It's October, my all-time favorite month! Golden leaves are falling, the air is crisp, and Halloween candy lines the shelves of every big-box store. Usually I'm breaking out the sweaters and baking up a storm, giddy with all autumn has to offer.

This year, though, the autumn mood feels far more somber. With the $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan  on everyone's minds, a lot of scary words have been thrown around:

Crippling financial crisis.
Unemployment.
Recession.
Depression.

So instead of enjoying the fall season, I'm watching my retirement account plummet and stressing about soon having to make two mortgage payments. That's right — two. Earlier in the year, I took a leap of faith and built a new home. Since then, the economy hasn't exactly cooperated. My current home hasn't sold yet, and my new home is scheduled to be finished in just a few short weeks. I'm not regretting the decision to build, but as I watch my assets fall and my debt rise, I am pretty worried about my finances.

If you're in college, the idea of retirement savings and two mortgages probably feels very far away, but I'll bet you have financial concerns of your own. Feel like telling us what they are?

Posted by Staci at 11:45 AM |  Contact Staci |  Permalink  |  Comments (1)
Found in Debt, Financial education, Home Ownership, Money management, Mortgage, Preparing, Wells Fargo Bank

Yay, fall! Not only are the leaves beginning to turn shades of red, yellow and brown, but it's tailgating and football time! I'm more partial to the tailgating aspect of the sport. However, as a native Nebraskan, I've basically been programmed since birth to follow Husker Football . Admittedly, though, I've always been more interested in the marching band  — Go Big Red ! 

Whatever team you're rooting for this fall, be it in football or another sport (or the marching band) you can learn something from their strategy. No team goes into a game without a plan. It takes lots of research, practice and dedication to get the win.

The same can be said of your financial world. It's best to have a game plan, more commonly known as a budget, to ensure you succeed.

For those of you who've just graduated, this is especially important. With your student loan grace period dwindling, the first payments toward your debt aren't far away. There is no time like the present to evaluate your financial obligations and determine the best plan of action.

Just like with sports, you can find resources to coach you through. Here's a great article  to consult when you're making your first budget or evaluating your current budget.

By sticking to the right game plan, you're sure to come out on top. Go team!

Posted by Barbara at 10:15 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Budgeting, Debt, Financial education, Looking back, Money management, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

It's hard to avoid all the bad economic news  these days. College students, I wouldn't blame you if you're nervous about leaving the safe confines of campus. The real world isn't looking too inviting these days.

So with a rough economy, are you considering grad school as — and forgive me as I pull from the headlines here — a bailout plan?

I found a great story  on NPR on this very topic. It pretty much confirms my opinion on the subject: Going to grad school just to ride out the bad economy or because you don't know for sure what you want to do is not such a good idea.

However, if you do know what you want to be when you grow up, and grad school is a means to get there, then certainly, go.

I know it often feels like the smarter choice to stay in school rather than graduate with a bachelor's degree , only to find yourself still working at a coffee shop or taking some other job that doesn't require a $75,000 education.

But the truth is, if grad school is just a chance to bide your time and figure out your goals, then you're better off getting a job — any job — than taking on more debt.

What do you think? Is the state of the economy impacting your choices as you prepare to graduate from college?

Posted by Caroline at 10:00 AM |  Contact Caroline |  Permalink  |  Comments (1)
Found in Back to school, Debt, Financial education, Graduate school, Jobs, Paying, Wells Fargo Bank

On Sunday I went to the ATM, which I usually do in order to have some cash for the week. After I'd gotten cash, I went to put away my debit card and noticed that I had a check from my best friend Charlie to deposit. So I put my card back in the ATM, completed the deposit, took my receipt, and drove away.

Without my debit card.

Half an hour later — while in the grocery store checkout line — I opened my wallet and realized what I'd done. I paid for my groceries with the cash and flew back to the ATM to see if my card was still there.

It wasn't.

Panicked, I called the Wells Fargo Phone Bank to cancel the card. Fortunately there hadn't been any charges on it, but it was going to take five to seven business days to get a new one. Then I really panicked. How was I going to function for that long without my debit card?

For me, check writing has gone the way of the dinosaur . I'm lucky if I write one check per quarter, and that's usually only for some rare service that doesn't take online payments. But I don't think I'm alone — some new checking accounts no longer come with paper checks. And many retail establishments don't even take checks anymore.

Even if I have become overly dependent on my debit card (is there some sort of twelve-step program  for that?), for the next five to seven business days I will have to be creative, patient, and frugal — or resort to writing a check or two. Barbara would probably argue that this is a good lesson for me: forced thriftiness!

What payment methods do use most often? Are you as addicted to your debit card as I am?

Posted by Staci at 10:10 AM |  Contact Staci |  Permalink  |  Comments (8)
Found in Banking, Checking, Debit cards, Financial education, Money management, Paying, Shopping, Wells Fargo Bank

It's payday today.

I always know when it's payday. It's the curse of a young professional with financial OCD (and usually a fairly low checking account balance).

A couple Fridays ago, Staci and I were heading out to enjoy some lunch together. I mentioned that I could go somewhere a bit more spendy since my cash flow wasn't as tight thanks to payday. To that, Staci responded, "Oh yeah, I forgot it's payday."

And with that response I mentally put a milestone on my financial roadmap. It's a bunch of financial accomplishments that I'm looking forward to reaching — like buying something at Nebraska Furniture Mart without financing.

The new milestone: Not knowing if it's a payday Friday.

When I reach that point, I'll know that my money isn't as tight and I won't worry as much about little things throwing a kink in my budget.

Reaching those financial milestones, even though they may seem tiny, can really boost your confidence in your financial future. If you're like me, hitting those places on your financial roadmap can be just the motivation you need to keep on truckin' toward the next goal.

What are your financial milestones? Paying off loans? Savings goals?

Posted by Barbara at 10:00 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (3)
Found in Budgeting, Checking, Debt, Financial education, Money management, Paying, Saving, Wells Fargo Bank