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# Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

## Sitemaps
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## Posts
- [Financial Decluttering: How to Organize Your Money and Budget Effectively](https://askthemoneycoach.com/financial-decluttering-budgeting-strategies/): Understand financial decluttering and how to declutter your finances by organizing documents, budgeting wisely, and reducing debt. Build financial stability with these expert strategies.
- [Self-Employed Retirement Planning: Solo 401k vs. SEP IRA for 2025](https://askthemoneycoach.com/self-employed-retirement-planning-solo-401k-vs-sep-ira-for-2025/): Solo 401k vs SEP IRA: Which is the best self-employed retirement plan in 2025? Compare contribution limits, tax advantages, and flexibility to maximize savings.
- [Budget-Friendly Tips for Managing College Life](https://askthemoneycoach.com/budget-friendly-tips-for-managing-college-life/): Discover practical, budget-friendly tips for managing college life - save on food, transport, textbooks, and more, all while staying financially smart and stress-free.
- [How to Secure Funding for Your Small Business Despite a Low Credit Score](https://askthemoneycoach.com/how-to-secure-funding-for-your-small-business-despite-a-low-credit-score/): Struggling to secure small business funding due to a low credit score? Discover alternative lending options, microloans, and financial strategies to help your business thrive.
- [Bestselling Author Reveals How to “Bounce Back” from Financial Challenges in 2024 ](https://askthemoneycoach.com/bestselling-author-reveals-how-to-bounce-back-from-financial-challenges-in-2024/): For Immediate Release
- [Credit Card Delinquencies Hit 12.8% as Balances Near $1.26 Trillion: What It Actually Means](https://askthemoneycoach.com/credit-card-delinquencies/): A widely shared headline says credit card delinquencies reached 12.8% while Americans carried nearly $1.26 trillion in credit card balances.
- [Is Gen Z Climbing the Wrong Career Ladder? Why the Skilled Trades May Offer a Faster Way Up](https://askthemoneycoach.com/skilled-trades-vs-college-gen-z/): The skilled trades face a different problem: too few people coming in. Nearly a quarter of tradespeople are 55 or older, only 11% are under 25, and employers will need to fill about 1.7 million skilled-trades openings every year through 2035. For a young worker, that gap can mean more room to move up, though no study yet shows that trades workers advance faster than office workers. The catch is getting trained without piling up debt.
- [Fake Car Dealership Websites and How to Keep Your Deposit Safe](https://askthemoneycoach.com/fake-car-dealership-websites-avoid-this-scam/): Buying a car online can save time, widen your search, and help you compare prices. It can also expose you to a convincing impersonation scam.
- [6 Smart Moves When Your Paycheck Runs Out Before the Month Does](https://askthemoneycoach.com/paycheck-runs-out-before-payday/): That final stretch before payday is when one bad decision can haunt you well into next month. These six moves protect housing, utilities, food, and the transportation that gets you to work, while helping you decide whether a cash advance is necessary without starting a borrowing cycle. And you are not alone in this squeeze: Bank of America Institute's internal data classified nearly 24% of households as living paycheck to paycheck in 2025.
- [Claude Fable 5.1 Is Here : and AI Just Got Cheaper, Faster, and Less Cautious](https://askthemoneycoach.com/claude-fable-5-1-cost-safety-personal-finance/): Anthropic released Claude Fable 5.1 on September 1, 2026, alongside Claude Mythos 5.1, a restricted-access version for vetted cybersecurity and life-sciences organizations.
- [The Banks Are Building Their Own Stablecoin: What 21 Lenders Joining Forces Means for Your Money](https://askthemoneycoach.com/bank-stablecoin-21-lenders-money/): Santander announced that 21 international financial institutions have committed to establish a new company during the second half of 2026. The company would support the issuance of a stablecoin, beginning with a U.S. dollar version and potentially expanding into other G7 currencies, with the euro identified as a priority.
- [Student Loan Repayment: Your 90-Day Window to Choose a Plan](https://askthemoneycoach.com/student-loan-repayment-your-90-day-window/): If you have federal student loans, the repayment landscape shifted on July 1, 2026. The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act created a dividing line between legacy borrowers and those taking out new loans, and if you're enrolled in the SAVE plan or you're a parent with Parent PLUS loans, you have a 90-day window to make a decision that could affect your monthly payment for years. (As noted by Forbes contributor Adam S. Minsky, this is one of the most significant regulatory shifts in recent student loan history.)
- [Can You Buy a Home With Bitcoin Without Selling It?](https://askthemoneycoach.com/buy-a-home-with-bitcoin-without-selling/): If you bought bitcoin years ago and held on through the swings, you may be sitting on more money than you ever expected. Now imagine wanting to use some of it to buy a home. The obvious move is to sell. But selling can hand you a sizable capital gains tax bill, and it ends your stake in whatever bitcoin does next.
- [81% of Americans Expecting an Inheritance Are Counting on It for Retirement](https://askthemoneycoach.com/counting-on-an-inheritance-for-retirement/): Focus Keyword: counting on an inheritance for retirement
- [7 in 10 Americans Say a Pension Beats a 401(k) : and 40% Don’t Expect to Ever Retire](https://askthemoneycoach.com/pension-vs-401k-retirement-confidence-survey/): The survey does not necessarily mean Americans want to return to a different era of employment. It shows that many workers understand something important about pensions: A dependable income stream can feel much easier to plan around than an account balance that rises and falls with markets.
- [8 Apps That Cover Every Layer of Personal Finance: Budgeting to Investing](https://askthemoneycoach.com/best-financial-apps-budgeting-to-investing/): Managing money is rarely just one problem. You may need to track spending, cancel forgotten subscriptions, organize bills, monitor your credit, review retirement accounts, and begin investing. Trying to force all of those tasks into one app can create more confusion than clarity.
- [When to Repeat a Guest Post Placement: A Budget-Minded Guide](https://askthemoneycoach.com/when-to-repeat-a-guest-post-placement/): When to repeat a guest post placement is a financial decision as much as a marketing one. A publisher may deliver useful exposure, referral visits, or search visibility, but renewing a placement without checking its cost and results can tie up money that would work harder elsewhere. A simple review of the original goal, the evidence so far, and the next commitment can help keep the campaign accountable.
- [Confident About Money but Missing the Basics? You’re Not Alone](https://askthemoneycoach.com/financial-confidence-vs-financial-literacy/): Financial confidence is your belief that you can manage financial decisions. Financial literacy is your knowledge of concepts such as interest, inflation, diversification, taxes, saving, debt, and risk. Confidence can encourage action, but literacy helps you evaluate whether the action is appropriate.
- [Why Gen Z’s Debt Is Growing Faster Than Any Other Generation](https://askthemoneycoach.com/gen-z-debt-growing-faster/): A new survey found that 45% of Gen Z adults with debt said their debt increased during the past 12 months, the highest share of any generation surveyed. That compared with 39% of millennials, 34% of Generation X, and 30% of baby boomers.
- [The True Cost of Being a Sports Fan: Build a Game-Day Budget](https://askthemoneycoach.com/true-cost-of-being-a-sports-fan/): A $70 ticket rarely means a $70 day at the stadium. Add parking, food, drinks and a souvenir, and an affordable-looking outing can become a much bigger purchase. Across a season, streaming subscriptions, extra games and sports travel can push the total higher still.
- [Would You Let AI Approve or Deny Your Mortgage?](https://askthemoneycoach.com/ai-mortgage-approval/): Buying a home already asks you to make a long list of high-stakes decisions. How much can you afford? Which mortgage fits your cash flow? Is the interest rate competitive? Will the lender accept your income, credit history, and financial documents?
- [Should You Use Your 401(k) to Pay Off Credit Card Debt?](https://askthemoneycoach.com/use-your-401k-to-pay-credit-card-debt/): The Financial Influencer Network (FIN) is a network of 33 financial educators, creators, and advisors. FIN provides practical financial education for people making real-world decisions about debt, saving, investing, and building wealth. One question now getting attention is whether using a 401(k) to eliminate credit card debt creates relief or a larger financial problem later.
- [BankSync vs Tiller: Which Budgeting Software Is Best for Real-Time Data?](https://askthemoneycoach.com/banksync-vs-tiller/): This article compares two prominent budgeting and financial tracking tools, BankSync and Tiller, focusing on their real-time data sync capabilities, platform integrations, and feature sets for personal and small-business finance management. BankSync offers broad multi-platform support (Google Sheets, Notion, Excel, Airtable, and AI agents) with high-frequency updates across bank, brokerage, and crypto accounts. Tiller specializes in automated daily transaction updates for Google Sheets and Excel, providing customizable budgeting templates, AI-driven insights, and bank-grade privacy. The analysis evaluates both options across key selection criteria, ease of use, reporting capabilities, pros and cons, and common user questions to help readers determine the best fit for their workflow.
- [How to Tell If Your Bank Is Actually Working for You](https://askthemoneycoach.com/how-to-tell-if-your-bank-is-working-for-you/): If you only take one thing from this, make it a short list of questions to put to any bank or credit union before you hand them your money. What do you charge me every month, and what do I have to do to avoid it? What rate do I earn on my savings, and how does it compare to the account you advertise to new customers? How do I reach a real person, and how long does that take? Where does your profit go? Is my money covered by deposit insurance, and who provides it? None of these are rude to ask, and the way a place responds to them is itself an answer. An institution that gives you clear numbers without a runaround is one you can plan around. One that dodges the question of what it charges is one that would rather you did not add it up. You are allowed to interview your bank before you choose it, in the same way it will look closely at you before it lends you anything. 
- [Why High Income Doesn’t Lead to High Net Worth](https://askthemoneycoach.com/high-income-vs-net-worth/): High income does not guarantee high net worth because wealth is built by what you keep, not just what you earn. Lifestyle inflation, lack of tax planning, and poor investment strategies can leave high earners with less wealth than those with lower salaries who exercise financial discipline. True wealth is the accumulation of assets over time, which requires a deliberate gap between your earnings and your spending.
- [Apple vs. OpenAI: The Trade-Secret Fight That Could Shape Your Next iPhone](https://askthemoneycoach.com/apple-vs-openai-trade-secret-fight-explained/): Apple vs. OpenAI are fighting in federal court over allegations that confidential Apple hardware information was taken and used after former Apple employees joined OpenAI.
- [Medicare Scam Calls Surge Before Open Enrollment](https://askthemoneycoach.com/medicare-scam-calls-open-enrollment/): Medicare Open Enrollment happens every year from October 15 through December 7. As that window approaches, many older adults receive a flood of calls, texts, emails, and mailings about coverage, benefits, and plan changes.
- [Is Debt Consolidation Worth It? The Math and the Trap](https://askthemoneycoach.com/is-debt-consolidation-worth-it-math-trap/): When credit card balances rise, debt consolidation can sound like a clean reset: one payment, one due date, and possibly a lower interest rate.
- [What To Do Immediately If You’ve Been Scammed](https://askthemoneycoach.com/do-this-immediately-if-youve-been-scammed/): If you have recently realized you were scammed, I want you to take a deep breath. You are likely feeling a mix of anger, embarrassment, and sheer panic. I have been in the financial world for a long time, and I can tell you one thing for certain: you are not alone.
- [Should You Rent From an Individual Owner or a Property Management Company?](https://askthemoneycoach.com/property-management-company/): Choosing between an individual owner and a property management company depends on whether you value personal flexibility or professional consistency. If you have an imperfect credit score or need to negotiate pet policies, an individual owner is often your best bet. If you prefer online rent payments, 24/7 maintenance hotlines, and luxury amenities, a property management company is usually the superior choice.
- [What First-Time Homebuyers Should Know Before Getting Pre-Approved](https://askthemoneycoach.com/first-time-homebuyer-pre-approval/): First-Time Homebuyer Pre-Approval can make buying a first home feel suddenly real. You upload documents, a lender reviews your finances, and a number appears: the approximate mortgage amount you may qualify to borrow.
- [The Psychology of Money: How Your Mindset Shapes Your Financial Decisions](https://askthemoneycoach.com/the-psychology-of-money/): Understanding the psychology of money helps us recognize how emotions, social influences and identity shape our financial behavior. Our beliefs about security, success and self-worth can influence how we earn, spend and save. Understanding those patterns does not replace budgeting. It can explain why a perfectly good budget keeps getting abandoned.
- [Money Lessons for Young Professionals: What to Get Right in Your 20s and 30s](https://askthemoneycoach.com/money-lessons-for-young-professionals/): Money Lessons for Young Professionals start with a simple truth: the solution is not perfection. It is sequencing. Andrew Kristofic, a financial advisor with Vantage Point Financial and a former University of Notre Dame offensive lineman, offers a useful metaphor through his career path: fundamentals and repetition matter. In money, as in athletics, the boring habits often create the biggest long-term advantage.
- [Year-End Tax Moves Small Business Owners Should Make Before December 31](https://askthemoneycoach.com/year-end-tax-moves-for-small-business-owners/): December can be deceptively busy for business owners. You are closing sales, collecting receivables, managing holidays and planning the next year. Then someone says, “Do something before December 31 to save taxes,” and suddenly Year-End Tax Moves for Small Business Owners can feel like a last-minute shopping spree.
- [Nevlin Cost: Understanding Learning Access and Study Resources](https://askthemoneycoach.com/nevlin-cost/): Nevlin is a financial learning app for building your understanding of money, from everyday fundamentals to investing concepts. You can start with your current knowledge and explore structured lessons at your own pace, with AI Assistant support along the way.
- [5 Money Mistakes Small Business Owners Make With Their Personal Finances](https://askthemoneycoach.com/small-business-owner-personal-finances/): A business can look successful from the outside while a small business owner’s personal finances quietly fall behind. Revenue is coming in, customers are paying, and payroll gets made. Yet the owner may be carrying credit-card debt, skipping retirement contributions, draining personal savings during a slow month, or treating every dollar in the company account as available to spend. Keeping small business owner personal finances separate from business finances is essential for building long-term financial stability.
- [7 Mistakes You’re Making with AI Financial Advice (and How to Fix Them)](https://askthemoneycoach.com/mistakes-ai-financial-advice/): Let’s be honest: having a genius-level financial assistant in your pocket 24/7 sounds like a dream. Whether you’re trying to figure out how your credit score is calculated or you're looking for a quick way to trim your grocery budget, tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are incredibly tempting.
- [The Invest America Account: A Deep Dive into the New Children’s Tax Break and Whether It’s Right for Your Family](https://askthemoneycoach.com/invest-america-account-children-tax-break-2/): Unlike a standard savings account, the Invest America account is an investment vehicle. By default, funds are placed in broadly diversified index funds (typically mirroring the S&P 500) overseen by the U.S. Treasury.
- [Human vs. AI: Why Major Banks Are Rehiring Workers After AI Layoffs Backfired ,  and What It Means for Your Career](https://askthemoneycoach.com/human-vs-ai/): If you’ve been scrolling through LinkedIn lately, you’ve likely felt a bit of "AI anxiety." Between the headlines about ChatGPT taking over coding and banks announcing massive automation plans, it’s easy to feel like the human worker is an endangered species.
- [4 HOA Red Flags I Learned the Hard Way (After Selling Two Condos in the Same Complex)](https://askthemoneycoach.com/hoa-red-flags-buying-selling-condo/): A recent Wall Street Journal story on spotting HOA risks before you buy a home stopped me in my tracks. I didn't even need to read past the headline to feel a jolt of recognition. 
- [4 Ways to Turn Your Home Equity Into Cash (Without Making a Costly Mistake)](https://askthemoneycoach.com/ways-to-turn-home-equity-into-cash/): You could be sitting on $200,000 in home equity and still struggle to come up with $20,000 when you need it.
- [How AI Is Making Online Scams More Convincing](https://askthemoneycoach.com/how-ai-is-making-online-scams-more-convincin/): Hey everyone, Earl here. We have always talked about being careful with your money, but the world just got a lot more complicated. AI is making online scams more sophisticated, personalized, and harder to recognize. For years, we could spot a scam from a mile away because of a misspelled word, a weird-looking logo, or a person on the phone who did not sound quite right. Those days are quickly disappearing.
- [Should You Rent From an Individual Owner or a Property Management Company?](https://askthemoneycoach.com/individual-landlord-vs-property-managemenr/): An individual landlord, often called a private owner, is someone who owns one or a few properties. They might be renting out their former home or a small investment property. This relationship is often more personal and less corporate.
- [Cheapest Ways to Buy Spices Online: Compare the Cost Per Ounce](https://askthemoneycoach.com/cheapest-ways-to-buy-spices-online/): No online seller has the lowest delivered price for every spice and every household. Check restaurant-supply retailers for large quantities of common spices, bulk-spice specialists for smaller bags and broader selection, and marketplaces for convenient comparisons. Add shipping, tax and any purchase-specific fees, then divide by the net ounces. If you expect to use only part of a bag while it remains flavorful, calculate the cost per usable ounce too.
- [Houston Landlords: 7 Estate-Planning Mistakes That Can Create a Family Crisis](https://askthemoneycoach.com/houston-landlords-estate-planning-mistakes/): Owning rental property makes estate planning significantly more complex than planning for a primary residence or a standard investment account. A comprehensive plan must account for more than just a passing of assets—it must handle tenants, active mortgages, liability insurance, business entities, property management, multi-beneficiary dynamics, and unexpected owner incapacity.
- [What To Do Immediately If You’ve Been Scammed](https://askthemoneycoach.com/what-to-do-if-youve-been-scammed/): If you have recently realized you were scammed, I want you to take a deep breath. You are likely feeling a mix of anger, embarrassment, and sheer panic. I have been in the financial world for a long time, and I can tell you one thing for certain: you are not alone.
- [Romance, Crypto, and Impersonation Scams Explained](https://askthemoneycoach.com/romance-scam-warning-signs/): Understanding the mechanics of these crimes is the first step toward building a permanent defense for your wealth and peace of mind. This guide explains three of the most pervasive categories of fraud: romance scams, cryptocurrency investment schemes, and impersonation tactics. By recognizing the patterns and behaviors shared by these criminals, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from becoming a target.
- [Who Really Pays for Credit Card Rewards?](https://askthemoneycoach.com/who-really-pays-for-credit-card-rewards/): Credit card rewards can feel like a bonus for spending you were already planning to do. Cash back, airline miles, hotel points, and sign-up offers are attractive because they appear to reduce the cost of everyday purchases.
- [Your Student Loan Payment Just Went Up: Here’s What You Need to Know](https://askthemoneycoach.com/student-loan-payment-went-up/): If your student loan payment increased, do not ignore the new bill and do not assume the amount is correct.
- [Average Forex Spreads: What Traders Should Know Before Choosing a Broker](https://askthemoneycoach.com/average-forex-spreads/): A minimum advertised spread tells you the lowest spread that may be available under certain conditions. It does not necessarily tell you what traders typically encounter over the course of an ordinary trading day. That is why average forex spreads can be a more useful comparison point. They do not tell you everything about the cost of trading, but they can provide a more realistic picture than focusing only on the smallest number in an advertisement.
- [How to Build Giving Into Your Budget Without Sacrificing Your Financial Stability](https://askthemoneycoach.com/how-to-budget-for-charitable-giving/): Generosity and financial responsibility do not have to compete. You can support your church, help a family member, contribute to a nonprofit, respond to a community need, or donate to a cause you care about without putting your own household in financial jeopardy.
- [The Most Common Scam Red Flags Everyone Should Know](https://askthemoneycoach.com/common-scam-red-flags-2/): Financial scammers are constantly evolving. They change their stories, update their scripts, and leverage new technology to appear legitimate. However, while their stories change, the underlying tactics remain remarkably consistent. If you can recognize the universal warning signs of fraud, you can spot a scam before it affects your bank account.
- [The Psychology Behind Financial Scams: Why Smart People Fall for Fraud](https://askthemoneycoach.com/psychology-of-financial-scams-2/): Intelligence is often seen as a shield against deception. We assume that if we are well educated, successful in our careers, and financially literate, we are immune to the tactics of a common fraudster. However, the reality of modern financial crime tells a different story. Scammers do not target your intellect. Instead, they target your biology.
- [How Landlords Evaluate Rental Applications](https://askthemoneycoach.com/how-landlords-evaluate-rental-applications/): Landlords evaluate rental applications by looking for three things: financial stability, a clean track record, and low risk. They primarily focus on your gross monthly income (which usually needs to be at least three times the rent), your credit score, and your history as a tenant. While every landlord has slightly different standards, most professional property managers use a standardized screening process to ensure they find a tenant who will pay on time and take care of the property.
- [Questions Every Tenant Should Ask Before Signing a Lease](https://askthemoneycoach.com/questions-to-ask-before-signing-a-lease/): Signing a residential lease is one of the most significant financial commitments you will make. It is not just a piece of paper that gives you a place to live: it is a binding legal contract that dictates your monthly cash flow and your daily quality of life. Many renters make the mistake of skimming the document and signing quickly to secure the unit. However, the best time to negotiate and clarify rules is before you put pen to paper.

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- [Speaking](https://askthemoneycoach.com/speaking/): Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®, isn’t your typical financial expert.
- [The Money Coach Recommends](https://askthemoneycoach.com/resources/): Welcome to the Money Coach Resources section, our new curated list of courses, tools and websites I personally recommend to help take your finances or your organizations finances to the next level.
- [Media](https://askthemoneycoach.com/media/): Members of the media and reporters on deadline can reach Lynnette 24/7 via email to info(AT)askthemoneycoach.com or contact us at 866-494-2461 ext 1.
- [Home](https://askthemoneycoach.com/): For over two decades, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox—The Money Coach®—has helped millions make smarter money decisions and build financial freedom.
- [Online Courses](https://askthemoneycoach.com/courses/): Money Coach University is a video-based learning platform that offers both free and paid courses to people interested in improving their personal finances and learning how to better manage their money.
- [Contact](https://askthemoneycoach.com/contact/): Lynnette Khalfani-Cox,The Money Coach®, is a personal finance expert, television and radio personality, and the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom. Lynnette once had $100,000 in credit card debt, before paying it all off in three years and turning her financial life around.

## Categories
- [AI](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/ai-finance-tools/): Stay ahead with AI insights. Explore how artificial intelligence transforms finance, business, and personal growth through innovative tools and trends.
- [AI Signal](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/ai-signal/)
- [Bankruptcy](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/bankruptcy/): Filing for bankruptcy is a drastic measure but sometimes you don’t have any other choice. Bankruptcy information stays on your credit report for up to 10 years. Bankruptcy is a legal way to discharge your debts, but filing bankruptcy will have the most negative effect on your credit score. It’s always in your best interest to make sure that information about the filing are reported to the credit bureaus correctly.
- [Blockchain](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/blockchain-technology-finance/): Discover the impact of blockchain technology on finance and business. Learn about cryptocurrency, innovative applications, and the future of decentralized systems.
- [Books](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/books/)
- [Bounce Back](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/bounce-back/)
- [Budget Friendly Travel](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/budget-friendly-travel/): A collection of articles that share budget-friendly travel ideas.
- [Budgeting](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/budgeting/): A budget is a detailed outline of what and how you choose to spend your money on. Not only on your day to day bills, but on what you will spend on your children, travel, home improvements, photography lessons, or some other hobby you enjoy.
- [Building Wealth](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/personal-finance/building-wealth/)
- [Business](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/business/)
- [Careers](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/careers/)
- [Couples and Money](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/personal-finance/couples-and-money/): Seventy percent of all divorced people cite money squabbles as a reason, at least in part, as a reason for their divorce.
- [Covid-19](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/covid-19-financial-resources/): Navigate the financial challenges of Covid-19. Find resources, relief programs, and expert tips for budgeting, recovery, and building resilience post-pandemic.
- [Credit Cards](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/credit-cards/): One of the hardest money habits to break is living off the credit cards. Whether you’ve enjoyed one too many shopping sprees or just count on your credit cards to take care of some bills now and then, increasing your debt load haphazardly is never a smart decision.
- [Credit Reports](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/credit-reports/): As a general matter, no one credit bureau report is “more important” than the others.
In today’s economic environment, they are all vitally critical to your personal finances.
- [Credit Scores](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/credit-scores/): Credit scores play a huge role in your financial and personal life. Credit scores impact your ability to get a mortgage or rent an apartment, they determine whether or not you will get approved for a student loan or credit card, and your credit scores even influence the rates you pay on car insurance. 

For those looking for a job, credit scores are equally important since many employers are checking job applicants' credit ratings before determining whom to hire. The best way to stay on top of your credit health is to check your credit reports at least once a year and review your credit scores as well. The most common type of credit score is the FICO score. It ranges from 300 to 850 point. The higher your credit score, the better off you are financially.
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- [Debt](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/debt/): Debt is a multi trillion dollar problem in America. If you look around you, you no doubt know somebody who has debt of some kind. You probably even have debt of your own you're looking to pay off.
- [Entrepreneurship](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/entrepreneurship/): Increasingly, more Americans are becoming entrepreneurs either by choice or because they have no other options. Articles in this category will cover a variety of topics of interest to entrepreneurs.
- [Family Finances](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/personal-finance/family-finances/): If you have a generous heart and at least a little bit of money in the bank, you may find yourself constantly being asked for cash or loans from family members and friends.
All of us go through personal or financial challenges in our lives. But when you start feeling like a piggybank for those closest to you, it’s time to establish healthy financial boundaries with relatives and other loved ones.
- [Featured](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/featured/)
- [Health is Wealth](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/health-is-wealth/): Explore the dynamic relationship between health and wealth in our 'Health' category. Discover articles on financial wellness, healthy finances, and strategies to achieve holistic wealth and well-being.
- [Identity Theft](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/scams/identity-theft/): Millions of people have been victimized by identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone steals your private information, such as your driver’s license or Social Security number, and uses that data for his or her own personal gain, to open credit accounts or take out loans in your name.
- [Insurance](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/insurance/): Make sure you have adequate protection for your home and auto, as well as life and disability insurance. This step will strengthen your finances and protect you and your family. Articles in this category cover all types of insurance including life insurance, health insurance as well as home, auto and disability insurance. It might be easier to use our search box to find the information you are looking for.
- [Investing](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/investing/): Here’s the single best investing tip I can offer: Focus on process not products.
Investors too often lose money by worrying too much about investment products, rather than directing their attention to the process of investing.
Far too many people fall into the trap of watching the latest Wall Street headlines on TV or in newspapers, magazines, and online publications, and then trying to chase returns. These investors are seduced by media headlines such as: “Experts Predict The Hottest Stocks of 2012” or “The Best Mutual Funds to Buy in the New Year.”
This is precisely the wrong way to go about investing. Investing should not be about chasing down individual products, but about how you can best manage the process of investing.
- [Loans](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/loans/): If you are in the market for any type of loan, here you will find relevant articles that will help you make informed decisions here.
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- [Now What](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/now-what/)
- [Paying for College](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/paying-for-college/): Unless you’ve been building up a college fund since your child was very young, you probably don’t have the money available to cover the costs of tuition, room and board at a four-year university or college.
According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the typical four-year public college was $8,244 during the 2011-12 school year. And that was the price for in-state students. The cost for out-of-state students averaged $12,526.
- [Personal Finance](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/personal-finance/): One of the biggest financial mistakes you can ever make is taking bad financial advice — or more accurately, applying financial advice the wrong way, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reason.
Following so-called “good” financial advice can actually get you into a world of economic trouble if you’re not careful. So, think about whether any of the following scenarios sound familiar when it comes to advice you might have taken — and later lived to regret.
- [Press Releases](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/press-releases/)
- [Real Estate](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/real-estate/): Here is a list of all of our articles posted under real estate on AskTheMoneyCoach.com.
- [Retirement](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/retirement/): Planning for your retirement can be an exciting endeavor, but also a scary prospect if you feel financially unprepared. 

So how do you know if you’re really economically ready to say goodbye to your colleagues and check out of the workforce? 

Articles in this category answer many of your questions about retirement planning, saving for retirement and various retirement topics.

You will find additional articles on retirement in my column that I write for  AARP.org
- [Saving Money](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/saving-money/): Saving money can be particularly tough on one or even two income households in today’s economy.  But there are many money-saving strategies that can boost your bank account and help you save a few hundred dollars per month.
- [Scams](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/scams/): It’s just too easy to be a victim of some of today’s debt scams and credit repair scams.
Many are marketed as valuable services for those who are dealing with serious debt problems, so if you’re in a tough financial situation, these “programs” seem to be the ultimate solution.
But understanding how these scams work and what red flags to look out for can help you make some well-informed decisions and avoid becoming a victim.
- [Student Loans](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/student-loans/): According to the Project on Student Loan Debt: Seven in 10 college graduates (71%) finish school with an average of $29,400 in student loan debt.
- [Surveys](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/surveys/)
- [Taxes](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/taxes/): It hurts to get a big tax bill and find out that you owe the government. But there are some ways you can start to lower your taxes in the future.
- [Uncategorized](https://askthemoneycoach.com/category/uncategorized/): This section contains articles such as our terms of service.

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In a nutshell, the 20% rule says that whatever the bottom-line number you come up with in terms of your monthly expenses is, add 20% to it in order to get your “true” monthly bills.
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- [401(K)](https://askthemoneycoach.com/tag/401k/): A 401(k) is a feature of a qualified profit-sharing plan that allows employees to contribute a portion of their wages to individual accounts.
- [401(k) contributions](https://askthemoneycoach.com/tag/401k-contributions/)
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- [401k plans](https://askthemoneycoach.com/tag/401k-plans/)
- [401k retirement](https://askthemoneycoach.com/tag/401k-retirement/)
- [401k savings 2026](https://askthemoneycoach.com/tag/401k-savings-2026/)
- [403(b)](https://askthemoneycoach.com/tag/403b/): A 403(b) plan (also called a tax-sheltered annuity or TSA plan) is a retirement plan offered by public schools and certain 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations.

Source - http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/IRC-403(b)-Tax-Sheltered-Annuity-Plans
- [403b plans](https://askthemoneycoach.com/tag/403b-plans/)