Four Money Books to Match the New High School Grad

by Carol H Cox

young woman thinking

Perhaps reading a personal finance book is not the most exciting way to spend an afternoon for most people, but it can be a great way for teens and young adults to learn some important money management skills they’ll need once they’re on their own.

You may be a young adult wanting to educate yourself about personal finance or maybe you’re a parent or grandparent searching for a helpful money book for a graduating high school senior. Whatever the case, choosing a personal finance book with an approach that matches the reader’s personality will likely be the easiest to digest. Continue reading “Four Money Books to Match the New High School Grad”

March 26, 2018

3 Exceptional Women’s Podcasts

By Carol H Cox

For Women’s History Month, I decided to share with you three of my favorite women-centered podcasts. The hosts are women and their shows touch on women’s issues. The first podcast is about women and work, the next revolves around personal finance issues, and the last is a fun mix of current events, entertainment, and miscellaneous musings of the hosts. Continue reading “3 Exceptional Women’s Podcasts”

January 31, 2018March 1, 2018

On the Front Line for Teen Literacy

By Carol H Cox

Public school systems that offer personal finance courses are still the exception, and not the rule. The 2016 Council for Economic Education Survey of the States found that only 17 states required high schools students to complete a course on personal finance. State public educational systems are huge bureaucracies that take a long time and a lot of energy to change course. We can’t solely depend on public education to provide the personal finance training that our children need to prepare them for post-high school life. We parents need to fill this void. Continue reading “On the Front Line for Teen Literacy”

December 22, 2017February 1, 2018

6 Things College Students Need to Know About Credit Cards

By Carol H Cox

Credit cards are a fact of life for many young adults. They make paying for things more convenient, they can be used to build good credit (or bad), they can be used to make purchases in most places, and they can be welcome resources in an emergency.

In short, they can be very valuable, and a lot of college students have them. (Based on a recent FICO study, 67% of 18 to 24 year-olds have credit cards.) But in order for credit cards to be a positive rather than a negative factor in a young adult’s life, they need to be cared for carefully. You don’t want to take them for granted.

Just like a car, they have to be regularly maintained. If you had an auto and didn’t maintain it, failed to give it regular oil changes and tune-ups, eventually the vehicle would cease to run. After a while it wouldn’t be safe to drive, and one day it would leave you in the lurch somewhere.

Credit cards are the same way—if you neglect them, they can make your life miserable.

Continue reading “6 Things College Students Need to Know About Credit Cards”

May 5, 2017February 1, 2018

5 Favorite Personal Finance Podcasts

By Carol H Cox

Photo: Ryan McGuire

If you’re like me, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all your reading done. Like many people, I use my cell phone as a way of consuming information, whether it’s reading books on my Kindle app, perusing favorite blogs, or reviewing Twitter feeds.

Lately, I’ve been turning to podcasts to find interesting and timely information about personal finance. I often listen while driving, walking my dog, or doing work around the house. Here are my five all-time favorites in no particular order:

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

You may have seen Jean Chatzky on TV at the Today Show, Oprah, or the View. She’s a financial journalist who provides outside-the-box topics on money matters in her weekly podcast. Most shows average about 30 minutes (enough for a 1-plus mile walk) and feature a guest expert. Even though the podcast title is HERMoney, most of the subjects are relevant to both men and women. Such podcast titles as “I Am My Own Worst Enemy,” “Stop Being a Broke Millennial,” and “Eyes Wide Shut! Arianna Huffington Teaches Us How to Sleep Our Way to Success,” easily hooked me. And at the end of every show Jean tackles a few questions from listeners on pressing personal finance concerns.

Continue reading “5 Favorite Personal Finance Podcasts”