Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Spring has finally sprung! We are beginning to come out of quarantine and find a routine once again. During this “stay at home” time, I heard from many who dug into their closets and garages. Some of which have not been cleaned or organized in years. I found things I didn’t know I had! Honestly, it feels so good to throw out the junk and have a fresh start! Though I find it natural when the seasons change. Aren’t we all motivated to do the deep cleaning? However, we typically forget to include our finances in that deep clean. Now is the per...
Have you noticed when you turn on the TV, there always seems to be a new financial scam? We are warned of hackers, identity thieves, or the latest financial cyber threat. In 2019, $8.5 billion was spent on funding cybersecurity. It, unfortunately, has become a priority of mine to ensure my information, and that of my family remains safe. It can be a full-time job keeping passwords safe, monitoring accounts for fraud, and practicing safe shopping while online. The one-piece that typically gets forgotten is protecting our credit file...
The holidays can be such a joyous time of year, but so much time and effort to plan and prepare, and then… just like that, it’s over. The meal leaves you full and exhausted. The holiday bills can leave you feeling much the same. Without even looking at your bills, you already know you ignored that “budget.” Now what? First, do not be so hard on yourself. Put those feelings of, “What did I do” into action. Here are three immediate steps. 1. Stop the unnecessary spending: Aside from the essentials like utilities, mortgage, groceries, etc., avoid...
Fall is here! I know some have already experienced the first chill of winter, but that’s another conversation. Many of us North Dakotans enjoy this time of year watching the leaves change, finishing the fall harvest, football and bonfires. This time of year is also a decision-making time for many North Dakotans. Decisions to determine what plan benefits to enroll in and which to opt-out of. October is the time for “open enrollment” when companies open the benefits they offer to their employees and we can make changes. It is time to asses...
Is the sale too good to be true? Do you sometimes feel the sale is too good to be true? Do you find yourself impulsively buying just because it is on sale? When is a good deal not a good deal? Sale signs cloud our reasoning, which results in some of the worst shopping decisions we make as consumers. Here are a few ways to decipher if it is a real deal and too good to pass by. Do you need it, or are you buying it because it is "on-sale"? If it is something already on your list to purchase and you can save money, then it can be considered a good...
It’s that time of year again, Christmas! A time to focus on our fellow man, our family and the child given to us in a manger. Or is it? Too many it’s a time to spend, spend, spend. According to NerdWallet, a group that monitors consumer spending habits, “on average, consumers will spend $116 more than last year on their holiday shopping. Of that group, 73 percent will charge their expenses to their credit card, up from 58 percent last year.” This is a concerning shift. When relying on credit, it suggests an increase in debt levels and reveals...
The leaves are changing and most of North Dakota has experienced the first snowfall. These changes lead to the whirlwind of the next three months of holiday planning. October just started, and Christmas items have already been placed on the store shelves, but wait we have two big holidays before that… Halloween and Thanksgiving! It never fails, summer flies by, school begins, and before we know it the holidays are upon us. It’s time to buy Halloween candy and costumes, then on to turkey and all the fixings and wrapping up the year is Christmas....
As your State Treasurer and a North Dakota taxpayer, I am finding the recent news articles regarding the introduction of a legislative bill to spend dollars from the principal of the Legacy Fund very interesting. I'll say it again, spend a portion of the principal of the fund ... not just the interest. This conversation routinely surfaces, ever since the first deposit was made in September of 2011. Let's take a moment to recall how the Legacy Fund was developed. In 2010, you, the voters, overwhe...
