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Articles by Tess Wicks
4 Great Uses for a Cash-Out Refinance
6 second take: Property values are generally trending up, which makes this a great time to take cash out on your home. Here are four great ways to use your home equity. You’ve probably heard that property values are on the rise. According to Quicken Loans, appraised values have risen 6.47 percent annually. With many homeowners likely seeing their equity on the rise, it’s a great time to use the extra cash for other purposes.
Coping With Illness During Retirement: The Scabby Thing on My Head
6 second take: Illness happens unexpectedly. But when you have your financial ducks in a row, you can focus on your health. Let’s stipulate right at the beginning that I’ve been lucky. Not everyone has access to the medical resources on which I’ve been able to draw. Most relevant here, Scripps College, where I taught for more than 35 years, offers good medical benefits and helps its faculty to continue those benefits into retirement.
Cheap Dental Care Without Insurance: Where to Look
6 second take: Dentist bills are enough to make anyone’s jaw drop. But even if you don’t have insurance, there’s a way to get cheap dental care. When I got divorced, dental insurance was the last thing on my mind. Though it wouldn’t have changed anything, I had no idea how expensive the out-of-pocket costs would be. A teeth cleaning alone would cost me upward of $100, and I don’t even want to talk about how much for a crown or filling.
Renting Out Your House: Beware Unexpected Costs
6 second take: Renting out your house may seem like a great way to earn extra dough, but there are costs that come along with it. I remember when we first tried to sell our old home over a decade ago. It was a period of immense change in the household. Our youngest was graduating and going off to college, and our oldest was graduating from college and going to graduate school.
What to Know About Homeowners Insurance
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners, CentSai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: Homeowners insurance is both confusing and necessary. So what should you look for when shopping for the right plan? Whether you rent or own, you should have insurance. As a homeowner, your mortgage lender will require you to have an insurance policy to protect your property value.
How to File a Home Insurance Claim
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners, CentSai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: Floods, fires, and other emergencies may drive you to the “big claims” department. Here’s what you should do to make sure that you get paid. We were just four days away from the end of our vacation in L.A. when a defective pipe burst under the master bathroom sink. Our home in Atlanta was drenched with water.
Why Is Disability Insurance Important? A Breakdown
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners, CentSai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: Get it now when you’re able and earning. One little fall could throw your life off-balance. Take a second to think about your most important and valuable asset. Your car? Your engagement ring? That collection of Beanie Babies from the 1990s?
How to Shop for Insurance When You're LGBTQ
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners, CentSai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: If you’re part of the LGBTQ community, you may have some additional concerns when looking for insurance. Here’s how to navigate the world of insurance shopping. The LGBTQ community has made significant strides in recent years, winning legal, political, and cultural victories, including the right to marry.
The Cost of Cancer Treatment: Are You Prepared?
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners, CentSai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: Apart from its physical and emotional toll, cancer can financially devastate its victim’s family. I always considered cancer to be a disease that affects only the elderly. My great-grandmother passed from cancer, and as sad as it was, her death was not tragic. She had lived a full life and passed away surrounded by loved ones.
How to Find a Cheap Dentist Without Insurance
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners CentSai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: Dentist bills are enough to make anyone’s jaw drop. But even if you don’t have insurance, there’s a way to get cheap dental care. When I got divorced, dental insurance was the last thing on my mind. Not that it would have changed anything, but I had no idea how expensive it would be! More than $100 for a cleaning? What?
What Is Business Insurance? Why Do You Need It?
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners CentSai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: The best time to sign onto a policy is now. Don’t wait until after you suddenly have to face an unexpected loss or claim. I’m an insurance junkie. I’m the person who calls her insurance agent to ask what line 15 on page 42 of her car insurance policy means. Because I read my policies.
The Economic Cost of Mental Illness Can Destroy Families
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners Centsai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: Mental illness is a stark reality that millions of families live with. The choice is simple: Either treat it with every resource you’ve got or be prepared to lose more than your money. I write about personal finance often.
The Economic Cost of Mental Illness Can Destroy Families' Finances
I write about personal finance often. I get honest about my current money situation and financial fitness, and I open up about my past money mistakes with the hope that others can learn from where I’ve gone wrong. But there’s nothing harder than talking about the least-discussed element of the story: how mental health disorders have affected our money. One in five adults face mental illness every year, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need? Know When to Change
Life insurance should change as your life changes. Learn when, how, and why to adjust your coverage. This post is sponsored by Ladder. Ladder, an insurtech (insurance technology) company focused on term life insurance, makes it easy to get life insurance online and increase or decrease your term life insurance coverage as your life changes. With Ladder, applying for insurance can take as little as five minutes, and you will receive an instant decision on coverage.
What Is Financial Therapy, and Do You Need It?
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners Centsai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: Hiding money from your partner? Feeling anxious about your finances? Time to call in the financial therapist — a professional who can help you feel “normal” about money. Have you ever made an impulse purchase that resulted in feelings of guilt, anger, or anxiety? I certainly have.
Find the Best Real Estate Crowdfunding Sites: 4 Reviews
CentSai relies on reader support. When you buy from one of our valued partners Centsai may earn an affiliate commission. Advertising Disclosure 6 second take: You don’t have to take out a mortgage or have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spare if you want to invest in real estate. Real estate crowdfunding sites have begun to offer the option to invest in real estate without having hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy an individual property.
Ways to Invest Money Without Hurting Your Budget
6 second take: Finding money to invest without hurting your budget can be much easier than you’d imagine. Investing is difficult for many reasons. I’ve heard countless people say they can’t find the money to spare after they have covered their monthly expenses. Sure, everyone has their own sets of budgetary constraints. Whether you’re just getting on your feet after leaving home, after getting married, or after having a child, finding money to invest is always a challenge.
Is Dental Insurance Worth It?
6 second take: Purchasing dental insurance isn’t always a clear-cut decision. It can get tricky, and it may not always be the best choice. Not having insurance can possibly bankrupt you. One bad car accident or illness could easily result in tens of thousands of dollars in bills. So, we buy insurance. I buy auto and health insurance because I don’t want to go bankrupt. But what about dental insurance? Can the average person save money by foregoing it and just paying for care as needed?
Is a Home-Repair Warranty Worth Your Money?
6 second take: Many people take on home-repair warranties almost in a reflex action. But sometimes having those warranties may not be worth the money. Say it’s the fifth day of temperatures over 98 degrees in South Carolina during a summer of record heat. Your air conditioning system has kept you cool through it all. That is, until now. The unit is still spinning, but the air coming out isn’t cool. The temperature in your house starts to climb. What do you do?
A New-Home Warranty Is a Must-Have — Here's Why | CentSai
6 second take: If you buy a new house, you should take advantage of the new-home warranty that comes with it. It could easily save you hundreds — even thousands — of dollars. Deciding whether to buy a new home or a resale one is a complicated process. There are plenty of factors that could swing your decision either way, depending on your situation. But one benefit of buying new is the new-home warranty that the builder packages in with your house.
How Does Car Insurance Work? A Guide
6 second take: Car insurance can be confusing if you don’t know the terminology. But once you learn it, getting covered isn’t very complicated. Car insurance is a necessity in today’s world. You want to be covered if the unfortunate happens and you get in a car accident. But understanding the details of car insurance policies can be confusing if you aren’t familiar with the typical types of coverage and the policies’ terminology. Here’s what you need to know the next time you go to get a quote.
Medical Crowdfunding: How Effective Is It, Really?
How Effective Is Medical Crowdfunding? Nov 21, 2018 • 3 minute read 6 second take: The rising cost of health care is driving many desperate people to online fundraising platforms. But how effective is crowdfunding to pay for medical bills? One quick search for “health insurance” on GoFundMe, a popular crowdfunding website, and more than 181,000 results appear.
5 Reasons Why Disability Insurance Is A Must
5 Reasons Why Disability Insurance Is A Must Take a second to think about your most important and valuable asset. Your car? Your engagement ring? That collection of Beanie Babies from the 1990s? You missed the one asset that is greatly undervalued and often goes unprotected. It’s your own ability to make an income. I’m going to say that again, but differently… Earning a living drives everything we do. It even drives our ability to acquire more “valuable” assets.
7 Kinds of Insurance Policies Everybody Should Consider
There are more kinds of insurance than just healthcare. So make sure that you’ve got everything covered – literally! From healthcare to disability insurance, make sure that you’re covered! For National Insurance Awareness Day (June 28), Tess Wicks took a dive into what kinds of insurance policies everybody should have – or at least consider. She even discovered a few that you may not have thought of.
How One Woman Became a Real Estate Mogul
If you ever wanted a house, but wondered how you can afford a mortgage, you’re in luck. Tess Wicks has some great real estate tips and tricks for you. Okay, maybe not exactly a mogul. But Tess Wicks – a twenty-something currently living in Chicago – is still a super-savvy real estate investor. How does she do it, you ask?
How I Quadrupled My Retirement Savings In 2 Years As A 20-Something
Do you ever wonder how you would spend a million dollars? It’s one of my favorite ways to daydream. I’m a little boring, though. I’d pay off my partner’s student loan debt, buy a two-bedroom house, spend four months in Europe, and invest the rest. I’d be investing just around $600,000, by my estimate. That’s one heck of a nest egg. I’m 28 and building my nest egg is on my mind a lot.
5 Reasons Why Disability Insurance Is A Must
Take a second to think about your most important and valuable asset. Your car? Your engagement ring? Your collection of Beanie Babies from the 1990s? You missed the one asset that is greatly undervalued and often goes unprotected – your own ability to make an income. I’m going to say that again, but differently… Earning a living drives everything we do. It even drives our ability to acquire more “valuable” assets. And what do we do for our most important assets? We protect them.
What Is Faith-Based Healthcare And Do I Qualify?
It’s no secret that – in addition to not living up to its name – the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has not been everything that many of us had hoped it to be. Every day, I read more about people’s premiums soaring. Many simply pay the penalty every year because they can’t afford the monthly premiums and still afford things – you know, like food. And rent.
Eat, Pray and... Pay A Low Premium
The health insurance open season began on November 1, and with the dramatic rise in the cost of many health insurance policies, people are searching for affordable insurance options. One form of health insurance that has become popular since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect are Health Care Sharing Ministries (or HCSMs). These are non-profit organizations whose members generally hold a common belief and agree to “share” the cost of members’ medical care.
A Young Woman On Why She Dropped 'Obamacare'
Casey, a 30-year-old from New Jersey, decided to pay a tax penalty instead of paying for her health insurance. Why? “I started with Obamacare, then quickly realized it was not worth it because of the $3,000 deductible,” she says. People like Casey are in a quandary. If they don’t pay for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) they face a stiff tax penalty.
Can Crowdfunding Help Pay Your Healthcare Costs?
One quick search on GoFundMe, a popular crowdfunding website, for “health insurance,” and over 43,000 results appear. Hundreds of donors from around the world back individuals to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars in order to help friends – and sometimes even strangers – pay their medical bills.
The Best Time to Start Your Retirement Savings is Today
Retirement may seem like a distant goal to today’s millennials. But time flies, get in early to reach your million dollar target. “What are your thoughts on retirement?” I asked that question to a handful of my millennial peers and fellow millennial crusaders. But it’s not the thought of retiring to the sandy beaches of Florida with a piña colada in hand that makes retirement so appealing to me – although, that does sound nice.
The Best Time to Start Your Retirement Savings is Today
“What are your thoughts on retirement?” I asked that question to a handful of my millennial peers and fellow millennial crusaders. But it’s not the thought of retiring to the sandy beaches of Florida with a piña colada in hand that makes retirement so appealing to me – although, that does sound nice. No, I love how the act of saving for retirement gives me and my peers a seamless entry point to become investors without even thinking about it.
Words and Money: 5 Must-Read Money Books for Your 20s - a Soloshow
W+M 035: 5 Must-Read Money Books for Your 20s with Tess (a soloshow)Take the survey (3 minutes - 7 questions - You can do it!)In this episode I dive into the 5 books I read in my early 20s that have helped me get clear and gain confidence around my finances. There are books for every aspect of your life, whether you're just starting down your financial journey or you're looking for a new way to view your finances and your future.
Words and Money: What They Don't Tell You About Homeownership with Lauren Bowling
Lauren Bowling is an ex-actor and reformed shopaholic turned finance blogger and business owner. Her message to anyone out there is this, "If I can go from financial sh*t show, to a financially independent adult, you definitely can." Her blog is LBeeandTheMoneyTree.com where she shares her journey from financial mess to financial success. In this episode, Lauren and I dive into the pros and cons of homeownership and the home buying process.
Turning 26? A Health Insurance Guide for 20-Somethings
In the good ol’ U.S. of A., children can only stay on their parents’ health insurance until they turn 26. Well, I just turned 26. My last glimmer of childhood has been extinguished. Why did I, like many others, stay so long on my parents’ health care plan? Basically because it’s free for me and free for them. My parents have a pretty decent health care plan and we always hit our deductible, after which I typically get sick or hurt. Like in the fall. The fall is a dangerous time for me.
SDIHW 032: Do Things That Terrify You - From Fighter Pilot to News Correspondent
Lea is a correspondent at the Fox News Channel, fills in as an anchor and comes on as a national security and aviation expert on the FOX Business Network and Fox News Channel. Her background is in the military starting out at the Naval Academy and on active duty for 12 years, leaving as an Officer, Lieutenant Commander. After the Naval Academy she was selected to attend Navy Flight School and flew F/A-18s for the Navy.
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