debt

When you are newly hitched and learning how to combine your essential legal and financial information as well as your accounts, it can be confusing.

Many people live together before getting married and have begun the process of combining accounts and sharing responsibilities. However, some people wait to do this only after marriage, and others wait until they're married to live together. Whichever path you've chosen, it's still crucial to know a few tips to manage money together as newlyweds to determine where you should begin and how you can remain on the same page.

Discussing Money Motivations

As we begin to share money with our significant other, we soon find out what one person may rank as a priority regarding money and the other may not. As such, sitting down and discussing money motivations is important. Two people who cannot agree on how to handle money may cause serious issues. This should include:

  • How to deal with money following payday. Is a percentage put into savings? Is that the day to splurge on dinner, drinks, and more?
  • The frequency and size of payments made to debts. Some people like to pay minimums, whereas others pay in full or make double payments.
  • What do you each consider money well spent? Is it a new 70" 4K television? Is it an investment? Is it paying as much debt off as possible?
  • How do you go about consulting each other before making purchases over a certain amount?

Establishing Financial Goals

After you evaluate the motivations behind your money and how it should be spent, you'll need to spend time together hashing out financial goals. As newlyweds, there are certain things on your list that you're going to want to save for. How do you go about that? How much of each paycheck will you dedicate to a particular fund?

Some things in the future worth making a financial plan for include savings and paying down debts. This is the time to be honest about your current financial standing. If you're looking to buy a home, you'll want to assemble a first-time homeowner financial checklist to begin to develop topics of conversation. Some of the things to consider setting goals for are:

  • Student loans
  • Car loans
  • Future children
  • A house
  • Medical bills
  • Delinquencies on credit reports
  • Vacation and rainy-day funds
  • Emergency funds

Budgeting Together

The more honest and open you can be with each other about the money you have and now the debts you share, the better. Implementing plans for the best ways to have the things that you both desire while still taking care of existing demands is important. These can be uncomfortable things to talk about; however, these conversations are necessary.

Following these tips to manage money together as newlyweds will allow you to have a starting point for conversations that can be tough to start. The sooner you and your partner get on the same page with finances and the responsibilities that come with them, the easier the transition will be and the sooner you'll find success.

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Entering your 20s means you'll quickly need to learn how to navigate the world of personal finances, much of which you probably didn't learn in college or high school courses.

Without any previous lessons on finances, it can be challenging to know where to start. Follow this guide as we outline the financial decisions you'll need to make in your 20s.

Setting a Budget

The first step to being a fiscally responsible young adult is setting a budget. Your budget will determine many future financial decisions, from where you can live to what splurges you can make. Look at the expenses you currently owe every month and your projected income to determine how much you should be spending on bills, daily expenses, etc.

Tackling Debt

Getting rid of your debt as early as possible is a critical step for newly independent 20-year-olds. However, some may not be able to get rid of debt as soon as they hope. Once again, look at your budget, then decide if you'd like to put more toward tackling debt now or pay your loans as they come.

Getting Coverage

While you may be able to hold onto your parents' insurance until 26, you'll have to choose your own plans sooner or later. From health insurance to renter's and car insurance, you shouldn't skip an opportunity to cover yourself in the case of an accident. Find a provider and plan you're comfortable with, and get your coverage as soon as possible.

Saving for a Rainy Day

Navigating how to save is another critical financial decision you'll have to make in your 20s. Living paycheck to paycheck is not a sustainable course of action. Even putting a small portion of your wages into a savings account can make a big difference—especially if an emergency you didn't prepare for occurs.

Starting To Invest

Investing is a scary topic for young adults, but it's a great way to build wealth. Starting to invest as a young adult will set you up for success on your long-term financial plan. However, be sure to conduct research before jumping into the market to decide when, where, and how much you'd like to invest.

Your 20s are an optimal time to learn and grow. One area of life you'll undoubtedly learn a lot about is managing finances. Use this guide to help you get started on the path to becoming a fiscally responsible adult.

Button Finance

Helping Americans achieve financial independence through better access to capital!

Here at PayPath, we are always looking for new ways to stay ahead of the game! Recently, we stumbled across a new company with an interesting model that has revolutionized the process of obtaining home equity loans.

If you have been down this road before, you know exactly how nerve-wracking the process can be and how long it can take to complete. So before you make any major, life-changing decisions, take 5 minutes to check out Button Finance and what they have to offer.

What Is Button Finance?

Button Finance, an innovative New York-based Fintech, launched its first product, Button Home Equity Loans. Button enables homeowners to borrow against their home equity through a hassle-free online process that delivers quick decisions and funding in as little as 5 days.

American homeowners have record levels of home equity, and limited avenues to monetize it. Mortgage cash-out refinancings are becoming more difficult, while personal loans are prohibitively expensive. Button Finance lets borrowers tap into their home equity by providing highly competitive and customized interest rates using its state-of-the-art underwriting engine.

"Americans have a debt problem, and frequently resort to high-cost borrowing options like credit cards and personal loans", said Jason Harris, CEO of Button Finance. "Button's Home Equity Loans will empower borrowers to harness the value of their home equity to pay down high-interest debt, or to make value-enhancing renovations to their homes."

How Does It Work?

Button Finance's class-leading technology eliminates many of the frustrations associated with a typical mortgage application. With a paperless application and digital document delivery, Button Finance has streamlined the mortgage application and underwriting process. A dedicated customer service team helps borrowers close their loans in record time.

Adam Nagin, a partner at the mortgage financing and debt acquisition company L&L Capital Partners, noted how Button Finance's customer support team helped him secure an SBA loan. "Button Finance's team guided us through the PPP application process and found me a lender when nobody was picking up the phone, I'm excited about their new home equity product and expect big things from their team."

Check out Button Finance today to see if it is the answer you have been looking for!

Debt collection is a whopping $11.5 billion industry, and around 28% of Americans currently owe money and are being sought out by a third party debt collection agency, according to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP).

Debt collectors often prey on creditors' ignorance. In 2018 alone, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) banned 32 companies and individuals from ever working in debt collection again for malpractice. The best course of action when you first become late on a payment is to make sure you know the laws and your rights when it comes to handling debt collection.

A debt collection agency is a separate third party from the original creditor to whom you owe money. At some point of time (usually no sooner than 90 days), creditors often turn over unpaid loans to the debt collector to pursue the customer in an attempt to receive payments. Debt collection agencies often buy out a portion of the unpaid loan from the creditor, or they may receive a percentage of the money if and when it is paid.

Debt collection is a civil, not criminal matter. This means the police will not get involved, and you will not go to jail for failure to pay on loans.

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