First Alliance Blog

As you may have heard from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Christmas, Christmas, time is here. Time for toys and time for cheer. The only problem is that in addition to toys and cheer, Christmas is also time for office holiday party gifts, groceries for Christmas dinner, new Christmas outfits, and traveling expenses.

One of the most famous Christmas stories of all time has to be Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” Ever since Dickens published the book in 1843, audiences have thrilled to the telling of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption at the hands of four ghosts. Despite the countless adaptations, reexaminations and parodies that flood the airwaves during the Christmas season, it never seems to grow old.

It can feel like taking care of your family and saving money are contradictory goals, but that is only the case if you do not plan things out. You have to be savvy in order to push through common financial pitfalls and create a steady savings. One way you can do this is by taking up couponing.

Savings can help you achieve any financial goal. Whether it's a comfortable retirement, a down payment for a house or a new car, you can get there by consistently setting money aside. And best of all, you can have what you want, without getting deep in debt. If you're like most people, you don't save as much as you'd like or you don't save at all.

Everything could be okay right at this moment. You have enough money in the bank, both you and your partner could have good jobs, and the two of you have both savings and retirement accounts. But all of that could go away in an instant. Either you or your partner could lose your jobs, one of you could be involved in an accident, or you could experience a decrease in pay. What will happen to your savings or possibly even your retirement?

The summer season is a time of year when your utility bills can get out of hand if you aren't careful. From watering the lawn and the flowers because of a lack of rain to running the air conditioner. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can save on almost any utility bill while staying comfortable in the heat of the summer months.

Whether you're just getting started in your career or are already a seasoned pro, your first step in planning for retirement is estimating how much you need to save. 

Healthcare has long been a hot topic for Americans. At First Alliance, we often get questions about Health Savings Accounts or HSA's. HSA's are a really good way to save for medical expenses, and reduce your taxable income. 

You have probably encountered at one point being hit with a fee for transferring money out of your savings account one too many times. This is often called an excessive withdrawal fee, and I was little surprised when it first happened to me too. I was naturally annoyed that my financial institution would charge me a fee to access my own money, but this is what I learned about that annoying fee after doing a little research and now I know how to avoid this fee in the future.

We can all stand to be better at money management, but sometimes it can feel really overwhelming to tackle. The good news, you don’t have to make huge, sweeping changes to your life or habits to be better at managing your finances. Try some of these quick tips to help you gain control over your finances.