Manage Your Money God's Way

Is there more to life than accumulating money? Join us for a discussion on a Charles Schwab survey about wealth in America. Interestingly the most common responses about what it takes for people to feel wealthy have nothing to do with money. Read the Compass Catholic blog for more on being wealthy versus feeling wealthy.

It’s time to clear the clutter if your garage is so full there’s no room for the car or your basement has boxes that haven’t been opened in years. Here are tips for having a successful garage sale: Get organized ahead of time Decide on your advertising strategy Check to see if a permit is needed Invite your neighbors to participate Make your items easy to see—clothes on hangers, items on tables Plan how you’ll manage the money (cash box, carpenter apron?) Have plenty of change on hand Decide on a discount strategy for end of day or on specific items Prepare to handle leftover items Join the Compass Catholic blog for more on having a successful garage sale.

You may think that keeping your mortgage for the tax benefits is a good idea, but the money you get in tax benefits comes nowhere near covering the amount of money you pay in interest. To pay off the mortgage early, try making one extra payment each year or each quarter. You can also try making bi-weekly payments (if your mortgage company will accept them). Another way to pay off the mortgage early is to funnel any windfalls to the mortgage (bonus, tax return, inheritance, etc.) If you make anything other than the normal payment at the normal time, be sure to check with your mortgage company to be sure you understand how they will handle additional payments and how you designate the extra money you are paying. Once that is set, check your monthly statement to be sure your extra payment has been applied appropriately. Join the Compass Catholic blog for more on getting rid of your mortgage.

The post millennial generation is going their own way in how they earn and spend money. Part time gigs, flexible hours and non-traditional jobs are more important that a traditional full time career. They avoid credit cards and use debit cards instead, and hopefully understand the differences. Being digitally savvy, they prefer online banking and investing but many not realize the difference between an online bank and a brick and mortar bank that is FDIC insured. Debt avoidance is good, but what happens when there is no credit history and they try to get a mortgage? Join the Compass Catholic blog for more on Money and Gen Z.