Independence doesn’t come cheap.
Sometimes we take independence for granted because we have always had it, but it can be taken away. The tough economy has caused many people to learn about, and live through the loss of financial independence.
Here are some basic steps to help you along the way to financial independence:
1. Get out of debt - Paying the minimum is not going to get you there. Attack the balances with the highest rates first and after you have paid them off, avoid situations that will tempt you to run them back up.
2. Save for a rainy day – Keeping cash …read more

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to get out of debt. But, since it’s financial literacy month, I think it’s also worth understanding how debt works. That’s why I found The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Out of Debt so helpful.
Written by Ken Clark, a Certified Financial Planner, Getting Out of Debt offers real world information and help with debt. Using easy-to-understand, real world language — and drawing on personal experiences with debt — Clark takes the reader on an informative journey through the world of debt. The book tackles such concepts as where debt …read more