EXTRA... EXTRA... READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Article by Jack Diven
I have learned a lot of things since being married. Something you should know is that marriage throws you into the water on so many different situations that you begin to gain a certain wisdom and understanding that you never had before.
I want to spare you most of the details as much of it is really confusing, (if your dying to know everything by the end of this, click on the Facebook link at the bottom and shoot us a message) but the preface you need to know is that our cooperate bank charged us almost four hundred dollars in overdraft fees while we had money in our account. Some of you reading this are thinking WHAT... there is no way that is true. That is for sure what I would be thinking since most people that are blaming the bank for their overdraft fees have no clue what they are talking about, but I assure you, it is the truth.
I would even be so bold to say that this bank more than likely makes sure that it accumulates a guaranteed amount of overdraft fees from it's customers and counts it as annual revenue for their company.
I have learned a lesson in the last couple days. The lesson is simply this,
"Some people, some companies, don't really care about you, they care about your money"
If I am being perfectly honest, I got a sour taste in my mouth as I was typing that quote. Something that you should know about me is that I consider myself to be a conservative However, I feel it is my duty to help any newlywed or anyone for that matter that will lend an ear. The fact of the matter is that there are some companies in this world that are not for you and you have to be very careful with your money to make sure that no one is able advantage of you.
With that being said, I have used some great tools since being married that have really helped us with our finances. Take a look.
1. A Good Accountant
Ok so some of you are like... that's a person, not a tool... and you would be right! But let me explain, I have found that when you get married you all the sudden become responsible for all these things that you parents used to take care of. Things such as FASFA forms, financial provision, and you guessed it... TAXES!!! If I am honest, I may or may not have known what a tax refund was until the year that I got married. There are so many things to take into consideration when it comes to your taxes. Did you know you can get tax breaks simply for getting married? Not to mention, you more than likely got a new job, a different insurance policy, and maybe even a new house! All of which need to be taken account of when doing your taxes. The fact of the matter when you exploit the skills of a good accountant you may find that you get a nice tax refund. It is better pay a professional a little more than to miss out on some of the money that you deserve. As a newlywed there is more than likely a pot of gold called a tax refund sitting out at the end of an enormous paperwork rainbow. An accountant has tools that you can help you get there. Tax season is coming up... don't miss out on your money... go get an accountant!
2. Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
I read this book for a financial class and it absolutely changed my life. It is truly a must read for any couple but especially if your a newlywed. Dave Ramsey will show you the right way to think about personal finances, exposing myths about credit cards, car payments, student loans, and credit in general. Not only will this book help you manage your money in such a way that you will know how much money you have at all times but it also shows us how to attack our debt and stop being a slave to green paper. As a newlywed tool, this book has really helped Kayla and I get on the same page with our finances, even before we got married. We have seen so many couples that hardly even talk about money let alone agree upon it. Money issues remain the number one cause of divorce, with that being said we are forever grateful for the gift of Dave and his Total Money Makeover. So, Kayla and I have decided that we want to give this same gift to someone else!
One lucky person that retweets this post on Twitter or Shares this on Facebook is going to get a copy of the Total Money Makeover from us to you!
I pray it blesses you as it has blessed us!
3. Simple (online banking)
Simple is an online banking company that actually cares about it's clients. These people believe in a better way of banking that does not charge people overdraft fees, helps people create a simple online budget cohesive with it's online banking service, and works incredibly hard to make an online system that allows people to simply and easily know and understand how much money they have available according to their own budgets and goals at all times. According to CNN, 76% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. You see the kind of thing that Simple understands is that people can't afford $400 of overdraft fees when they have 0 dollars in the bank. Every time that you make a payment Simple alerts you immediately after every transaction with the amount. My bank won't even alert me to let me know that I have over drafted. If you are serious about keeping track of your money and knowing how much your spending in order to get ahead of the game, we recommend Simple online banking. We are about to make the transfer from our bank to Simple here in the next couple days. It is truly almost the same as walking around with cash and paying for everything the old fashion way.
Here is a link to Simple's website - https://www.simple.com Check it out and let us know what you think!
I pray this article finds you well! We would love to hear about some tips from the wise about financial tools that have worked for you! Comment and let us know!
-Jack Diven, The NewlyWed News
Pin it for later:
No comments:
Post a Comment