Mike Wilkens REALTOR BHHS Fox & Roach

Here's how to protect yourself from being pressured into buying an extended warranty.

When to Buy Extended Warranty? Usually Never You just bought a new dishwasher, TV, tablet, refrigerator or other big-ticket item you’ve been want...

Banks vary in the fees that they charge. Your best protection against hidden fees is to find out which ones your financial institutions enforce.

Hidden Bank Fees to Look Out For Fees can eat away at your money if you don’t keep on top of your banks enforced regulations. U.S. co...

You could be holding yourself back from saving. Here's how to get your head in the game.

Mind Games Are Preventing You from Saving Money Saving money can be difficult, and sometimes your frame of mind can hold you back. Here are some neg...

No. 1 Know your billing cycle start date.

How to Earn Credit Card Grace-Period Perks If you pay your credit card bill in full each month and don’t pay interest, you’re using your credit...

Did you know you can gift savings?

Contribute to a 529 College Savings Plan With Gift Cards Parents contributing to a 529 college savings plan may find it difficult, if not a little time-consu...

Some expired medications can be especially harmful if kids or pets get ahold of them.

How to Properly Dispose of Unused Medicine Is your home’s medicine cabinet full of expired drugs or medications you no longer use? It might be ...

Looking to build your savings? Start by cutting out your smaller expenses.

Cutting Smaller Expenses Can Help You Save Big Money Saving money is often easier said than done, but if you’re serious about bulking up your savings acc...

A child is more likely to say please and thank you if parents make a habit of using those phrases themselves.

How to Model Positive Behaviors for Your Kids Children learn by observing others around them, particularly their parents. Kids often imitate what ...

Add a splash of green to your space!

Here's Why You Should Decorate With Green Regardless of the shade, adding elements of green to your home can improve your mood, complement you...

Is using WiFi at your local coffee shop putting you at risk for hacking?

How to Protect Your Identity Online Protecting your identity online requires more than just ignoring spam emails from unknown senders, e...

Are you thinking of creating a smart home? Here are the pros and cons.

Pros and Cons of Smart Appliances Smart appliances can make life easier and more convenient. Since the technology is relatively new, m...

These tips could help you get the most out of your credit card and avoid financial missteps.

Tips for Using Credit Cards Wisely “Sure, just charge it to my credit card.” It’s a phrase we say at stores and restaurants from time t...

Want to lower your utility bills? Try these easy DIY tasks.

4 Ways to Slash Utility Bills With a DIY Energy Audit Fixing a few of your home’s most likely trouble spots can improve energy efficiency and save you a b...

Looking to keep your computer files safe? Take this precautionary step.

Using Encryption to Protect Your Computer No matter how complex your computer password is, it isn’t enough to stop a thief from using other me...

Here are some tips for letting more light into your home. Which room are you looking forward to brightening up?

Add Some Light and Life to Your Rooms Want to brighten up a room but don’t have the time to paint or the budget to add a window? Con...

Heard about a recent increase in interest rates? Here's how it could affect your credit card and loan terms.

How Federal Rate Increases Affect Credit Cards and Loans If you’ve ever noticed a rise in interest rates in the news or saw your credit card bill get a littl...

College can get expensive, so you may want to start saving early.

When Should You Start Saving for Your Children's College Education? If you have or plan to have children, you want them to have a bright future and to be successful and...

These smart home devices could help simplify your life as a homeowner.

Smart Home Technology You Can Easily Integrate Into Your Home Smart home technology is advancing beyond telling your phone or internet-enabled device to play musi...

It can be overwhelming, but here's how you can get back on track.

Behind on Mortgage Payments? Follow These Tips Everyone who takes out a mortgage hopes to be able to make payments on time, but life sometimes gets...

If you're expecting a raise this year, congratulations! Now it's time to make some financially savvy decisions.

What to Do With Extra Money From a Raise If you recently got a raise, you’re probably thrilled that your boss recognized your hard work...

Pro You may not even need wedding insurance!

Pros and Cons of Wedding Insurance Rain, the bride falling into a pool, a wedding cake falling over, and deposit money that’s lost beca...

When it comes to protecting yourself from dangerous phone scams, caution is key.

Quick Tips to Avoid Phone Scams We’ve all experienced it: The phone rings and you don’t recognize the number, but you answer anyway....

There is an art to communication. Hone your listening skills with these tips.

3 Tips to Improve Your Listening Skills Are you having trouble communicating with your partner, friends or colleagues? Do you forget what yo...

Having trouble hitting your hydration marks? These tips might help.

Tips to Keep You Hydrated While we all know water is essential for our health, not all of us enjoy chugging those recommended ...

Guests on the way? Here's how to fake a clean home, fast!

How to Fake a Clean Home in 15 Minutes We’ve all been there: guests are scheduled to arrive in 15 minutes, but you got caught up, and...

Your household items could be more valuable than you think. Here are some tips for repurposing to save.

New Tricks for Old Throwaway Items For many of us, mom’s ‘use-it-up, make-it-last, wear-it-out’ mantra was our introduction to thriftin...

Rolling coins to take to the bank doesn't have to be a chore.

Turning Spare Change into Spending Cash Not using your credit card enough sounds like an odd reason to have a mortgage application denied, b...

Getting them in the habit of helping early on can help establish a routine.

How to Get Your Kids to Help With Chores Raising a family means dealing with laundry, cooking, cleaning and other chores. Parents often feel ...

Looking into a federal student loan? Here's what you need to know.

A Breakdown of How Student Loans Work Federal student loans are often the first step for students looking for help paying for college. Whi...

What's your go-to method for saving?

How to Save for Retirement If You're Self-Employed Working for yourself comes with a lot of responsibilities—and funding a retirement plan should be on...