In order to attain a secure financial future, you need to avoid debt of any kind, but most people end up risking their financial stability by landing into credit card debt. Credit card debt is one of the easiest to get into, but it can also be avoided. If you use a credit card properly, it can help build your credit ratings, but improper usage could also land you in a pile of debt. To make things easier for you, here are the top five tips to avoid credit card debt: Do not charge what you cannot afford It is important to remember that a credit card is more of a necessity than a luxury. So, the expenditures that you make on it should also be curtailed to just emergency expenses. Do not spend your money on luxuries like branded items that you would otherwise be unable to afford on the cash in your checking account. So, if your savings cannot pay for it, skip on buying that new iPhone and stick to using your current one. Do not carry dues for longer than six months It is also important to not let your balances add up beyond 6 months as the interest charges can go overboard.

Before considering borrowing funds from your 401(k) plan, you must get acquainted with few a 401(k) loan basics. This kind of knowledge can make you aware of the various facets of this loan. Let’s take a look at five crucial 401(k) loan basics. Paying off the loan early When you borrow from your 401 (k), you have up to five years to make the repayments or you can even pay the loan in full. But you can also make the payment for your loan early. One of the ways of making payments early is by going for biweekly payments. Biweekly payments mean you start paying every other week. Repaying half payments every two weeks instead of monthly payments will help you achieve the following: You might reduce the number of months on your payment schedule Since your loan balance will be decreasing continuously, you will be accruing less interest which is always a good thing. Plus, the sooner you finish your loan, the better it is for you as you can plan your other finances. Using the funds Borrowers can use the funds borrowed from their own 401(k) for various purposes. Some use it for major home repairs. Other uses include college tuition, vacation, costs incurred on medical exigencies, and wedding expenses.

To grow your investments, you need to make intelligent investment moves. You need to understand how the market is moving and invest accordingly for the best returns. Explained in this article are some important tips for stock investors that you can follow to earn high returns on your investments: Keep your fixed income in check Fixed investments are normally considered safer, so investors tend to put all their money in investments that seem to carry lower risk. However, there are certain risks attached to fixed investments as well, and inflation is one of them. In such a scenario, there may be a possibility that the real value of your investments is diluted due to inflation, and you are left with much less than you had expected. So, it is suggested that you diversify your portfolio by including all kinds of financial instruments so that you are capable of facing financial volatility firmly. Avoid making investment decisions based on past performance A clean record certainly gives more confidence for investment, but you must not necessarily continue with the same scheme as the dynamics of the product might change considerably. There are numerous factors like asset management, a company’s track record, and the objectives of fund managers, among others, that come into play while making an investment decision.

A money market fund is a form of mutual fund that invests in highly liquid assets. The investment avenues in which a money market fund invests include debt-centric instruments that have a high credit rating, securities that are cash equivalent, and cash. The investment instruments in which a money market fund invests have a short-term maturity period (lower than 13 months). Due to investment in these avenues, money market funds come with low risk but offer high liquidity. This feature makes a money market fund one of the most preferred investment options among the different types of liquid assets. As a result, you should invest in a money market fund if only you have an investment objective for a short period, a low tolerance when it comes to volatility, or if you want the investment to have high liquidity. Now that you have a brief overview of money market funds, explained ahead are the different forms of money market funds. They are categorized into different assets, depending on the period of maturity, classification of invested assets, and other characteristics. Prime money fund This fund invests in commercial paper of non-treasury assets, such as those that are issued by government-sponsored enterprises, government agencies, and corporations.

Technology keeps evolving to make life easier and one development in consumer technology which has garnered attention since its nascent stage is the smart fridge. Smart fridges have been around for a while, but recently they have become bigger and better. Despite retailers touting its numerous features, its hefty price tag keeps quite a few people on the fence and you also may have wondered why upgrade to a smart fridge? Let’s answer this question by showing you some of the top smart fridges in the market and what they can do for you. Whirlpool WRX735SDHZ If you are thinking of smart fridges and have budgetary constraints, then the Whirlpool WRX735SDHZ is the perfect choice for you. It has many fabulous high-end features such as LED touchscreen controls, an ice maker, and well-segregated compartments. The LED touchscreen lets you carry out many functions such as setting the temperature and controlling lights. It even lets you lock up the fridge when you need to. This fridge also has an alert that lets you know if the door has been left open by mistake. The overall design with French doors and stainless steel makes for a very elegant look. Overall, this is a fabulous smart fridge that is budget-friendly with a lot of high-end features.