Southern Blog
Five Financial Moves to Make in Your Sixties
By Charlestien Harris Well, it’s about to be official! I’ll be turning 65 on my upcoming birthday – yay for me! I like to call myself a “seasoned citizen” instead of a senior citizen, mostly because it just sounds better. But there are some very important financial...
Budgeting for School Activities
By Charlestien Harris Football, basketball, track, band, tennis – you name it, your child could potentially participate in any number of extracurricular activities. As a loving and supportive parent, you may not have considered how much money you’re spending on items...
Getting a Handle on College Tuition Bills
By Charlestien Harris Whew! You’ve gotten them through high school, and now college tuition is on your horizon. If you or your child is entering college this semester, the tuition bill will arrive soon – if you haven’t received it already! Paying for your child’s...
Pros and Cons of Paying for School Lunches Online
By Charlestien Harris Over 95,000 schools and institutions serve lunches to 28.6 million students each day, including 19 million free lunches, 1.1 million at reduced price, and 8.5 million at full price. Nearly 4.7 billion lunches are served annually, according to...
Money Tips for College Students
By Charlestien Harris Congratulations! You have graduated from high school and are off to college! Your college financial plans might seem bigger than your wallet. If so, you are among the countless students who need advice and tips to save money in college....
Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe Online
By Charlestien Harris It's back-to-school time, and using technology is definitely the order of the day! Getting back into the swing of the school routine can be one of the most stressful times of the year, but it does not have to be. While it may be easy for kids to...
SAVE: Updated Information for Student Loan Repayment Plan
By Charlestien Harris When you saw the title, you probably thought, "How many ways can she talk about saving?" Well, this article is indeed about saving, but it focuses on the new details of the S.A.V.E. student loan repayment option. The good news is that the new...
How to Avoid Financial Scammers
By Charlestien Harris One of the hottest months of the year is July, and the heat can be unbearable! Similarly, one of the hottest topics in the news is how often unsuspecting consumers are getting scammed, and the financial consequences can also be unbearable. If...
Finding Financial Freedom in July
By Charlestien Harris In the month of July, the nation celebrates its freedom. Also called Independence Day, the Fourth of July is a public holiday in the United States of America that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which...
Homeownership: Down Payment Assistance and Closing Costs
By Charlestien Harris Throughout the month of June, I have been writing about National Homeownership Month. As I wrap up talking about homeownership, I would like to close out this month by discussing two very important topics that are vital to the process of...