Here we are - right in the thick of tax season in the United States. What to do with your tax refund is likely one of the biggest questions on your mind, and the dangerous temptations to make bad decisions are coming from everywhere. Banks are offering you crazy amounts of cash for new accountsCell phone companies are offering ridiculous buyouts on your contractsWhat was once a Lee's Famous Chicken is now a tax preparation office, who will obviously get you a "max refund" (they won't and … [Read more...]
Seven Silly Personal Finance Myths That Are Making You Poor
If you've been a part of Academy Success for any decent amount of time, you'll know that I tend to think a little bit differently than the masses. Ultimately, the masses are largely ordinary, and if you wanted to be ordinary, you wouldn't be reading this right now. So today, as part of our goal to create a better financial life for you this year, I challenge you to behave more like the financially successfully by busting open a few myths you may have ingrained into your mind - probably … [Read more...]
The Only Three Money Principles You Need to Be Rich
I could easily pull a page out of every other financial blog out there, and toss you up a big list of 72 ways to make yourself rich, but while those articles get a lot of buzz, they're just too complicated and shallow, and rarely help you think differently about the way you live your life. As you likely already know, I'm not here to pull in billions of pageviews. I'm here to help you behave successfully, and make real tangible changes happen in your life. So as I start to gear the content … [Read more...]
[Video] How A Simple Slap to Convention Can Net You Two Vacations
I've always thought that doing things because "that's what you're supposed to do" is a really dumb reason to do anything, and that plays a big part in what this lesson explores. Nearly every post on this blog shows you how to find a better way to do something in your life, and this may be one of the most useful and widely applicable of all. It tackles a personal finance issue that every couple in the world has - not having enough spending money - and even applies to you single folks out … [Read more...]
Three Simple Ways for Parents to Save for College
If you're going into the 9-5 world, which the vast majority of people are, getting a college degree is essentially a must if you want to risk up the ranks past an entry level position. And graduate degrees are becoming more and more common these days as well. Many professionals are obtaining graduate degrees to further separate themselves from the competition and continue to increase their income. If you're heading in that direction, or even if you have young children who you would like to … [Read more...]
Four Credit Score Myths to Stop Freaking Out About
With home buying season looming upon us, a lot of folks are digging into their credit score and history to try to make some last minute adjustments. Truthfully, you should always be focusing on building your credit, but hey, sometimes life gets in the way. There are a lot of credit score myths floating around out there that can leave you wondering if you should even have credit at all. Well, today I've got Amy Johnson on as a guest blogger to help you out with that. You're up … [Read more...]
Increase Your Income With These Four Easily In Reach Tactics
For the sake of this post, let's assume you've already optimized your spending habits, and found any leaks in your income stream. That'll allow us to focus solely on ways to increase your income. A lot of people, when faced with the need to make extra money, take the advice of so-called financial experts, and go the safe and conventional way of just getting another job. They put in a few hours, and get paid a wage for it. End of story. Sure, it's honest work, and it's pretty easy to … [Read more...]
Your Three Step Plan to Not Go Broke
This is a guest post by Michael Jones of Beacon Financial Training. His views don't necessarily reflect the views of Academy Success, but he does have some pretty good advice :) --- Being broke at the end of the month – almost everyone knows the feeling. You get paid, and immediately go out and buy all the things you’ve been longing for since your bank account dried up. A new jacket or pair of shoes. The latest video games. Tickets to that upcoming concert. Many people today have a … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning is Stupid and the Story of the $212 Yard Sale
As I write this post, it's spring time. People are busy with 'spring cleaning' or as I call it, getting rid of all of the junk they have accumulated over the years. If you haven't noticed by now, I'm not a big supporter of excess things. In fact, I've often written about the massive opportunity cost of your stuff. Stuff doesn't just cost the money you spend to buy it. It also costs you all of the space it takes up, all of the cost to maintain it, and ends up justifying needs to start … [Read more...]
Good or Bad? How Our Parents Have Influenced Our Financial Habits
Many people blame their parents for facing financial failures or drawbacks. Did your dad’s nose bar you from getting a prom date? And, what about your mom’s hips that absorb every piece of chocolate that you have? Well, the shape of your wallet could also be impacted by your parents, but these traits come from your upbringing, not through genetics. My attitude about money, whether I spend, save, find a financial balance or even the amount of money that I earn, is most often determined by … [Read more...]