Planning Terms You Should Know by the Time You’re 40 — Lindsay Tigar, Reader’s Digest

When it comes to finance, there can be a lot of jargon that’s thrown around. As a result those looking to understand money might feel intimidated by certain concepts they’re unfamiliar with. If you’re looking for a quick crash course in financial planning, Lindsay looks at nine important terms you should know.

If You Download These 5 Apps, You Probably Don’t Need a Financial Adviser — Megan Beauchamp, MyDomaine

Once upon a time, many consumers relied on financial advisers to help them make smart money moves. Although some might still prefer the personalized touch these professionals offer, the truth is that there’s a growing number of tools individuals can use to effectively manage their own money. In fact, Megan suggests that using some of these popular apps and sites can be as effective as a financial advisor in today’s world.

A Financial Education: Student Finance and Why #FinHealthMatters — Kyle Burbank, Money@30

Despite a wealth of financial knowledge that’s available on the web and app stores everywhere, one place where financial education is lacking is on college campuses. What’s more, giving the major and lasting financial decisions students make during these years (including taking on massive loans), there seems to be a real need for financial literacy and responsibility courses on campus. On the heels of #FinHealthMatters Day, Kyle shares a few money lessons all students should know as well as some ways future students can work to limit their debt burden.

Improving Your Credit

Rebuild Your Credit Score: A Guide to Secured Credit Cards — Zina Kumok, Mint Life

For those with poor credit or no credit, raising your scores can be a bit of a catch 22. After all, if you’re unable to get a loan or be approved for a credit card, how can you prove your creditworthiness and build credit history? One potential solution Zina suggests is secured credit cards, which she explains in-depth.

5 Ways to Minimize Credit Damage After a Late Payment — Laura Adams, U.S. News

Even if you make a point to stay on top of your money and your credit, anyone can make a mistake. Unfortunately, in the case of late credit card or bill payments, those minor mistakes can affect your scores for years. However, as Laura points out, there may be some things you can do to both atone for your mistakes and prevent them from happening again.

Personal Finance Tips

5 Things Every Frugal Person Should Spend Money On — Mad Money Monster

Often times people assume that being frugal means spending as little as possible in all situations. In actuality, being frugal doesn’t mean not spending — it just means spending wisely. To that point, here are five things that even self-proclaimed frugal individuals should spend their money on.

The Stages of Financial Freedom: The Road to Financial Independence — J.D. Roth, Get Rich Slowly
Do you dream of financial independence? The term may mean different things to different people but, in any case, it’s rarely easy to achieve. That said, J.D. breaks the journey down into six steps (seven with Step 0) while also sharing his own experience working toward financial freedom.

9 Creative Ways to Boost Your Retirement Savings  — Kat Tretina, Wisebread

One of the largest milestones in life is reaching retirement. While this is meant to be a time when you can stop working and enjoy your money, making that dream a reality likely involves years of saving and preparing. With that in mind, Kat suggests nine ways you can add to your retirement savings now for a bigger payoff down the road.

Thanks for checking out my top 10 personal finance articles published last month and congratulations to all of the bloggers who made the list. To find more of these great articles on a daily basis, be sure to follow me on Twitter @jondyer9 and of course visit DyerNews.com.