Southern Blog
Health Insurance: Review Your Coverage Before October
By: Charlestien Harris If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is to make sure we have adequate health insurance for ourselves and our family members. Having health coverage is an essential part of being financially responsible; not having adequate health coverage...
Student Loans: Are Parent PLUS Loans Eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness?
By: Charlestien Harris When the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Waiver program was publicized, I wanted to know how the loans some parents took out would be affected by this opportunity. After all, eliminating as much debt as possible is a key part of being...
Student Loan Debt: Facts About the Limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver
By: Charlestien Harris Student loan debt is one of the reasons some potential homebuyers can’t afford a mortgage. It is among the factors lenders look at when they consider you for a home loan, because your student loan debt can influence your debt-to-income ratio....
Six Money Moves to Teach Your Children for Life
By: Charlestien Harris Personal finance is not a subject most of us like to talk about, but it is one that needs to be discussed with our children – because when they grow up to be adults, they will have to manage money on their own. In most families, the subject of...
How to Make Back-to-School Shopping Less Stressful
By: Charlestien Harris The back-to-school season has already begun for some students, and many stores are already selling backpacks, notebooks, and other school supplies. According to the National Retail Federation, families with school-age children are expected to...
How to Create a Spending Plan for College
By: Charlestien Harris So, you have graduated from high school. Congratulations! Many of you are now college bound, which means leaving the family nest for the first time and becoming responsible for your financial well-being. College means paying for tuition and...
Your Credit Report: The Impact of Medical Debt Removal
By: Charlestien Harris Your credit score is very important when it comes to how you interact with the financial world around you. One of the main areas of concern for many people is how medical debt has been negatively affecting their credit scores for years....
Personal Finance Tips to Survive in a Changing Economy
By: Charlestien Harris Living through a possible recession requires more than just cutting back on your personal spending. But first, let’s define “recession” so we can fully understand why managing our personal finances during this time is so important. A recession...
Give Yourself a Mid-Year Financial Checkup
By: Charlestien Harris We are now halfway through 2022, which is the perfect time to do a mid-year financial checkup. Review what progress you've made since the beginning of the year, and make plans for the rest of the year to reach your goals. Without regular...
Are You Ready to be a Homeowner?
By: Charlestien Harris All month, we have been talking about homeownership topics in observation of National Homeownership Month. But we don’t want to overlook that all-important question: Are you ready to become a homeowner? Sometimes, the excitement and...