Financial Education Resources

Debt and the Pressure to Spend
It’s wonderful to have the freedom to buy so many products, but unless you’re rich, the key to happy spending is planned spending.

Income and Expenses
A big part of budgeting is identifying income and listing expenses.

Individual Development Accounts
Understanding the benefits of IDAs, how to qualify, and where to find a program.

Making Sense of Your Budget
After you've identified your income and tracked your spending, it's time to compare the numbers, gain perspective, set priorities, and make changes.

Money Saving Ideas
Looking for ideas for ways to save money now? Almost everyone can find a way to save using at least one of these tips.

Tracking Your Spending
A simple way to get the most from your monthly budget.

Buying a Car Introduction
An introduction to the basics of this major purchase and responsibility.

Choosing a Make and Model
A look at four important factors to consider when choosing a car: fuel consumption, insurance rates, reliability, and depreciation.

The Total Cost of Ownership
Understanding the many costs associated with owning a car - from financing to taxes.

Buy or Lease?
Understanding the pros and cons of vehicle leasing.

Financing a Car Purchase
How a loan affects the total cost of buying a car.

Evaluating a Used Car
How to "do your homework" before buying a used car.

Negotiating Your Car Purchase
Effective negotiation could potentially save you thousands on your next car purchase.

Setting a Target Price
How to set a realistic target price for both new and used vehicles.

Negotiating Price
Know what to expect when negotiating the best deal.

Avoiding Surprises
Think the negotiating is finished when you agree on a price? Here's how to negotiate dealer extras and extended warranty pitches.

Common Mistakes When Buying a Car
Twelve common mistakes to keep in mind when shopping for a car.

Assembling a Home Buying Team
Having the right people on your side can help you make the best possible buying decisions.

Buying a Home Introduction
Some pros and cons of buying a home, including a comparison with renting.

Buying vs. Renting a Home
Factors to consider when making an informed "buy" or "rent" decision.

Planning for Your Home Purchase
Before you buy a home, determine how much consumer debt is reasonable for you and what upfront costs you will have for your home purchase.

Understanding Mortgages
The parts of a mortgage and common mortgage loan options.

Choosing a Credit Counselor
The best way to find a good credit counselor is to know what questions to ask.

Credit Counseling
The role of credit counseling organizations and how a debt management plan works to restore credit over time.

Credit Repair Scams
There's a big difference between a non-profit credit counseling service and a credit repair scam. Learn how to tell the difference.

Dealing with Financial Trouble
If you ever find yourself experiencing financial trouble, there are steps you can take to get back on track and to minimize the damage to your credit.

Debt Collection
Your rights and responsibilities when dealing with debt collectors.

Debt Collection and Legal Actions
What to expect if you are sued over debt.

Debt Reduction Plans
Whether you do it yourself or work with a credit counselor, creating a debt reduction plan is an important first step for those with financial trouble.

Debt Repayment Strategies
When it comes to building your plan for repaying debt, it's important to have a plan of attack.

Loan Consolidation and Refinancing
Consolidation and refinancing are tools that may help to reduce your debt.

Repairing Credit
There are no quick fixes when it comes to removing negative items from your credit report or raising your credit score. Only consistent efforts and payments on your debts will improve your credit.

Signs of Financial Trouble
Spotting the warning signs of excessive debt.

Simple Steps to Debt Reduction
Regardless of how you got into debt or how severe your debt problems are, these seven steps can help you find your way out.

Understanding Bankruptcy
The types of bankruptcy and why bankruptcy should be used only as a last resort.

Your Debt-to-Income Ratio
One of the first steps in getting out of debt is to analyze calculate your debt-to-income ratio.

Applying for Aid
The aid application process, including descriptions of the FAFSA and CSS Profile forms.

Borrowing for Graduate School
Financial choices about graduate school can be complicated. It pays to understand your borrowing and repayment options.

Borrowing Wisely
Making smart choices about student loans, including a description of the impact of loan capitalization.

Choosing the Right Loan
Questions every student should be able to answer before taking on a student loan.

Creating an Aid Strategy
Considerations when planning to pay for school, including school choice, employment options, accounting strategies, and the importance of borrowing wisely.

Dealing with Too Little Aid
Why some students find themselves with too little aid and what can be done to make ends meet.

Education Loans
A description of the main types of student loans, including government loans, consolidation loans, and private loans.

Financial Aid Introduction
Whether you're considering higher education for yourself or starting to plan for the education of your kids, understanding the financial aid process is the first step to meeting your education goals.

Independent Student Status
Understanding your financial aid dependency status, including a discussion of what to do if the parents of dependent students refuse to help them pay for college.

Repaying College Debt
A look at common repayment plans, including how different plans affect your monthly payment and overall cost.

Selecting a Private Loan Lender
When federal loans are not enough, private lenders such as banks, credit unions, and non-profit lenders can help to fill the gap.

The Master Promissory Note
An introduction to the agreement that specifies your rights and responsibilities when accepting a student loan.

Types of Financial Aid
The main types of financial aid are education loans, grants and scholarships, work-study, and service programs.

Understanding Financial Need
Some aid is based on financial need and some is not. What exactly is "financial need?"

Avoiding Delinquency and Default
“Delinquent” and “Default” are similar words. Both refer to late payments, but the consequences of each are very different.

Dealing with Student Loan Default
The consequences of defaulting on federal student loans can be severe, which is why you should take advantage of the options there are to help you avoid it. But, should you end up in default, there are steps you can take to regain lost benefits.

Deferment and Forbearance Options
Both deferment and forbearance can help you avoid financial trouble. If you think you might qualify, reach out to your loan servicer as soon as you first experience financial difficulty.

Discharging Student Loans
There are limited circumstances in which a borrower can be released from his or her obligation to repay student loan debt.

Finding Your Loans
The National Student Loan Data System, commonly referred to as NSLDS, stores your federal loan information.

Grace and Deferment Period Strategies
Federal education loans all offer a grace or deferment period – a set amount of time during which repayment is not required. How you manage loans during your grace period can make a big difference.

How Repayment Plan Choices Affect Loan Cost
Your repayment plan choice can greatly affect your monthly payment and the total cost of your student debt.

Loan Consolidation
Loan consolidation can simplify the loan repayment process, but you must review the loans you plan to consolidate carefully – once consolidated, there’s no going back.

Making Smart Repayment Decisions
Flexible federal student loan repayment plans can help you avoid financial trouble and reach your financial goals.

Managing Loans in Times of Financial Distress
You can’t always prevent financial stress, but how well you manage it will make all the difference in how successful you’ll be in meeting your repayment obligation.

Perkins Loan Repayment and Forgiveness Options
Perkins Loans are administered differently than other student loans and include expanded cancellation or discharge options.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you work in certain fields or for certain employers, a portion of your Direct Student Loan debt may be eligible for forgiveness.

Repayment Strategies
To repay your student loans, you need a comprehensive strategy to put your education debt in a larger financial picture that includes your income, non-education debt, and long-term goals.

Resolving Student Loan Disputes
Your loan servicer’s job is to offer assistance in helping you successfully repay education loans, but even experienced servicers sometimes make mistakes.

Teacher Loan Forgiveness
The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program offers financial incentives intended to encourage individuals to enter the teaching profession.

The Extended Repayment Plan
The Extended Repayment Plan spreads student loan payments over up to 25 years for those with federal student loan balances over $30,000.

The Graduated Repayment Plan
After the Standard Repayment Plan, the Graduated Repayment Plan is the next least expensive way to repay your federal loan and offers lower payments for the first four years.

The Income-Based Repayment Plan
This plan offers borrowers of qualifying loans a flexible payment schedule based on yearly income. A financial hardship is required.

The Income-Contingent Repayment Plan
The Income-Contingent Repayment Plan can be a good way to work out a manageable monthly payment if you have high debt compared with your income.

The Income-Sensitive Repayment Plan
The Income-Sensitive Repayment Plan helps Federal Family Education Loan Program borrowers keep up with payments even if their income is low.

The Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan
Exclusively for Direct Loans, this plan offers borrowers of qualifying loans a flexible payment schedule based on yearly income. A financial hardship is required.

The Role of Your Loan Servicer
Your loan servicer is your primary point of contact when you’re repaying your federal student loans.

The Standard Repayment Plan
Of all federal student loan repayment options, the Standard Repayment Plan is the quickest way to repay your loans at the lowest possible total cost.

Choices About Money
Financial decisions almost always involve a trade off - getting something now usually means giving up something else.

Financial Health
The concept of financial health, including smart decision-making.

Nudging Yourself Toward Your Goals
No matter what your financial goal, it's important to have an accountability system in place.

Setting Goals
Setting financial goals offers the chance to step back from everyday pressures, allowing us to think about how we’d like to be rather than as how we are.

Test University Financial Aid Tips
Fresh from the financial aid office - what you can do today.

Understanding Your Financial Values
While each of us may have different financial values, we all make decisions based on them.

Creating a Will
A will is the cornerstone of the legal framework of an estate plan, and everyone should have one.

Estate Planning
Wills, trusts, and other end of life issues.

Financial Life After Divorce
If you get divorced, every aspect of your life can be affected including your finances. There are a number of actions you should not overlook.

Financial Planning
Learning the "how" and "why" of short, medium, and long-term financial planning.

Getting Divorced: Untangling Joint Accounts
Part of the divorce process is reviewing all accounts, insurance policies and the like and determine what’s yours and what’s your spouses’.

Medical Care Planning
How to make sure your wishes are followed in a medical crisis.

Planning for the Unexpected
Planning for unexpected events, including accidents, death, and even the possibility of divorce, are all part of a responsible marriage.

Powers of Attorney
Everyone faces the possibility of temporary or permanent incapacitation. Make sure your wishes are followed.

Talking About Money
A look at some of the financial considerations of getting married.

The Divorce Process
Nobody gets married planning to get divorced. But sometimes, wedded bliss does not work out. Whether you’re contemplating a divorce or have already started the process, here are some financial implications to know before you make it official.

Alternative Financial Services
Understanding why payday loans, check cashing services, and similar services may be bad deals for consumers.

Avoiding Fees
Suggestions for avoiding or minimizing financial service fees.

Balancing Your Checking Account
You are ultimately responsible when it comes to keeping track and managing your checking account.

Checking and Savings Accounts
Checking and savings accounts strategies for minimizing fees.

Choosing a Bank or Credit Union
Types of financial services accounts.

Financial Service Providers
Not all financial services companies provide equal value.

Managing Accounts
Account management strategies for checking and savings.

Overdraft Protection
The benefits and potential risks of overdraft protection.

Babies and Budgets
How to get your finances in shape before a baby arrives, including a budget review, paying down debt, making sure you're getting the best on any long-term debt, and creating an emergency fund.

Childcare Choices
An overview of different childcare choices and the financial implications of each.

Children and Taxes
A review of the tax benefits that can help you manage the expenses incurred with children.

Growing Up - Childhood and Beyond
A look at the additional costs of raising a child beyond the first few years including the indirect costs.

Introduction
Having a baby is not just a family decision, it's a financial decision too.

Managing Risks
Life is filled with unexpected events. Learn how to ensure the financial security of your child in the worst case scenario.

Paying for the Baby Years
The non-childcare costs you can expect when having a baby, from cribs to health insurance.

Avoiding Identity Theft
The three Ds of identity protection: Deter, Detect and Defend.

Dealing with Identity Theft
Understanding the different types of identity theft and what to do in each scenario.

Identity Theft
Understanding ID theft and how to prevent it.

Protecting Your Digital Information
There are many data backup solutions available designed to protect personal information that vary in their security and ease of use.

Auto Insurance
A review of the major types of auto insurance, factors influencing cost, and choosing a policy that's right for you.

Disability Insurance
The benefits and costs of these often complex policies.

Health Insurance
The various health insurance choices.

Insurance
Understanding how insurance plays an important role in our financial lives.

Life Insurance
Who needs life insurance, types of policies, and how to determine coverage.

Renter's Insurance
Understanding the benefits (and potential pitfalls) of this type of inexpensive insurance.

Building Credit
Understanding the decisions and behaviors that can lead to improved credit scores.

Credit Reports and Scores
Credit reports and scores determine the rates you pay when borrowing and can affect your ability to get certain jobs.

Credit vs. Debit Cards
Credit and debit cards each have pros and cons. When should you use each?

Cutting Credit Card Interest and Fees
With credit cards, interest on your purchases is only part of the equation - late payment fees, annual fees, and cash advance fees could cost you money too.

How Interest Works
Why understanding interest is crucial for comparing loans and for investing for your future.

Reading Your Credit Report
A detailed description of what to expect and look for when viewing a credit report.

Students and Credit Cards
Special challenges for students with credit cards.

Understanding Daily Simple Interest
How lenders charge interest can have a big impact on your interest charges - and how you should manage the loan.

Understanding the Credit Card Act of 2009
How the new regulations work to protect card holders.

Renting an Apartment
Your rights and responsibilities when signing a rental agreement.

Roommates and Money
Simple strategies for managing your financial relationship with roommates.

Investment Accounts
The types of accounts available to investors, including both taxable and tax advantaged accounts.

Retirement Accounts
An overview of the major retirement accounts, include Individual Retirement Accounts, Simplified Employee Pensions, and 401(k) plans.

Retirement Saving Strategies
How to develop a comprehensive retirement savings strategy.

Retirement Savings Ideas
A few simple things to keep in mind when starting a retirement savings plan.

Saving and Investing
The difference between investing and saving, and how to tell what's the best option for your needs.

Saving for Retirement
Why save for retirement and the impact of fees on investment performance.

Types of Investments
The pros and cons of stocks, bonds, and cash. The concept of asset allocation is explained.

Paycheck Tax Deductions
Making sense of the deductions taken from your paycheck. How "independent" workers have unique tax challenges.

Tax Benefits for Higher Education
The federal government provides a number of tax deductions and credits that can help reduce your cost of attending college.

Communication Skills
Strong communication skills are essential to success in the workplace, but mastering these skills takes time and practice.

Creating Healthy Spending Habits
No matter how much or how little you earn, your spending habits play a major role in your financial health.

Day One of a New Job
First impressions are important. New employees should take the time to prepare for the first day to ensure that they start off on the right foot.

Employer Benefits
There are four main types of employee benefit programs: health insurance, retirement plans, tax-advantaged savings, and supplemental benefits such as life and vision care insurance.

Managing Student Loan Debt
Repaying student debt responsibly helps you establish good credit and helps you qualify for the best-possible interest rates on future loans.

Money in the Real World
No matter what your financial outlook is after leaving school, the concept of financial health is an important step towards long-term financial success.

Networking in the Workplace
Effective networking can lead to success in your career both now and in the future.

Salary Expectations Versus Reality
Most young people tend to overestimate their starting salaries.

The Concept of Professionalism
Being a “professional” paves the way for both current and future success, no matter what career you choose. Professionalism requires you to draw upon a set of skills that may seem outside the specific skills required for your job.

Time Management
To be successful in today’s workplace, you need to know how to manage the limited amount of time you have to accomplish all of your tasks.

Workplace Transition Introduction
An overview of topics covered in our Workplace Transition material.