What is Estate Planning and do I need it?
What is Estate Planning and do I need it? Worrying about the future can steal joy from the present, but if you plan for life’s unavoidable events, you can expect to be more at peace. Estate planning is the process of making decisions about how your affairs will be managed if you are unable to […]
Should you care about Bitcoin and crypto?
Should you care about Bitcoin and crypto? You’ve likely heard about cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, which grew in value from $1 to $31 the year it launched (2009) and reached a value of $60,000 earlier this year. Those sorts of numbers definitely grab headlines. But even if you have the money to invest, there are […]
Back to School: Get Smart About Managing School Costs
Back to School: Get Smart About Managing School Costs Back-to-school is about more than class assignments and bus routes. For many, it’s a huge financial challenge involving new clothes, school supplies, lunch money, after-school care, and transportation costs. And that’s just for free primary education! Post-high-school education—be it at a university, community college, or trade […]
Basic Skills for Buying a House
Everyone has the right to buy their own home, especially if you believe it’s possible. There’s lots of help available to make homeownership a reality and it starts with understanding some basic skills that every homebuyer needs to learn. The last thing you need is to be overwhelmed or scared off by the process, which […]
Let’s Talk About Financial Recovery Post-COVID
COVID-19 wasn’t your fault. Remind yourself that you didn’t ask for it and that, for those of us who entered the pandemic without a strong financial foundation, COVID was a monumental setback. It’s not enough to know you’re not alone, however; what you really need is someone to help you financially recover post-COVID. Here are […]
Help with Home Improvements
If you’re one of the millions in the United States who made 2020 a record year for home improvements, we’d love to be of assistance. No, Brightside can’t help you with drywall and plumbing. (We’re handy, but not that kind of handy!) What we can do is make sure that paying for repairs and renovations […]
Take Command of Student Loans
If you or someone in your household recently graduated from college or university, the future shines bright—at least until September 30, 2021, when the freeze on federal student loan repayments and interest ends. That date doesn’t need to darken the horizon, though. Brightside can help put you in command of your loans before your next […]
To Plan for Retirement, Start Here
How’s your retirement plan going? Whether you’re just getting started, in need of a total overhaul, or just looking to fine-tune things remember that you’re in the driver’s seat and the road to retirement is hardly ever a straight line. A 401(k) retirement account is one of the best retirement vehicles you can own because it […]
Summer Travel
Congrats on making it to Memorial Day weekend 2021! If you’ve earned some time off this summer, you can plan a vacation that’s within your budget and headache-free. We have some helpful tips that you’ll find especially useful during this transition back to life as we once knew it. So, before you pack your bags, […]
Financial Planning for the Entire Household
Unless you live alone, your financial picture includes other people. That’s why Brightside serves every adult member of your household—for free! Our goal is always to get you to financial health, and there’s simply no doing that when other people’s financial lives are intertwined with yours. In the case of roommates, there might be shared […]