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2/21/2022

How to Buy Cryptocurrency: The 7 Best Platforms For Women to Get Started Buying Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies

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Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges

The cryptocurrency market can be intimidating for anyone, especially for us as women. If you are a woman interested in cryptocurrency, you have come to the right place to find the best crypto exchange. The thing is, there is tremendous opportunity for females in the crypto space to increase our financial independence by getting involved in the crypto market and digital currencies. Crypto trading is a great opportunity for everyone, especially women.

The finance and tech space is traditionally dominated by men. Twice as many men as women are cryptocurrency investors according to CNBC's Invest in You: Next Gen Investor Survey. Systemic barriers like the income gender gap already set us up for having to work harder to get into the cryptocurrency market, since we have less capital to invest with.

Make your money work for you with cryptocurrency and finding the best cryptocurrency exchange for you. By taking charge of our education, and learning about finance, investments, bitcoin and blockchain technology, we can level the playing field and increase our wealth and power.

We need more women and female entrepreneurs in bitcoin, blockchain technology and crypto. A more diverse group in this space can only make it stronger. Cryptocurrency for women can only grow by us getting more involved.

Cryptocurrency can help you, whether you are a single mother, married woman, or one of many other women who just want to learn about cryptocurrency and see what it can do for you.

Women in developing countries may be able to open cryptocurrency accounts, even if they have not been successful in opening bank accounts. Cryptocurrency's international reach can help those who may not have access to traditional banking be able to control their assets.
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Diversifying your investments with the cryptocurrency space can add value to an existing portfolio including mutual funds, New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ securities and other investments. If this is your first account on a crypto exchange, or anywhere you are opening, congratulations on taking the first step getting started. Let's find the best crypto exchange for you.
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What is Cryptocurrency?

First of all, what is cryptocurrency, anyway? Do not be embarrassed if you don't know.

Cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange using cryptography and blockchain technology to secure the transactions and to control the creation of new units. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin are some examples of cryptocurrency.

Crypto is different from banking with traditional institutions because cryptocurrency is decentralized; meaning it's not subject to government or financial institution control.

In 2009, when Bitcoin was created, the cryptocurrency could only be bought with fiat currency (U.S. dollars), but now you can buy different types of crypto with other cryptocurrencies as well.

You can also use cryptocurrency to purchase goods and services.

What is a Cryptocurrency Exchange?A cryptocurrency exchange is an online platform that allows you to buy, sell, or trade cryptocurrencies for other digital assets or traditional currency. Exchanges can be centralized (controlled by one entity) or decentralized (peer-to-peer ).

Centralized exchanges are more common and offer a wider range of services, while decentralized exchanges are growing in popularity due to their security and privacy features.

When you sign up for an account on a cryptocurrency exchange, you will need to provide your name, email address, and password. You may also need to provide proof of identification and residency.

You will also be asked to choose a cryptocurrency wallet in which to store your digital assets. A cryptocurrency wallet is like a bank account where you can store, send, and receive cryptocurrencies. There are many different types of wallets, so it's important to do your research before choosing one.

What are the Fees?Most exchanges have a variety of fees, including crypto exchange fees.

So How Do We Get Started?Cryptocurrency is a form of virtual currency. You can send crypto assets as a form of payment, and you can hold onto it as an investment vehicle and grow your wealth.

If you're interested in cryptocurrency, the first step is to find a cryptocurrency exchange that works for you. Different exchanges have different features, fees, pros, and cons.

It can be complicated to get started with cryptocurrency, and often it is best to start small and increase your cryptocurrency investments as you become more familiar with the cryptocurrency space.

Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges For WomenIn this blog post, we'll list the best platforms and discuss what their fees are, as well as their pros and cons. We'll also give you a little bit of information about each platform so that you can decide which one is right for you.

The Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges

Here are are the best cryptocurrency platforms for women:
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​Coinbase

Coinbase is one of the most popular platforms out there and it's no surprise why. It has a user-friendly interface, low fees, and allows you to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. It's based in San Francisco and is backed by trusted investors. Coinbase is easy to use and has a simple, intuitive app.

Transaction fees can be high: As Coinbase explains on its website, "When you place an order at the market price that gets filled immediately, you are considered a taker and will pay a fee between 0.04% and 0.50%. When you place an order which is not immediately matched by an existing order, that order is placed on the order book. If another customer places an order that matches yours, you are considered the maker and will pay a fee between 0.00% and 0.50%."
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Check out Coinbase's pricing tier chart here:


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1/25/2022 0 Comments

12 Simple Tips to Boost Your Credit Score and Save Money

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Do you know your credit score? If not, you should find out about your credit health as soon as possible. Your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your life, and it can have a huge impact on your ability to get loans, rent an apartment, and even get a job.

It was just 1974 when all women were guaranteed the right to have a credit card in their own name. We have a lot of catching up to do!

Did you know that nearly 80% of Americans have poor or no credit history? If you're one of them, you can get higher credit scores and save money!

In this blog post, we will discuss 12 simple tips that will help you boost your credit score with good credit habits, build your credit with a solid credit history, and save money!
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​Get Your Credit Reports


Tip 1: Get your credit reports. The first step to improving your credit score is understanding where you stand currently. You can get a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com. By law, you are entitled to free annual credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus. Your Equifax credit report, Experian credit report, and TransUnion credit report will show you the information these credit bureaus have on you, including any credit card accounts and your credit score.

Make sure to check your credit report for any errors and dispute them immediately. Understand what goes into your credit score calculation. Your credit score is determined by five main factors: payment history (35%), amount of debt owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit accounts opened (ten percent), and type of credit used (ten percent). It's important to review this report carefully to identify any errors or areas of improvement.

You can also get a free credit score from several different websites, such as CreditKarma.com or Quizzle.com. These scores are not the same as your credit report, but they will give you a general idea of where you stand.

Start Establishing Credit and Building Credit

Tip 2: Start using credit cards to build credit. Credit cards are one of the best ways to build credit, and if you use them responsibly, they can help improve your credit score in a short period of time. Make sure to always pay your credit card bills on time and keep your balances low. It is best if you can be making on time payments and pay the balances in full each month. Even if you use your credit card once a month to go out to dinner, paying even a low balance in full every month will start to build up your credit history.

Credit history accounts for 15% of your FICO ® Score. The longer, the better. So if you are new to credit or rebuilding credit, start building a good credit history now. Your credit scores improve if you have different types of credit, such as auto loans, credit cards, student loans, and so on. Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) Expand While this isn't directly part of how your credit score is calculated, your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) helps determine if you can comfortably afford to make your payments. 

What you definitely do not want to do is run up your credit limit. How much you owe makes of 30% of your score. It's better to keep balances low. If you plan to carry a balance on your credit card, try to stay below a 30% utilization rate of your credit limit.

Get A Secured Credit Card

Tip 3: Get a secured credit card. Secured credit cards are a great way to start building credit and establish credit if you’re just starting out or have had some trouble with debt in the past and have poor credit. With a secured card account, you put down a security deposit that serves as your credit limit. Secured credit cards are a great way to prove that you can manage debt responsibly, make on time payments, and eventually transition to an unsecured card. 


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12/12/2021 0 Comments

Five Things That Will Make You Wealthy

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The key to achieving a goal is reducing a problem to simple steps. Here are the five steps to achieving wealth.

1.    
Focus on Increasing Income, Not Your Bills


First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.” 


Be a great mind and discuss ideas. I know, you have a mountain of bills so it’s hard to brainstorm how you will generate more income. You must free your mind and create the space to think. Where do you think of your best ideas? In the shower? While driving? Sitting listening to music? Create those experiences so you can let your brain flow. Do you have a great business idea but just need to wrap your head around it and take action steps? Create that time to make that happen. Too busy worrying about your bills to do that? Keep reading. 


2.    
Start Using a Budget

You need a written plan for every dollar you have. Simply, calculate how much money is coming in and what you spend your money on. Figure out your needs vs. wants. 


Prioritize saving for an emergency fund. If the last two unprecedented  years have taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. Have 3 to 6 months of savings for expenses in case of a job loss, medical emergency, or other change in life situation. 


Budget to make payments toward debt or pay off debt completely. 


Lastly, incorporate fun: Like an extreme diet, an austere budget where you can’t do anything go anywhere, or celebrate life’s milestones is not sustainable. . Eventually it becomes too restrictive and you will binge, or in this case, spend too much. Include a category for entertainment, with funds for travel and holidays.  Your “Fun” budget category may be small, but don’t totally eliminate it. 


Revisit your budget often and fine tune to cut corners.  Reward yourself when you meet debt payments and savings milestones. 


Get in touch with us at
info@fundssavvy.com and we will send you our free budget worksheet that easily helps you organize your budget in minutes. 


3.    
Live Below Your Means


You do not need to spend to impress anyone else. If you love a luxury item and you are buying it because you want it and like it, (and have budgeted for it) that is a good reason.  It’s a losing battle to purchase items or participate in costly activities just to “keep up.” Trust me, I’ve made this mistake. You go eat at a restaurant your friends want to try and halfway through the meal you realize, “I don’t even like this place or this food.”   Buy classic quality items that last, not fast fashion that is in and out in a week. Stack your activities. Go for a stroll with a friend instead of dinner: workout, walk the dog, catch up; hanging out costs nothing. 


4.    Get Out of Debt and Automate Payments
You need to get out of debt, but you also can’t constantly be thinking about it. If your mind is consumed with thinking about your bills and what you owe, you will feel like you are washing a never-ending pile of dishes  you can never complete. Start an automatic debt repayment plan and revisit it every three months to see if you can increase payments. This will allow you to focus your mental energy on  ways to turn your passion into your 9-5 or how to grow your side hustle. 

5.    
Be Generous


You get what you give. Practice gratitude daily. Don’t be stagnant with your generosity. Even if you are able to donate a dollar per month to a worthy charity, you are making a difference. If you can tip extra to the delivery person who battles inclement weather to bring you your dinner, you’re making a difference. Keep the flow of money going by doing exactly that. Keep it flowing. 



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11/12/2021 0 Comments

Which Debt Should I Pay Off First?

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 So you want to start or accelerate paying off debts, and you have a student loan, credit card debt, car payments, mortgage … the list seems to go on. It may seem impossible to get your total debt under control, but as you look at each debt one by one, it may not seem so overwhelming. Now, close your eyes and imagine all your credit card balances are zero. How does that feel? Let’s start your plan on what to pay off first.

1.Any past due bills 

Keep your good credit rating intact or get back on the right track. First,  pay off any past due bills that are or could eventually jeopardize your credit rating. 

2.Pay off the debt with the highest interest rate 

Line up your credit cards and literally tape each one to a piece of paper. Write out the APRs next to each one. You want to eliminate the debt with the highest interest rate first.
​There’s personal preference options when it comes to paying off debt.

Snowball method
List your debts from smallest to largest balance  (regardless of  interest rate).
Make minimum payments on all of your debts, except the smallest. Pay as much money as you can toward the smallest debt until it is paid off, then move onto the next smallest and so on and so on until all debts are paid off. Psychologically, it may be encouraging for you too see those smaller debts paid off.
Avalanche method
Make minimum payments on all debt, then use extra funds to pay off debt with the highest interest rate. 


3. But, hey, neither of these methods is going to work unless you stop racking up debt. Stop charging!

Let’s get to the heart of the problem. Why do you keep racking up credit card debt?
Take a good look at your last three statements on each credit card and see what you are spending money on. Could you switch up dinner plans with friends for a hike and picnic or head to a museum? Are you traveling a bit more than your budget allows at this time? Perhaps you need to be more selective with the trips.  Are you making impulse purchases to satisfy an emotional need? Once you pay off the credit card debt, it is important to create new habits that don’t rack up more debt and send you back to square one. 

4. Save money on automatic charges
See if there are payments you can eliminate or reduce. Go through your monthly statements and cut out any subscriptions you aren’t using. Are you really watching all those cable channels? Check out your insurance rates and cell phone bills. Shop around for more competitive rates and see if you can cut costs there. Make a list when you are grocery shopping so you don’t aimlessly pick out items that end up spoiling and getting thrown in the trash. 

5. Automate your debt payments so you can focus on generating more income
“What you think about, you bring about,” right? You don’t want to be thinking about your debt. Your energy is better focused on how you can generate more income and improve your life overall. Financial independence leads to freedom and options, and that’s really what getting control of your debt is all about anyway, right? 

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3/29/2021

Should I Ask My Coworkers About Salary?

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The subject of salary is a tricky one, especially if you want to find out what your coworkers make.
Is it appropriate to ask someone you work with what their salary is?
FundsSavvy was interviewed for a GoBankingRates article on this. Check out the full article here.

3/17/2021

The Pandemic Tax Guide: Can You Claim Your Home Office? Are All These Tops For My Virtual Meetings Tax Deductible?

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 ​   The pandemic brought many changes, correct? Maybe your dog is now your coworker. You bought a whole rack of new sweaters for all your Zoom meetings. Maybe you took advantage of all that time social distancing to embark on some self-improvement with online classes. Perhaps you incurred medical expenses. There may also be significant changes to the way you are doing your taxes.
 
   Here’s some common pandemic tax questions and issues that may have popped up for you.
 
Can You Claim Your Home Office as a Tax Deduction?
   As the IRS explains on its website, your home office must be used for regular and exclusive use and be the principal place of your business.
If you conduct business at a location outside of your home, but also use your home substantially and regularly to conduct business, you may qualify for a home office deduction.
You can deduct for the percentage of your home devoted to business activities.
There are two methods for deduction: simplified and regular.
You can use the simplified method for deduction: you can deduct $5.00 per square foot of your office, up to 300 feet. 
   In the regular method, you figure out what percentage of the house your office is: say it is 20%. You can then deduct 20% of the costs of maintaining that office. That’s 20% of rent or mortgage, 20% of property taxes and insurance, and 20% of electricity or phone bill.
Be sure you do this right. Working as an independent contractor or someone who files a Schedule C doesn’t necessarily mean you will be audited, but the IRS can take a closer look at independent contractors or someone who files a Schedule C.
 
Can You Deduct Clothing as a Business Expense?
   You can only deduct clothing if it cannot double as street clothing. So, if you bought a new blouse for a Zoom meeting, but then wore it to a socially distanced birthday party, that’s out.
Things like specific protective equipment and clothing for a performance can be deductible.
Keep your receipts for three years for any expenses you are deducting.
 
Can You Deduct the Cost of Starting a Business?
   Did you take all that time at home to finally start your side hustle or launch that business you’ve talked about? SCORE, a nonprofit and resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Association, highlights some business deductions you may have overlooked. Most businesses can deduct up to $5000 for startup costs. Local and state tax may also be deductible on your federal return. Some banking fees and charitable contributions can also get deducted.  You had to tell people about your new venture, right? Marketing costs may also be deductible. Employee wages and payroll taxes may also be included. Don’t forget retirement plan contributions and travel and entertainment.
 
Did You Keep Your Employees Despite COVID-19 Challenges?
   As the IRS explains, the employee retention credit was designed to make it easier for businesses that, despite challenges posed by COVID-19 chose to keep employees on the payroll. Heads up for 2021:  new legislation says eligible employers can now claim a refundable tax credit against the employer share of Social Security tax equal to 70% of the qualified wages they pay to employees after December 31, 2020, through June 30, 2021. Qualified wages are limited to $10,000 per employee per calendar quarter in 2021. Therefore, the maximum ERC amount available is $7,000 per employee per calendar quarter, for a total of $14,000 in 2021.
 
Can You Deduct Medical Expenses?
   COVID-19 may have brought some added medical expenses for you and your family. According to the IRS, you may be able to deduct expenses you paid that year for medical and dental care for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. You may deduct only the amount of your total medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.  Some but not all of the items you can deduct are payments and fees to doctors, transportation to and from medical care, and payments for insurance premiums. If you took quarantine time to get in shape, quit smoking, or treat an addiction, those expenses may also be deductible.
 
Can You Deduct Online Classes?
   Did you take quarantine time to learn a new skill with online classes? Fees for those classes or educational expenses may be deductible. If you are employed and took the classes to improve your skills, as long as your employer did not already reimburse you, these may be deductible. Books and supplies can also be included.
 
Can You Deduct Educational Expenses?
   According to the IRS, The American opportunity tax credit (AOTC) is a credit for qualified education expenses paid for an eligible student for the first four years of higher education. You can get a maximum annual credit of $2,500 per eligible student. If the credit brings the amount of tax you owe to zero, you can have 40 percent of any remaining amount of the credit (up to $1,000) refunded to you.  The amount of the credit is 100 percent of the first $2,000 of qualified education expenses you paid for each eligible student and 25 percent of the next $2,000 of qualified education expenses you paid for that student. 
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How to Claim Stimulus Money
   Economic impact payments are not taxable income. If you did not get your payment or received less than you should have, you can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 taxes.  As the IRS explains on its website, one must file a 2020 tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit, even if one doesn’t usually file a tax return.
If you received a larger stimulus payment than you were due, you will not be penalized for it.  Check if your individual state is taxing stimulus payments.
 
How to Claim Unemployment Benefits
   Unemployment benefits are taxable income. The benefits are always subject to federal taxes. You will need to check your state to see if there are state taxes. You were given the option to have federal taxes withheld from your benefit payments. If you did not choose that option, you will need to calculate the federal tax owed.
 
   The first $10,200 in unemployment is forgivable.  The $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill waives federal tax on up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits for an individual in 2020.  This is for federal income taxes. You will need to check with your individual state regarding its tax breaks.
 
   You qualify if you earned a total of $150,000 or less in 2020.
 
Consult a Professional
 
   A professional tax preparer is absolutely money well spent.  Doing your taxes incorrectly can cost you more time, money, and headaches in the future.
 
   Companies like TurboTax and H&R Block offer inexpensive tax preparation options.  You may even be able to get help with your taxes for free. If you make $57,000 or less, you can get free help preparing your taxes through the IRS by making an appointment at one of its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) centers. Check out this link to find one in your area: Free tax help

1/7/2021

What Is Net Worth?

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FundsSavvy was recently featured in Forbes on the topic of net worth.
So what is net worth?
At its most basic, net worth is your personal balance sheet.
It's what you own minus what you owe.
What else should we consider when calculating our net worth?
There are plenty of non-financial currencies that are important to recognize.
Check out the full article on Forbes.

11/5/2020

When To Not Use Your Credit Card

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     It can be really easy to throw down your credit card and say, put it on my tab! However, the lingering financial hangover of paying off debt for months is more brutal than nursing your migraine from all those margaritas. 
 
1. An evening out
Pay with cash when you go out for the evening. Setting aside a designated amount of cash for your evening out will help you stay in budget, and not get a flashback when you get your statement at the end of the month.
 
2. Buying a car
Unless you are going to pay your entire balance right away, buying a car with a credit card is not a good idea. You will likely pay more in interest and fees than if you looked into financing.
 
3. Household bills
Again, if you’re not going to pay your entire credit card balance when you receive your bill, paying for household bills with your credit card will just make your bills cost more.
 
4. Emotional spending
I know, a new pair of shoes is absolutely going to make you feel better after that tornado of a day at work. You can budget for that, with cash. Using your card for emotional purchases will have you going way over budget and, then, when you get your credit card bill, you’ll be in need of a pick-me-up again. It’s a vicious cycle. You can allow yourself controlled emotional spending if you set aside an amount within your monthly budget for that type of expense and you pay in cash.
 
5. When It’s All About Rewards Points
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Don’t charge a bunch of things you don’t need, just so you can pay for your upcoming trip with points. Instead, shop around for better hotel and flight rates. With the travel industry suffering dramatically due to the coronavirus, there are plenty of deals available on necessary travel.
 

11/5/2020

Employee Benefits You May Not Know About

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   ​You may have focused on salary when considering taking your current job or looking at a new opportunity.  Don’t forget; your time, flexibility, health and sanity are also currencies that you should be focused on earning.   Many employers offer benefits that you may already have and can easily take advantage of, at little or no cost.
 
1. Mental Health Benefits Life is stressful in general, not to mention adding a little pandemic into the mix.  You may have mental health benefits that you are not aware of.  Often Employee Assistance Plans offer free counseling sessions to employees. If going to a counselor is not your thing, some health plans are even adding mental health and meditation apps. Mental health provider Lyra Health just announced it is adding the Calm app to their benefit offerings to help manage the added stress. Make self-care a priority and check out what your employer may already be offering you.
 
 
2. Healthcare The most desired benefit is healthcare.
Take a look at what your company offers, and consider adding benefits like life insurance, critical illness, and disability. Some health plans will even pay for all or part of the cost of fitness classes and memberships.
 
3. Health Savings Accounts Health Savings Accounts are for health care costs and you don’t pay taxes on the amount you contribute, invest, or spend.
 
4. Student Loan Help Still paying your student loan or want to go back to school?
Your employer may have student loan or tuition assistance. 
 

Set up an appointment with your human resources representative or point of contact for benefits. You may already have some amazing opportunities to drastically improve your life that you don’t even know about.

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