Free Financial Planning Resources
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Free Financial Planning Advice
SaavyLadies is a non-profit that connects women to financial advisors for free telephonic consultations. Their experts can answer questions covering divorce and money, family finances and small business planning, budgeting and debt management (including credit cards), retirement and investing/saving, school loans, career financial planning, home/rental financial arrangements, and other important financial questions. They also provide:
- A financial wellness quiz
- Free courses to increase your financial literacy
- Webinars and in-person panel discussions on topics such as budgeting, planning for retirement or starting a business
- Articles on budgeting, career & income, caregiving, debt management, divorce, investing and so forth
Financial Planning Association provides in-person pro bono financial planning advice through its local chapters to underserved and at-risk communities. These include low-income individuals and families, military personnel/veterans, domestic violence survivors; people affected by natural disasters, serious medical crises, bankruptcy, etc. FPA has chapters in Oregon (Eugene, Tigard) and Washington (Seattle, Spokane). They also provide:
- Pro bono financial planning advice for families coping with a member who has cancer
- Links to low cost personal finance resources like Babson Financial Literacy Project and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Green Path, Inc is a non-profit, financial wellness organization that offers free, personal and tailored credit counseling and debt management solutions. Call 1-800-550-1961 to speak with a team member. GreenPath offers a wealth of resources, including:
- Free debt counseling
- Debt management plans
- Student loan consolidation
- Credit report reviews
- Housing services such as foreclosure prevention, home buying counseling, resources for renters
- Financial calculator tools and worksheets for budgeting
- Free online courses on housing, budgeting, debt repayment and so forth
- Webinars
- Real $tories podcast that features real people who paid down their debt
National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) promotes the national agenda for financially responsible behavior. Call 1-800-388-2227 to speak to a counselor near you. Para ayuda en Español llama al 1-800-682-9832. NFCC provides free counseling and debt-relief plans for people who are have a large amount of credit card debt, personal debt or student loans or who are facing a temporary setback.
Free Budgeting & Financial Planning Apps
Mint is a very popular free financial planning and budgeting app. It tracks your spending to help create awareness around where your money goes. And it offers many other helpful features:
- It syncs all of accounts so you can easily see your complete financial picture. It includes your checking and savings, credit cards, loans, investments and bills.
- For budgeting, it tracks your expenses and places them in budget categories. You can personalize these categories, which are unlimited. You set limits for these categories, and Mint lets you know if you’re approaching those limits.
- It tracks your cash flow, notifies you when your subscriptions increase and reminds you when bills are due.
- It helps you pay down debt, save more money and track goals by providing "Mintsights."
- It shows you your credit score and net worth.
- It provides “Home Affordability” and “Loan Repayment” calculators
- It provides a lot of support for using the app, including a detailed FAQ.
NerdWallet is a comprehensive financial planning app that seeks to provide clarity to consumers around all major financial decisions. It offers a ton of great information and resources, including:
- Helpful articles and guides on every aspect of your financial life – credit cards, credit scores, loans, investments, retirement, insurance, spending and saving, taxes, travel, and mortgages. Topics might include how to lower your bills and save more money, how to invest in stocks and bonds, how to get the best car insurance quotes, and how to find the best travel loyalty programs.
- Recommendations for the best credit cards, brokers, bank accounts, personal and student loans, and all types of insurance. This saves a lot of time in research. Their recommendations are generally on point.
- A wealth of calculators to help you make the best financial decisions. Their calculators include credit card balance transfers, interest rates, debt payoff, debt consolidation, compound interest, 401K savings, student loan, budgeting, financial health scores and so on.
- Customized financial advice when you input all of your bank account, investments and credit cards. NerdWallet seeks to optimize your financial picture to save you money.
Free Financial Education Resources
- Get Your Free Credit Report: Federal law requires each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – to give you a free credit report every 12 months if you ask for it. Learn how to review your credit report and check errors that might lower your score here.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The CFPB looks out for consumers first and foremost. Browse by money topic to find answers to commonly-asked financial questions. Learn the basics, understand key terms, and find ways to take action when you have an issue.
- Money Smart: This comprehensive financial education curriculum, from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is designed to help you enhance your financial skills. The course is available in multiple languages.
- Practical Money Skills: Money guides, downloads, and information on topics such as buying a car, renting an apartment, and heading to college. Learn how to improve your credit score, and why you should care about credit in the first place.
Free Worksheets
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