Category: Credit

Cut and Paste

Do You Cut and Paste Your Money Decisions?

A while back, Money Magazine asked several successful people a simple question: What’s the smartest financial advice you’ve ever received? One response stood out. Richard Branson, billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, admitted that early in his career he simply didn’t know much about finance—and the best thing he learned was to stay humble about…
Read more


March 11, 2026 0
Financial Shape

Financial Fitness

Ever notice how Presidents Day sales are suspiciously good? There’s a reason. January is when everyone buys exercise equipment for their New Year’s resolutions… and February is when a lot of it gets returned. Sound familiar? In one way or another, we’ve all been there. Big goals. Fresh motivation. Strong start. And then—life. I don’t…
Read more


February 25, 2026 0
Pocketbook

Pocketbook Power Plays: 5 Ways to Free Up Cash Right Now

Let’s be real—everything feels more expensive these days. A few years ago, most of us had at least a little breathing room in the budget. Now? Inflation has eaten that cushion and asked for dessert. You may not be able to control the cost of groceries or gas, but you can control how much of…
Read more


October 17, 2025 0
Leadership

Where Are You Getting Advice?

I love starting my day with a little time in the Word, and recently I was listening to a sermon that hit me right between the eyes. The pastor asked a simple but powerful question: Where are you getting your advice? It made me pause. Every day, we let different voices shape our thoughts and…
Read more


August 14, 2025 0
Find

Finding Money to Save

Inflation has been a beast on the ole’ pocketbook. In the 4th quarter of 2023, household debt reached 17.5 trillion dollars with credit card debt – an increase of 50 billion dollars within that same quarter. This translates to Americans spending more with less capability to pay their debt. All while most of these same…
Read more


April 23, 2024 0
Credit Score

Is Your Credit Score Important in Retirement?

The phrase “if you don’t use it, you will lose it” applies to more ways than one in retirement…It’s not just your health or mind – it could be your credit, too! You can spend a lifetime building and maintaining perfect credit only to watch it dwindle when you stop using it. Well, is it…
Read more


June 21, 2023 0
8 Life Planning Issues

Preventative Financial Care

The August 2008 Money Magazine offered up an article of several successful individuals talking about the smartest financial advice they have ever received. Billionaire and CEO of Virgin records, Richard Branson shared a story about his lack of knowledge in the financial realm and being humble about what you don’t know. Have you ever noticed…
Read more


April 19, 2023 0
Graduation

Life After Graduation – What Should Your Kids Know?

Graduation is a major step for those important young adults in our life. Whether it be graduating from high school or graduating from college, a parent’s goal is always to see their kids launch successfully and stay successfully launched. How do you do that? Well, we have few ideas for you. The Cost of Living.…
Read more


June 14, 2022 0
Summer

Summertime Checkup

Summer’s here, and the time is right for vacations, outdoor activities, and fun. It’s also a good time to consider a few financial matters. Here are some questions to ask yourself mid-year. Goals still the same for 2022? Has market volatility affected your goals? Note any changes since the first of the year that may…
Read more


June 13, 2022 0
COVID

COVID 19: The Personal Finance Test of a Lifetime

Perhaps you will be able to weather through this pandemic financially, but chances are that someone close to you will not. Pass this along. It may just save someone’s financial future. Transunion is monitoring the financial impact on U.S. Consumers weekly. In their latest report using data from the week ending March 30th, 3 out…
Read more


April 13, 2020 0

Securities offered through Calton & Associates, Inc. member FINRA and SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. SEC registration does not imply a certain level of skill or ability. Investment advisory services offered through Smart Money Group, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Smart Money Group, LLC and Kennedy Financial Services, Inc. are not owned or controlled by Calton & Associates, Inc.