FAQs  |  Help  |  About Us
  • My Credit
  • Karma Offers
  • Tools & Calculators
  • Credit Cards
  • Compare Rates
  • News & Advice
  • Blog

Credit Karma Blog

Basic Personal Finance Tips for Staying Solvent

Written by Credit Karma November 25th, 2008 at 5:04 AM CST 2 comments

Being financially solvent means having assets that outweigh your liabilities, or having more real money than debt. If you want to stay solvent, you need to keep basic personal finance tips in mind at all time, making sure that your financial decisions are healthy and that you do not put yourself into debt. Here are some basic personal finance tips that will help you stay solvent financially.

When it comes to your personal finances, using credit wisely is one of the first steps that you can take. Credit cards and loans may be extremely convenient, but they can be just as equally destructive if used improperly. Using credit wisely is vital when it comes to getting the most out of your personal finances. For example:

You should constantly be focusing on raising your credit score and keeping your credit report clean.

When you first start out, your credit score is average and your credit report is blank. When you apply for and are granted credit or loans, this affects both your report and score. If you continue to make your payments on time, and you keep your balances paid down, your credit score will continue to grow, and your credit report will stay clean.

Not only is focusing on raising your credit score vital, but monitoring it is important.

There are three different credit bureaus, Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. These three bureaus come together to come up with a single credit score based on your three credit reports. Credit Karma can help you monitor your score by acting as your agent to the credit bureaus. Using Credit Karma will not harm your credit score. By monitoring your reports, you can make sure that no false information contributes to your credit score, which can be lowered if it is reported that a payment is made late or not at all. By monitoring your credit score and credit reports, you can better make sure that your personal finances stay in good shape.

Save and invest whenever possible.

Saving as much money as you possibly can and then investing it is the best way to make the money work for you. Saving money is absolutely vital for a number of reasons, including having an emergency fund, and having a nest egg in the future for buying a new vehicle, a new home and so on. Take a set amount out of each one of your paychecks and put it away, then invest the money once you have a certain amount saved to make sure that it works for you.

Make sure that you create and stick to a budget.

Begin by keeping a record of every purchase that you make to figure out how much money is being spent properly or wasted from week to week or month to month. Then create a budget, separating necessary expenditures from frivolous ones. With a proper budget, you can better maintain your money, making sure not only that your bills are handled, but also that you have left over money for savings, emergency funds, and entertainment expenses as well.

Combine these tips and you will take better care of your personal finances to remain more financially solvent.

Photo Credits: 1

Topic:
Credit Karma, Credit Scores, Personal Finance

Related Articles
  • Five Tips to Help You Ride Out the Credit Crunch
  • Debt Reduction through Household Budgeting
  • Do You Need a Debt Wake-Up Call?
  • Roundup: The Economy and Holiday Shopping
  • Credit Karma Roundup: Merry Christmas!
USER COMMENTS

I think this is a great topic with the Holidays approaching quickly. Credit monitoring is also a great way to be proactive so that the information you have on your credit report is accurate and yours.

by Chelo - November 25th, 2008 at 1:48 PM CST

Another great post! I put sticking to a budget and checking your credit report at the top of my best practices list, obviously, for different protective reasons.

Thanks for the great blog!

Alan

by Alan Hammond - November 25th, 2008 at 6:19 PM CST
ENTER YOUR COMMENT




Previous EntryNext Entry

Credit Karma provides FREE credit score access and educational content with no hidden cost or obligations.

Join Credit Karma

Subscribe to RSS Feed

Compare & Save Money

  • Credit Card Reviews
  • Compare Deposit Rates
  • Compare Mortgage Rates
  • Compare Home Equity Rates

Blog Search & Categories


  • Announcements (2)
  • Automobile (2)
  • Banking (14)
  • Bankruptcy (2)
  • Budgeting (5)
  • Car (3)
  • Career (2)
  • College Students and Money (2)
  • Credit (22)
  • Credit Cards (28)
  • Credit Karma (64)
  • Credit Scores (38)
  • Credit Union (1)
  • Debt (17)
  • Economy (16)
  • Emergency Funds (3)
  • Financial Emergencies (3)
  • Functionality (5)
  • Guest Blogger (1)
  • Housing (11)
  • In the News (11)
  • Interest Rates (12)
  • Kids and Money (1)
  • Loans (16)
  • Marriage (1)
  • Personal Finance (56)
  • Portfolio (4)
  • Q&A (2)
  • Retirement (1)
  • Roundup (13)
  • Shopping (1)
  • stock market (7)

Most Popular in November, 2008

  • What is a Good Credit Score?
  • 0% Interest Rate Credit Cards for the Holidays
  • Balance Needed As Credit Card Rules Experience Change
  • Credit Crunch has Deep Impact on Holiday Shopping
  • There is Still Money Available for Lending
  • Credit Advice Q&A
  • Ten Ways to Make your Credit Look Better
  • Educating Children on The Importance of Credit Scores
  • Credit Crunch Pushes Consumers to Overcome Debt
  • Five Tips to Help You Ride Out the Credit Crunch

Most Popular All Time

  • What is a Good Credit Score?
  • How A Credit Card Limit Is Determined
  • 2009 Credit Score Tips
  • Credit Card Health 101
  • Ten Ways to Handle Financial Emergencies
  • Fed's Cut Rates to Unprecedented Low
  • Credit Karma Weekly Roundup - Let it Snow!
  • How Often Does Your Credit Score Change?
  • 4 Quick Fixes For Your Credit Score
  • How to Save Money with Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Credit Karma Blogroll

  • Credit Card Forum Blog
  • Five Cent Nickel
  • Lazy Man and Money
  • My Money Blog
  • Netbanker
  • Prosper Blog
  • Wisebread
  • About Us |
  • Terms of Use |
  • FAQ |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Press |
  • Glossary
Copyright © 2007-2008 Credit Karma™, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Patent Pending.
Managed Corporate Blog by Buildify
Click to verify BBB accreditation and to see a BBB report.