SquareOne Financial Foundations

Continuing Education and Student Aid

Whether you’re the parent of a high-school student who is beginning their college application process or considering going back to school as an adult, the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first, and one of the most important steps in the process of continuing your education. With the FAFSA deadline for the 2021-2022 […]

How Credit Scores Are Calculated and Why It Matters

woman wearing glasses looking down at a paper showing a credit report with a credit score of 765

Did you know your credit score can be thought of as your credit “report card?” The most recent Square One Financial Foundations blog discussed the In’s and Out’s of Credit and the importance of establishing and maintaining a good credit history, but how do you know if you’re making the grade? Credit scores are calculated […]

The In’s and Out’s of Credit

In recent SquareOne Financial Foundations blogs, we reviewed topics focused on saving for emergencies and retirement, but now let’s shift gears and dig into one of the most critical yet most misunderstood components of your financial life—credit. What is credit anyway? Simply put, credit is one’s capacity to borrow money or gain access to goods […]

Saving for Retirement Without a 401(k)

green background with alarm clock, various stacks of coins, and a jar filled with coins labeled "retirement" on a table

Our last SquareOne blog covered retirement savings for individuals with defined contribution retirement plans through their employer – the 401(k) with the Employer Match. However, suppose you are one of the 36% of private industry workers whose employer does not offer a defined contribution plan. In that case, you may be looking for options on […]

Make the Most of your 401(k) with the Employer Match

In our previous SquareOne blog, we discussed the power of the time value of money. Now that we understand the benefits of compound interest, we want to look at ways to kickstart your retirement savings goals. Approximately 64% of all private industry workers have access to a defined contribution retirement plan, such as a 401(k) […]

Let’s Talk About Time Value of Money

So far in our SquareOne Financial Foundations blog, we have discovered the importance of saving for emergencies and the different options to earn better interest rates on emergency savings funds. Before we jump into saving for retirement and paying off debt, let’s take a moment to examine one of the most important lessons you can […]

Where To Keep An Emergency Fund

Our last SquareOne blog discussed the minimum amounts of emergency funds to be saved based on your unique situation. We also established some guidelines for how much cash you should set aside for unexpected life events that can significantly impact your financial well-being. This week, we’ll discuss the types of accounts you can use to […]

How Much Should Be In My Emergency Fund?

In our last SquareOne blog, What’s The Deal With Emergency Funds? we discussed what an emergency fund is and what it is not, but you might be wondering how much cash you should have set aside. If you crack open a personal finance textbook, the most common answer you will see is “three to six months […]

What’s The Deal With Emergency Funds?

overturned mason jar overfilled with coins with a sticker that reads "hello, my name is emergency"

If you spend any amount of time researching personal finance, you probably hear a lot of talk about the importance of an emergency fund. You may have even read the recent article Is Your Safety Net Sufficient? from our partner, Marshall Clay, about the importance of a safety net. According to GoBankingRates, you might be […]