If you live in a yard sale kind of neighborhood - in good weather, most neighborhoods are crawling with them on weekends - do a sweep to see what the competition is charging. No one is going to buy your $7 book if they can get it down the block for $1. Jean Chatzky blockbookbuy share on social
July is high burglary season because so many people leave town. To help avoid making that obvious, suspend your newspaper subscription and have your mail held. Another clear indication is if all your lights are off for an extended period. To fix that, you can buy a timer for about $30. Jean Chatzky avoidburglarybuy share on social
Weak passwords are a crook's best friend. Make yours long and complex, and change them often - not just on your bank account but on your email and social media, too. Jean Chatzky accountbankchange Change image and share on social
If you work in a home office, you can likely write off that space, as long as you use it only for work. Jean Chatzky homelongoffice Change image and share on social
People who are passionate about what they do reach financial comfort and wealth more often than those who are not. That argues for doing one of two things. Finding your passion and pursuing it. Or becoming passionate about what you're already pursuing. Jean Chatzky arguecomfortfinancial share on social
If your appraisal comes back too low - you don't have at least 10% equity for a conforming loan or 20% for a jumbo loan - you might not be able to refinance at all, at least with a loan that's packaged and sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That means you may have to pay a much higher rate. Jean Chatzky appraisalbackconform share on social
If salary is your most important consideration, make sure you don't take too much time off beyond the allotted 12-14 weeks of maternity leave - and certainly don't leave altogether. Jean Chatzky allotaltogetherconsideration Change image and share on social
If you haven't gotten a raise in the past couple years for a job well done, it might be time to ask for one. Jean Chatzky couplejobpast Change image and share on social