Real Clients, Real Success

Every client has a story. Setbacks. Hard work. Success. When you hear their stories you may be surprised at how much of yourself you see in their circumstances. No matter the differences, however, the end result is the same across every story - they decided to make a change and reached their goals as a result. You can do the same.

Financial Tips and Advice

We blog about all kinds of financial topics - from the psychology of spending to the simplest ways to cut costs. Browse our extensive backlog of educational articles.

  • Young woman holding small amount of cash

    How to Free Up Cash in Your Budget Each Month

    You don’t have to get a huge raise at work or move into a tiny apartment with five roommates to have more money to spend on the things you want. For an influx of cash, here are a few easy ways to free up money each month:
  • family at a local market

    How to Make the Most of Small Business Saturday

    Instead of spending your hard-earned cash at Amazon and big box retailers, consider doing the majority of your holiday shopping at small businesses. In honor of Small Business Saturday, here are a handful of ways you can use your holiday budget to support small, local businesses and score some cool gifts for everyone on your list:
  • woman consulting with a lawyer

    Student Loan Trouble? A Student Loan Attorney May Be Able To Help

    Attorneys who specialize in student loans may be able to assist you when you need to defend yourself in court, file a lawsuit against a company, or better understand your options from a legal perspective. Here's everything you need to know about student loan attorneys, what they can do, and how to find one.
  • graphic of a house inside a cage

    How to Remove Force-Placed Insurance

    Also known as collateral protection insurance, force-placed insurance is when a lender purchases insurance on your behalf. Unfortunately, this type of insurance is usually far more expensive than if you had purchased it on your own. If you've been stuck with this costly insurance, here's what you can do.
  • Proud shop owner in the middle of her store

    A Guide to Socially Conscious Holiday Shopping

    Do you like to shop locally, donate to charitable causes, and purchase products created by companies with values that sync up with your own? Why not extend that conscious capitalism during the holidays? Here are some ways to give thoughtful gifts this holiday season (and make a positive impact at the same time).
  • Woman sitting at laptop with credit card contemplating spending money

    Should You Ever Pay for Your Credit Score?

    It’s easier than ever to check your credit score. Your banks, credit union, credit card issuer, and a handful of online memberships sites all offer free access. However, while it generally doesn’t make sense to pay for something you can get for free, there are times when you might want to open your wallet.
  • stack of dollar bills with holiday bow on top

    6 Ways to Make More Cash During the Holidays

    One in four Americans plans on going into debt during the holidays. Better idea: use the holidays to make more cash and come out of the year with a surplus. Here are some of our favorite ways to generate extra income during the holiday season.
  • holiday shopper checking for deals online

    Best Apps That Reward You for Shopping

    Everyone wants your business, and thanks to that competition it's never been easier to get perks just for being a customer. There are a handful of apps that make it easy for you to get cash back or rewards when you shop. Here are some of our favorites:
  • woman attempting to scam disaster survivors

    Disaster Recovery: How to Spot and Respond to a Scam

    Following a disaster, we often see a spike in contractor scams, price gouging, and phony charities, making an already difficult situation even worse. It’s critical that you know how to spot a scam, and how to report bad actors before they make a difficult situation even worse.
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  • The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education. Today, nearly 300 of these groups participate in the federation and govern it through their representatives on the organization's Board of Directors.

  • The National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER) is the nation’s oldest and largest higher education finance trade association. NCHER’s membership includes state, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education service organizations, including lenders, servicers, guaranty agencies, collection agencies, financial literacy providers, and schools, interested and involved in increasing college access and success. It assists its members in shaping policies governing federal and private student loan and state grant programs on behalf of students, parents, borrowers, and families.

  • Since 2007, the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF) has served as a trusted, neutral source of information for more than eight million homeowners. They are partnered with, and endorsed by, numerous major government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Treasury.

  • The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD works to strengthen the housing market in order to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; and build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination.

  • The Council on Accreditation (COA) is an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. Their mission is to partner with human service organizations worldwide to improve service delivery outcomes by developing, applying, and promoting accreditation standards.

  • The National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), founded in 1951, is the nation’s largest and longest-serving nonprofit financial counseling organization. The NFCC’s mission is to promote the national agenda for financially responsible behavior, and build capacity for its members to deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services.