by Marcus | Apr 2, 2020 | Blog
You are not lost. We are a personal finance business. We read and reviewed the 15 best investment and money books (according to the experts) so you don’t have to. However, money is as much the mastery of mind over money as it is money over math. Therefore, as hosts,...
by Marcus | Mar 30, 2020 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. CBS News reports improving a bad credit score from “fair” to “very good” can save over $56,000. Someone with a 580 to 669 credit score range, for...
by Marcus | Mar 25, 2020 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. We read and reviewed the 15 best investment and money books (according to the experts) so you don’t have to! Typically, my reviews are first-person narrative. I am an artist...
by Marcus | Mar 19, 2020 | Blog, Personal Finance
Berna Anat, or @HeyBerna to her over 20,000 followers, describes herself as, “The financial world desperately needs a hype woman, and I have more than enough energy, hair, and #debtfree-vibes to do the job.” We originally met at FinCon: Where Money and...
by Marcus | Mar 12, 2020 | Blog, Guests
Sa El, the thirty-something founder of SimplyInsurance.com, managed to carve out a niche that generates a six-figure income in under two years. Did he take the easy route? No, Sa El decided to compete in one of the most competitive markets on the internet: insurance....
by Marcus | Mar 5, 2020 | Blog, Guests, Personal Finance
OMFG, THE STOCK MARKET IS DOWN!!! OMG, THE STOCK MARKET IS UP!!! I’m just covering all my bases so this post will be relevant no matter when you read it. If you already read my review of A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Irrational Exuberance, or The Intelligent...
by Marcus | Feb 27, 2020 | Blog
“The key to overnight success is the first 10 years.” I’m not sure where this quote originates from. I first heard it repeated from a friend of a friend that I met while speaking at Chase Bank in New York City for National Savings Month. The quote...
by Marcus | Feb 20, 2020 | Blog
I had an opportunity to speak at The Association of Government Accountants (AGA). The topic, as you may have guessed, covered Money Moves Outside of Your Pension Plan. I tried to cram 10-years worth of mistakes and lessons learned into a 45-minute discussion. The...
by Marcus | Feb 18, 2020 | Blog
There are levels to this personal finance game. After getting out of debt, which you should take sufficient and ample time to CELEBRATE, it is only natural to start wondering what’s next on the financial progress ladder. Once you’ve zeroed out your debt...
by Marcus | Jan 30, 2020 | Blog
“This book will not tell you how to beat the market. No truthful book can.“ We read the 15 best Personal Finance books (according to the experts) so you don’t have to! The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin Graham...
by Marcus | Jan 23, 2020 | Blog
While merely a two-second quip on 30 Rock, this quote has haunted my subconscious for years. This poetic (or offensive?) musing was made by Jack Donaghy. If you are unfamiliar with the name, Mr. Donaghy is a fictional character and protagonist of Liz Lemon (also a...
by Marcus | Jan 2, 2020 | Blog
Email Newsletters are a great way to maximize your time and money! One of our most popular posts was Subscribe to These Top 10 Personal Finance NewsLetters to Get Your Paychecks Up and Balances Down. Unfortunately, some of the original creators have moved on to other...
by Marcus | Dec 19, 2019 | Blog
Paychecks and Balances helps working professionals make money, save money, and get out of debt. 2019 was a very good year for the blog, including winning the Plutus Award for Best Millennial or Gen Z Blog! We also received several additional media features, like CBS...
by Marcus | Dec 12, 2019 | Blog
Ready to Turn Your Finances Around? Join our Newsletter! Paychecks and Balances helps working professionals make money, save money, and get out of debt. 2019 was a very good year, including nominations for Podcast of the Year. Thanks again to our awesome guests for...
by Marcus | Nov 21, 2019 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. There is a growing interest in financial independence. But, where do you start? How do you define your retirement number? And, how do you actually reach your financial goals...
by Marcus | Nov 14, 2019 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. Below are the SEO (search engine optimization) tips I read and implemented based on the expert’s advice. A few simple changes allowed my non-expert self to grow another...
by Marcus | Nov 7, 2019 | Blog, Guests
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. Paychecks & Balances was invited to a double-secret VIP probation event for influencers. Like all events that happen during the digital age, if it didn’t happen on...
by Marcus | Oct 30, 2019 | AskPB, Blog, Guests
Seventy three percent of student loan borrowers don’t know what happens to their debt if they die. In the best of times talking about debt and personal finances is hard even with your own parents (How to Talk About Money and Debt with Your Parents When The...
by Marcus | Oct 24, 2019 | Blog
It is time for another financial confession this National Financial Planning Month. I confess that Financial Independence (FI) is not for everyone. Actually, if they ever start, most people will fail. The personal finance community likes to preach that FI is for...
by Marcus | Oct 17, 2019 | AskPB, Blog, Guests
This week’s AskPB was submitted on Twitter. You can view all our AskPB responses by clicking here. Lawrence Gonzalez is an accountant who developed his own personal finance system that allowed him to pay off over $116,000 in debt in 4 years. Like many of our personal...
by Marcus | Oct 10, 2019 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. Teri Ijeoma’s origin story is like many of ours. You know the one. The mild-mannered employee goes into a toxic work environment only to eek out a paycheck-to-paycheck...
by Marcus | Oct 3, 2019 | Blog
October is National Financial Planning Month – an annual reminder to keep our spending in check, prepare our budgets, and revisit our financial goals as we roll into the holidays. During this month, Paychecks & Balances highlights subject matter experts and...
by Marcus | Sep 26, 2019 | Blog
Millennials are twice as likely as other generations to lie on their resumes. This post is not about lying on your resume. Apparently you’ve already mastered that skill. Honesty is always the best policy; except for when it isn’t. This post is about all...
by Marcus | Sep 19, 2019 | Blog
The following #AskPB listener question has been lightly edited to maintain anonymity. I’m trying to buy a house so I called a lender to just pull my credit and tell me what they think. One credit report is significantly lower than the other two. My score...
by Marcus | Sep 12, 2019 | Blog
This title might be a slight exaggeration. Thank you to the great fans of Paychecks & Balances and the illustrious P&B Family. We were nominated for the 10th Annual Plutus Awards’ Best Millennial or Generation Z Blog and Podcast of the Year. We took home the...
by Marcus | Aug 29, 2019 | Blog
Next week we’re up for two Plutus Awards for Podcast of the Year and Best Millennial or Gen Z Blog. Because whether we win or lose our readership may potentially rise, I figured this is the optimum time to level-set expectations for our new visitors. Please enjoy… I...
by Marcus | Aug 22, 2019 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. OMG, WE’RE HEADING FOR A RECESSION (allegedly)! I’M NOT YELLING, YOU’RE YELLING!! I was in the middle of drafting another weekly post completely unrelated to this topic when I...
by Marcus | Aug 15, 2019 | Blog
Do you have an income shortage or a spending surplus? Most will never ask themselves this question. The assumption is that if you have more month left over at the end of your money, then you don’t make enough money. This assumption is not without some merit; neither...
by Marcus | Jul 30, 2019 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. To be exact, Leah Marie Collins paid off $40,000 in debt, increased her credit score to over 800, purchased a rental property, and launched her own business to help other women...
by Marcus | Jul 25, 2019 | Blog
I did not set out to make a career change. A career change landed on me. As I wrote about here, a sequence of events that I didn’t see coming was the catalyst for my most recent job search. This is not a bad thing. Life happens, and as the streets and Nationwide...
by Marcus | Jul 11, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
Welcome to our latest Personal Finance Spotlight where we share relatable stories from people like you–the reading audience–who discovered life after debt instead of paycheck-to-paycheck til debt do us part. This week we introduce you to Lawrence Gonzalez....
by Marcus | Jul 2, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
This is the story of two offers. It is not as cool as the story of 2 Chainz, but it will have to do. Recently, we all relearned a good fighter will fall if you hit them hard enough. Word to Anthony Joshua. What does the story of Mr. Joshua have in common with Mr....
by Marcus | Jun 27, 2019 | Blog
Burnout is a hot topic right now. No Pun. You may have read the viral piece from BuzzFeed that set the internet ablaze, Millennials Became the Burnout Generation. Related: BuzzFeed: This Is What Black Burnout Feels LikeMashable: Our best bet against burnout is...
by Marcus | Jun 25, 2019 | AskPB, Blog
The following AskPB question has been lightly edited to maintain the submitter’s anonymity. However, we thought a wider audience would benefit from both the question and Cameron Huddleston, author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential...
by Marcus | Jun 20, 2019 | Blog, Guests, Personal Finance
Money doesn’t solve all our problems, but money does solve our money problems. That’s one of the many theories behind Jhanilka and Anthony Hartzog debt free success story. The two millennials joined financial forces to pay off their $114,151 debt. Next, they have...
by Marcus | Jun 18, 2019 | Blog
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. Freshly Meals are Chef Inspired and Gluten Free This is going to read like a sponsored post. It’s not. Having personally tried several meal delivery services, I’ve...
by Marcus | Jun 13, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
Fo Alexander is the Personal Finance Coach and Business Systems Strategist behind the Girl Talk with Fo podcast and blog. She specializes in teaching millennial women how to dump debt and build bank. As part of her journey, she and her husband paid off $78,000 in debt...
by Marcus | May 16, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
By listener request, we introduced Personal Finance Spotlights to the website this year. It’s been great! I love sharing stories of people taking charge of their personal finances. Our readers and listeners said they wanted to read more profiles on “ordinary” people...
by Marcus | May 9, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
Saundra Davis, MS, APFC® Saundra Davis is the self-described Godmother of Financial Coaching, and I believe it. When we met for the second time–at FinCon Expo: Where Money and Media Meet–Saundra dropped a quote on me so powerfully insightful that I had to...
by Marcus | Apr 30, 2019 | Blog
April is National Financial Literacy Month. Just like you don’t have to wait until New Year’s Eve to make a money resolution, you don’t have to wait until April to follow a 30-day plan to turn your finances around. You can find that exact 30-day plan...
by Marcus | Apr 25, 2019 | Blog
This Could Be Us But You Playing In 2019, one in three Americans had nothing saved for retirement. Given one of our most popular posts is How Much You Should Have Saved by Age 35 to Retire Comfortably we will assume our readers are interested in the topic of saving...
by Marcus | Apr 16, 2019 | Blog, FinGoals, Personal Finance
This page may contain affiliate links. Please read our Advertiser Disclosure for more info. Pictured: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner Related: I Made My First Million, and I’m Still Broke We’re all busy people. Maybe you’re one of those people who came here to...
by Marcus | Apr 10, 2019 | Blog, FinGoals, Personal Finance
According to the most recent Census data, the average person earns nearly $2.7 million over his or her lifetime. Yet, after 40+ years of work most Americans are still financially unprepared for retirement. Unless it’s by choice, I don’t want to work until...
by Marcus | Mar 28, 2019 | Blog
For all the get rich quick schemes and talk of Finance Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), most individuals will make the most consistent income from simply working their same old boring J-O-B. It is your responsibility to know how much salary you should ask for and...
by Marcus | Feb 28, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
All Black History Month we highlighted young men and women of color making history in the present. Just in time for America Saves Week, Monday February 25 – March 3, 2019, we introduce you to Marsha Barnes. She is the founder behind The Finance Bar and a...
by Marcus | Feb 26, 2019 | AskPB, Blog
This week we’re joined by Leslie H. Tayne, Esq. Leslie is an attorney, debt therapist, and author of Life and Debt: A Fresh Approach to Achieving Financial Wellness. She originally joined us for our most popular episode introduction ever and to talk about how to Learn...
by Marcus | Feb 21, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
We met Sonia Lewis, aka The Student Loan Doctor, in sunny Florida while attending FinCon18. For someone with 38,000 followers (and counting) on the Gram and a resume including accolades from the Steve Harvey Morning Show, The Shade Room, BET, The Ricky Smiley Show and...
by Marcus | Feb 14, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
We all have to start from somewhere on our financial journey. We all have to look for the best Credit Cards for No Credit when first applying for cards because we’ve not had a chance to grow your financial history yet. From there, every choice you make can...
by Marcus | Jan 29, 2019 | AskPB, Blog
If you ever want to start a fight on the internet randomly ask the public audience, “is it better to rent or buy?” then sit back and enjoy yourself. Things will escalate quickly. At the end of the day it’s all down to personal preference and...
by Marcus | Jan 22, 2019 | Blog
Advertiser Disclosure In January 2019, JPMorgan Chase hosted the second annual National Savings Month. The National Savings Movement started as an effort to support employees, customers, and millennials along their journey to financial fitness. Moderated by Keosha...
by Marcus | Jan 15, 2019 | Blog, Personal Finance
The next industry Millennials “destroy” is ourselves and the burnout will be televised. According to an annual Deloitte Survey, almost half of Millennials are unhappy at their current job and plan to quit/switch to nontraditional work within their career....
by Marcus | Jan 8, 2019 | Blog
I joined Pure Financial’s Your Money, Your Wealth with Alan Clopine, CPA, AIF and Andi Last, Media Manager, to discuss 4 Simple Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions using strategies that helped me break down my financial goals into manageable pieces as I achieved...
by Marcus | Dec 31, 2018 | Blog
If you want objective information from people who are informed on the subjects they’re writing about, we recommend these newsletters as a great way to quickly get information on personal finance, money and debt management, investing and more delivered directly...
by Marcus | Dec 25, 2018 | Blog
Our goal at Paychecks and Balances is to help Millennials make money, save money, and get out of debt. We had another great year including several interviews with informative guests and subject matter experts in personal finance, investing, and money management and...
by Marcus | Dec 18, 2018 | Blog, Personal Finance
Start Mastering Your Personal Finances Today Personal Finance, Money, and Debt Management Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche Tiffany (From $300,000 in Debt to The Live Richer Academy ft. The Budgetnista – PB102) is an award-winning teacher of financial empowerment and...
by Marcus | Dec 11, 2018 | Blog, Money
In my behind-the-scenes interview with YahooFinance: 4 Tips to Increase Your Salary – thank you to the CBS News Pannel and former guest Jeanie Anh (PB81: Don’t Leave Money on the Table ft. Jeanie Ahn) – I was asked to share seven tips that helped...
by Marcus | Dec 4, 2018 | Blog, FinGoals
When it comes to debt management, you don’t have to go big to go home. In fact, starting a small debt snowball might be the key to your success. According to an analysis by Chase Bank, on a credit card balance of $2,000 “just by sending an extra $10 for a total...
by Marcus | Nov 27, 2018 | Blog
When do you reach financial independence? It depends on your financial goals, but below is a quick breakdown of the movement, its pros, cons, and why similar to democracy, FIRE may be the best worst form of financial independence to pursue, except for all of the...
by Marcus | Nov 20, 2018 | Blog
Rich and Marcus finally got (broke?) into the 800 FICO Credit Score Club! It took a lot of hard work and research. The 800 FICO Credit Score Club is a feat reached by only 1 in 5, so it was nice to hit another personal finance milestone. If you’ve not got a...
by Marcus | Nov 13, 2018 | Blog, Guests
In our humble opinions, we joined Mandi Woodroof (PB46: Magnify Your Money ft. Mandi Woodruff) and Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche (From $300,000 in Debt to The Live Richer Academy ft. The Budgetnista – PB102) for the greatest podcast crossover of the...
by Marcus | Jun 12, 2018 | AskPB, Blog
Marcus joins CBS News host Tanya Rivero to discuss his book, Debt Free or Die Trying, and how to rebuild your credit for CBSN ‘Eye on Money’ series. Check out the video below or click here. References Mentioned by Marcus on This Show 4-Step Plan for...
by Marcus | Apr 11, 2018 | Blog
Color Full Lives is hosted by Angela Yee (@angelayee of The Breakfast Club and Lip Service) and Aminatou Sow (@aminatou of Call Your Girlfriend). The show is sponsored by State Farm® and Loud Speakers Network. The hosts’ real talk on personal finance and candid...
by Marcus | Apr 9, 2018 | Blog
Paychecks & Balances is a fun and informative podcast covering work and money for rising professionals with hosts Rich @IamRichJones and Marcus @THEMarcusGarret. Read more about us here or visit Ask P&B to submit your questions! – Rich & Marcus [bctt...
by Marcus | Apr 9, 2018 | Blog, Personal Finance
Paychecks & Balances is a fun and informative podcast covering work and money for rising professionals with hosts Rich @IamRichJones and Marcus @THEMarcusGarret. Read more about us here or visit Ask P&B to submit your questions! – Rich & Marcus [bctt...
by Marcus | Apr 9, 2018 | Blog, Personal Finance
Paychecks & Balances is a fun and informative podcast covering work and money for rising professionals with hosts Rich @IamRichJones and Marcus @THEMarcusGarret. Read more about us here or visit Ask P&B to submit your questions! – Rich & Marcus [bctt...
by Marcus | Jan 16, 2018 | AskPB, Blog, FinGoals, Personal Finance
On a recent guest feature, we were asked, “can someone really save $1,000,000 on an average salary?” The simple answer: Yes. The harder answer: Is it easy? No. It’s very complicated and will likely take a really long time. There is a big gap between difficult...
by Marcus | Nov 20, 2017 | Blog, FinGoals, Personal Finance
We were invited by CBS News on their 24-7 streaming video news channel CBSN at cbsnews.com/live to join a panel of experts discussing student loans, credit cards, debt management, retirement and more. Hosted by Vladimir Duthiers (@vladduthierscbs), the panel included...
by Marcus | Nov 2, 2017 | Blog
On August 14, 2016, I released Debt Free or Die Trying: How I Buried Myself in Over $30,000 in Debt and Dug My Way Out by Age 30. The book tells the good, the bad, the ups and the downs, the mistakes I and others made, and the lessons I and we learned....
by Marcus | Oct 31, 2017 | Blog
On August 14, 2016, I released Debt Free or Die Trying: How I Buried Myself in Over $30,000 in Debt and Dug My Way Out by Age 30. The book tells the good, the bad, the ups and the downs, the mistakes I and others made, and the lessons I and we learned. Through...
by Marcus | Oct 17, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listeners’ information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have your own question, use the ASK P&B button!...
by Marcus | Oct 2, 2017 | Blog, Books, Personal Finance
This is a running list of our reviews of the best personal finance and investment books according to the experts. The original list of 15 is presented in order of our favorites. “I never have time to read,” I told myself. This was usually a personal validation...
by Marcus | Sep 26, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format. Some details have been changed to keep the listener’s information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have a question that needs answering, click the ASK P&B button!...
by Marcus | Sep 14, 2017 | AskPB, Blog, Personal Finance
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listener’s information anonymous. Share your support or feedback in the comments. If you have your own question, use the ASK P&B button! This...
by Marcus | Jul 25, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listeners’ information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have your own question, use the ASK P&B button! Hey...
by Marcus | Jul 11, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listeners’ information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have your own question, use the ASK P&B button! Hi guys!...
by Marcus | Jun 27, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details have been changed to keep the listener’s information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have a question that needs answering, click the ASK P&B...
by Marcus | Jun 20, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listeners’ information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have your own question, use the ASK P&B button!...
by Marcus | Jun 13, 2017 | AskPB, Blog, FinGoals, Personal Finance
Seventy percent of millennials (ages 21-37) believe they are not saving as much as they could. The primary culprit? They blame spending too much on dining out (we cut our food spending in half btw). Many people believe the key to all their budgeting and debt woes is...
by Marcus | Jun 6, 2017 | AskPB, Blog, Personal Finance
The following questions have been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listeners’ information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have your own question, use the ASK P&B button!...
by Marcus | Jun 1, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listener’s information anonymous. What to do if you are in your mid-late 30’s and haven’t saved for retirement? I did hear the podcast about if...
by Marcus | May 25, 2017 | AskPB, Blog, Personal Finance
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details may have been changed to keep our listener’s information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have a question that needs answering, use the ASK...
by Marcus | May 18, 2017 | Blog
I realized recently that I’m on pace to spend over 70% of my adult life working a “9 to 5.” I started work at age 16. It was a local movie theater and it is still one of the best jobs I ever had. I made $5.15/hr, and you couldn’t convince me I...
by Marcus | May 11, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details have been changed to keep the listener’s information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have a question that needs answering, click the ASK P&B...
by Rich | May 8, 2017 | Blog, Work
I recently read a piece on Time Money titled “Here’s the Cold LinkedIn Message That Prompted a CEO to Give the Sender a Job.” It’s about a guy who essentially got an offer through a LinkedIn message. At least it reads that way. I’m sure...
by Marcus | May 4, 2017 | AskPB, Blog, FinGoals, Money, Personal Finance
The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details have been changed to keep the listener’s information anonymous. Let us know what you think in the comments below, or if you have a question that needs answering, click the ASK...
by Marcus | Apr 24, 2017 | AskPB, Blog
We received a great listener question we thought many of our listeners and readers could relate to: should I use my retirement savings to pay off my credit cards? The following question has been edited into a Q&A format and some details have been changed to keep...
by Rich | Apr 19, 2017 | AskPB, Blog, Money
Digit announced that it’d be implementing a $2.99 monthly fee for current and new users after 100 days…and the financial internet went nucking futs. In case you’re unfamiliar with Digit, it’s a formerly free service that hooks to your bank account, analyzes your...
by Marcus | Dec 28, 2016 | Blog
It’s been a while since I said this so I’ll repeat myself: Sticking to a budget sucks. There, I said it. I have a budget. I even spent a lot of time developing my budget like the helicopter parent of a small child, or “fur baby” if you’re a...
by Rich | Nov 28, 2016 | Blog, Money, Work
Did you know you could be losing money every paycheck by not taking advantage of a healthcare benefit? That’s what happens when many of us choose not to opt into our company’s FSA — more affectionately known in the streets as a Flexible Spending...
