Zdenka Mahan's Blog

If you’re on the fence about whether or not you want to sell your house this year, there’s good news. For nearly two years, real estate professionals have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of buyers and sellers during the pandemic.Today, they’re seasoned experts, not just in the art of buyin...

Contribute to a 529 College Savings Plan With Gift Cards Parents contributing to a 529 college savings plan may find it difficult, if not a little time-consuming, to transfer cash and checks that their children receive on their birthdays, Christmas and other celebrations into the popular college ...

Maintaining Your Kitchen Appliances Being a homeowner can be costly, but some expenses can be trimmed with regular maintenance. Since so many appliances run in the kitchen, it’s one of the best places to start. Here are some of the best ways to keep your kitchen appliances running well so that th...

Smart Thermostats: Top 4 Expert Picks Programmable thermostats let you set the temperature in your home and have the thermostat change it based on the time of day. What makes them ‘smart’ is that they can learn from your behaviors, let you control the climate remotely, show you energy consumption...

Steps to Take After Identity Theft Reacting quickly is essential after you’ve been the victim of identity theft. It can lessen the damage by thieves and lower the stress of having your credit card lost or stolen. You may notice when you get home that your credit card is missing. Or you may get an...

How to Check If a Debt Collector Is Legitimate Figures from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) show that about 70 million people—more than a quarter of adults in the United States—either have a debt in collection or have been contacted about one. Some of those people are wrongly cont...

Retro Colors Make a Comeback: What's Hot in Decor Right Now Everything old is new again, and that goes for decorating with color. While the last decade in home décor has largely been defined by white and varying shades of beige and gray, today’s designers are harking back to yesteryear with pain...

Financial Priorities for Newlyweds Deciding where to live, if you’re going to have children, and who takes out the garbage are some of the big and small decisions newlyweds have to make together after the wedding gifts are put away and they’re ready to start their lives together. There are also f...

Some Highlights If you’re looking to buy a home, you may want to put these items on your to-do list to ensure you hit your goals. It’s important to start working on your credit and saving for a down payment early. When you’re ready to begin your search, work with a real estate professional and ge...

The past year and a half brought about significant life changes for many of us. For some, it meant entering retirement earlier than expected. Recent data shows more people retired this year than anticipated. According to the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, 2021 saw a retirement boom...