Archive - January 2021

If 2020 taught us anything, it was to maintain an emergency fund, ready for when we need it most. An emergency fund is an amount of money set aside to cover unforeseen expenses, or, the extra money that is set back to cover basic expenses when there are drastic changes to your income. Emergency funds can be used for small emergencies or extreme emergencies. How much a person needs in an emergency fund is unique and varies based on personal circumstances. Common reasons that...

Here we go...another new year, another round of resolutions. Whether you’ve decided your New Year’s Resolution will again be to lose those 10 pounds, organize your office, or learn how to speak a new language – on your list of “things to do” in the New Year should also include giving your finances a check-up!

The start of a new year is a great time to review and re-evaluate your budget. It’s easy after the end of the year to gather...

It’s that time of year when many of us will be receiving a tax return from the IRS (hopefully). But, the reality is that many of us don’t use that refund responsibly and we squander it away in a short period of time.

Don’t worry, you can still be excited and dance a little while holding that check in your hands, but once the excitement wears off, begin to change your carefree spending habits and start being responsible...

Debt affects nearly every consumer, no matter what financial situation you find yourself in. According to the Federal Reserve1, American's hold nearly $4.2 Trillion (yes, with a T) in consumer debt, or, roughly $38,000 per person. This number excludes mortgage debt but includes everything else: student loans, credit cards, vehicle loans, personal loans, and other debts.

If digging out of debt is on your financial to-do list,...

The year 2020 is officially in the books, and rather than “hindsight being 2020”, 2020 is now officially hindsight. It was a year that no one could have planned for, where time seemed to both fly by and stand still. It was a year where, for many, the “highs” seemed hard to find, and the “lows” just seemed to keep on coming.

Though 2020 provided a lot of forgettable moments, for CSE, it also provided numerous opportunities to make a significant impact...