Jill Russo Foster

Why Financial Envy is a Waste of Time

You see this happen all the time. You are in a situation with other people and someone mentions his nice vacation plans. What is the first thing that pops into your head? Are you genuinely happy for him or do you automatically think about how much he’s sp... Read >

Understanding Your Credit Card Terms and Conditions

Credit card rules have changed thanks to the Credit Card Act of 2009. Credit card companies are now required to follow specific rules when setting due dates, age limits and notifying you about changes to your original agreement. The credit card companies ... Read >

Building An Emergency Savings Account

You want to build an emergency savings account, but it's so difficult. Is it even possible to save a year's worth of income? Wouldn't it be great if you could wave a magic wand and have the money appear? Well, this is real life, and you don't have a fairy... Read >

Financial Assessment of Your Life

Have you ever tracked all your expenses for a single month? You can do this by getting all your receipts and writing down everything you spent money on - from utilities to fast food meals. If you're like most people, you found something shocking. Don't be... Read >

Get A Grip On Your Money

Do you know where you stand financially? Most people have an idea, but they rarely see the whole picture. Your budget shouldn't be like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. You can't get a grip on your money unless you see where it's slipping away. Those ... Read >

Teenager with a Checking Account

When should children have their first checking account? I am a big believer that children should have their first checking account when they are still living at home so they can have your supervision and guidance. I would say junior or senior year of h... Read >

What Does Your Credit Say About You

I do a personal financial review each year to make sure my finances are in order. My first step is to order a free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the government sanctioned website, not the website from the commercials. There you will fin... Read >

Credit Card Shaving Is Cut and Paste Fraud

Credit Card Shaving - it sounds like what you would say if you were cutting back on your credit cards, but that's not what it means. This is the latest credit card scam and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Isn't that scary? Q & A on Credit C... Read >

You Can Fight Mother Nature: 2008 Edition

September is here, do you know what that means? No, I'm not talking about back-to-school shopping. No, I'm not talking about taking the last vacation of the summer. I'm talking about hurricanes! According to the AOML, August, September and October are t... Read >

Debt Consolidation is Risky Business for People in Need

I recently met with a potential mortgage client. This couple was trapped by one of those easy to overlook agreements found so often in troubled mortgages today. Their adjustable rate mortgage payment was about to go higher, and taxes were not included in ... Read >

FICO Has Something to Say About You

You have all heard me talk about FICO scores and how important they are to your financial health. I'm going to walk you through a scenario so you can see how FICO affects you. Let's say that you are going to apply for credit. You may be thinking of bu... Read >

Married Finances: Should Two Become One?

Weddings are an emotional celebration. We love the idea of a bride and groom starting a new life together. We use words like "two becoming one" or "sharing your lives as one," meaning that everything will be shared as though the couple are no longer indiv... Read >

Fees and How to Avoid Them

Does it seem like wherever you turn everything is costing you more? A client of mine in the automotive business was saying that, with rising fuel costs, he felt as if he had an additional mortgage payment. In turn, fuel costs are affecting the price of f... Read >

What Do You Mean I’m Not Qualified?

You have all heard the news about the mortgage crisis in America. For investors, the mortgage crisis is about defaulted loans, but for the average American, the crisis means being unable to qualify for a new mortgage or being unable to pay for the mortgag... Read >

It's Your Tax Refund, Isn't It?

Here is something that I just learned about and thought I would pass this on to you. Did you know that identity theft has hit the income tax process? Thieves are taking your personal information, filing a false tax return and getting your refund! How ... Read >