7 Financially Fit Tips for Back to School Shopping
By Charlestien Harris Although all of my children are grown and gone, I do have grandchildren and they all have back-to-school supply lists that need to be filled. Preparing to send your kids back to school can be stressful if your finances are already tight...
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Explained
By Charlestien Harris Throughout the pandemic, many clients have asked about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and how their student loans will be affected. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was created under the College Cost Reduction and...
Understanding the Refundable Child Tax Credit
By Charlestien Harris The child tax credit is a very popular topic these days so I thought I would provide some details to help explain the tax credit to the general public. What is the child tax credit is the first question. According to the IRS’...
Why Telephone Scams Often Target Seniors
By Charlestien Harris I am entering my sixties, so I am looking at financial issues that affect my age group more and more. One of the most common issues is telephone scams. Telemarketing fraud is a multi-billion dollar business in the United States. Every...
Paying Down Debt and Raising Your Credit Score
By Charlestien Harris As an accredited financial counselor, I’m often asked questions like “How long will it take for my credit score to increase when I make a payment on my accounts?” or “When will I see an increase in my score?”. The answer I most often reply...
Breaking Down Your Mortgage Payment
By Charlestien Harris There are so many industry terms used in the home buying process that can be unfamiliar to the average consumer. One example commonly used by the mortgage lending industry is the acronym PITI. PITI is an acronym for a mortgage payment that...
Understanding the Benefits of the Homestead Exemption
By Charlestien Harris As a new homeowner or a first-time home buyer, one piece of important information that can be overlooked is the filing of the homestead exemption. Any homeowner can suffer a major loss, like the loss of a spouse or other financial setbacks,...
10 Steps to Buying A Home
By Charlestien Harris Purchasing a home is one of the most important decisions most people will ever make. The length of time it takes to buy a home varies according to the readiness of a potential buyer. For some it can take a few months, for others it...