It’s exciting to think about buying a home! By now, you’ve probably narrowed down your budget and have an idea what your monthly mortgage payment may be, but it's also important to know what costs other are involved.

One of the biggest expenses associated with purchasing a home is the down payment. For most mortgages, lenders require borrowers to put down at least 20% of the purchase price of the home.

Hold the phone… Are you coming up on your last car payment or recently made your last one?? Congratulations! I know you're ready to say “I officially own my vehicle!”

In your search for cars and considering auto loans, you may be asking, “What are all the costs included in buying a car? How much should I have saved up before financing? What goes into my monthly car payment?”

Be honest – how many times have you been sitting at work picturing life in retirement? Maybe you’re sitting on a beach, in a cabin in the mountains, traveling to your bucket list destination, or just cuddled up with a good book at home. No matter what your retirement goals are, one question stays the same - how can I save and plan for the lifestyle I want in retirement?

We all know money provides security, control, freedom, and much more to enjoy a better and healthy life. That's something we all want - including myself. So, we look for ways and build better financial habits to reach a goal. And there are hundreds of tools, tips, apps, and methods out there. But the real question is: What habit or money-saving style actually works?

Does this sound familiar: You’re determined to have X amount of money saved by a specific time of the year but something keeps coming up where you're dipping into your savings to pay for other expenses...

Ok, be honest - how many times have you attempted to do a debt paydown plan but it fell through the cracks or it was too hard to stick with? Maybe because the amount of debt is too exhausting to deal with or perhaps it’s the realization that it’s going to take a really long time to pay it off. So postponing your pay-down plan for a later date probably feels like an easier decision.

What are your initial thoughts when you hear or see the words "no payment needed" for an auto loan...? Is it a relief to hear that you're not forced to come out of pocket to pay a percentage of an auto loan that's already thousands of dollars? Or do you think it's a trap for you to eventually default on your loan because you failed to put 20% down?