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6 days ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisMay is celebrated as National Military Appreciation Month! Take a moment to tell a service member how much you appreciate their service to this country. If you are not in the military, you might not realize that the military provides financial resources and counseling services to its personnel.
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1 week ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisLast week, we talked about May being National Mental Health Awareness Month and how your mental health can affect your finances. This week, I want to also celebrate the month of May as National Recommitment Month. Making a commitment can often challenge us to evaluate important areas of our lives and refocus. Throughout our lives, we often make goals and commitments that can last a lifetime. Sometimes we get off track, and it’s helpful to step back and see how we’re doing.
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2 weeks ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisMay is celebrated as National Mental Health Month. You might not think about money and mental health in the same sentence, but they are more closely related than you might think. Mental health can be a touchy subject to talk about, but it is a conversation that should be had when it comes to your money because your mental health can greatly affect how well you handle issues that might arise with your finances.
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3 weeks ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisIn all my years of tackling the topic of financial literacy, I’ve found that understanding basic financial skills and concepts is critical for a successful financial future. Almost everything we do as adults, like earning money, budgeting, paying off debt, and saving, relies heavily on our personal financial literacy skills.
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1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisIt’s a national celebration, and you can join in the festivities! Since 2007, America Saves Week has been an annual celebration as well as a call to action for everyday Americans to commit to saving successfully. Through the support of thousands of participating organizations, we encourage individuals to do a financial check-in that allows them to get a clear view of their finances, set savings goals, and create a plan to achieve them.
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1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisMay graduation dates are fast approaching, and many high school seniors are eagerly watching their mailboxes and inboxes for acceptance letters or emails from the colleges they have applied to. College acceptance season, which usually runs from mid-March to late April, is also a great time to discuss saving for and paying for college. According to Bankrate.com, the average cost of attending a four-year university is around $35,551 per year and is steadily climbing.
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1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisHistorically, women were not allowed to handle their own financial needs. In 1848, the Married Woman’s Property Act was passed in New York. This act served as a guide for other states, which eventually passed their own versions by the 1900s. With this act in place, a woman was no longer liable for her husband’s debts, could enter contracts on her own, and was able to collect rents or receive an inheritance in her own right. Financial knowledge is financial power.
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1 month ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisEven though we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day this past Monday, it is never too late to work on keeping your finances “in the green.” Some of us are all too familiar with the term “in the red” when it comes to our finances; nevertheless, some problems can be fixed by making minor or sometimes major adjustments.
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2 months ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisTurning 65 last year was a huge milestone for me. Like a hawk, I zeroed in on all the information I could get my hands on months before my birthday. Guess what – it was still pretty mind-boggling to me. I visited my local Social Security office, and they provided me with a copy of the publication Medicare and You 2025.
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2 months ago | 
desotocountynews.com | Charlestien Harris |Bob Bakken
By Charlestien HarrisFebruary is recognized as Black History Month, and we wanted to join in the festivities by recognizing the rich history that has been established over the years. One of the best ways to honor ancestral history is to take steps to build wealth that will last for generations to come and beyond. Building wealth can be as simple as opening a bank account for the first time or as complicated as understanding that it requires a great deal of planning, patience, and sacrifice.
