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The divorce may have been painful but the day-to-day agony of dealing with an ex-spouse that will not pay child support is worse.  If you are struggling and just cannot seem to get help, you may want to employ a few new strategies to help cope.  First, do not deny visitation.  If your spouse is involved and invested in your child’s life he may be more willing to pay support, if not now at least when he has the money.  For yourself, do not plan your personal budget using the support as income.  … [Read more...]

Holiday shoppers are bombarded with offers for store credit cards this time of year.  They are enticed to apply for a store credit card in order to receive a special discount to be applied to purchases that day.  However, you must remember that to save 10% or 15% on today’s purchase you may be paying more in interest on the balance because store credit cards usually carry higher interest rates than bankcards.  Moreover, multiple inquires can also negatively affect your credit score if you take … [Read more...]

If you are a resident of Illinois, you may be able to continue your current health insurance policy after January 1 even if it does not meet all of the requirements of health plans under the Affordable Healthcare Act.  The Illinois Department of Insurance decided to renew current plans so that customers will have more time to review their options and transition into the health care system under Obamacare.  The extensions came after thousands of individuals received cancellations notices from … [Read more...]

The holiday season is a time when many people give to others.  It is especially important this season as we see the horrible devastation caused by severe weather here at home and across the world.  However, you must be careful when giving to charities because scam artists are clever and will use your empathy to steal money from you and from the survivors.  By doing your research and keeping careful records, you can avoid charity scams this year.  Requesting information from the organization and … [Read more...]

Flipping houses is becoming popular again as the housing market continues to improve from the 2008 crash.  For first time “flippers” excited about the possibility of purchasing a cheap “fixer upper” and turning it over for a nice profit, it is easy to make mistakes.  From going over budget when buying a home to neglecting to have a home inspection, first time home flippers must be careful not to sabotage their profits from the beginning. For more tips about house flipping read, “7 Things Not … [Read more...]

If you still do not understand the uninsured penalty that will be imposed on people with no health insurance next year under Obamacare, you are not alone.  The news is full of stories about how the Affordable Healthcare Act is not working; however, very few have tried to explain, in simple terms, how the tax penalty works.  For example, the tax penalty will not apply to everyone.  For others, having a health insurance policy that provides “minimum essential coverage” will avoid the … [Read more...]

Bidding wars are becoming popular in many real estate markets as buyers try to get the best deal on the best homes.  However, sometimes a bidding war can result in the buyer overpaying for the home and realizing it too late.  In a cash situation where you may not be required by a lender to obtain an appraisal, if you are caught up in a bidding war that you are determined to win, you may not realize that you are overpaying for the home.  A professional realtor should warn you when your bids are … [Read more...]

With the holiday season upon us, more people will be on the roads traveling for the holidays.  Speeding to get to grandmother’s house before dinner may be tempting; however, remember when traveling through other states you are dealing with their laws.  Law enforcement will be stepping up their efforts to control holiday traffic and that includes issuing more tickets for speeding.  If you are stopped for speeding and the officer issues a ticket, you may not be stuck paying the fine.  There are … [Read more...]

Planning for the future is important for everyone; however, for single parents it is vital so that you and your children remain financially secure.  Even though it is not something you might want to think about, you should begin with estate planning.  Consulting with an estate attorney will make sure that you have everything in order and that your wishes are carried out.  Saving for college, retirement and emergencies must be balanced with paying current bills and expenses. For more financial … [Read more...]

Businesses are lobbying the IRS to reduce the amount of information that they must collect and report to the IRS under Obamacare.  The IRS needs as much information as possible to enforce penalties for non-insured individuals and is using employers to gather and report that information.  Information that must be reported includes the birth dates and Social Security numbers of employees’ children.  Businesses allege that reducing just some of the information required to be reported would help … [Read more...]