A Little Bit Of Me | Lifestyle Blog by Charnita Fance

I can't believe we're inching closer to 2026. My husband and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past November, and it really got me thinking about where we are in life. We've been in our current residence for exactly 10 years as of this month. While I love our neighbors (especially the cat next door, Noro, who visits me every single day for treats), I'm so ready for a place that's actually ours. The biggest issue right now is space. My kitchen is incredibly small. I love to cook, but trying to make a big holiday meal in there is a nightmare. I just want to host a dinner where I’m not bumping into the fridge every time I turn around. I know I need to buy a house, but to do that in 2027, I have to fix my credit starting now. I’ve done a lot of research, and I’m personally using a few of these programs to get my score up. If you're in the same boat, here is what is working for me and what experts say are the best options out there. Disclosure: T...

I recently woke up and realized I am 44 years old. It sounds funny to say, but for the longest time, I just drifted along thinking retirement was this far-off thing that old people do. But now, hitting my mid-40s with a husband, a duplex we are renting, and a whole zoo of pets to feed, the reality is setting in. I have about 20 years left to really aggressively save money if I want to stop working one day. I have a 401k through my job, and I contribute to it, but I started to get this nagging feeling that it wasn't enough. Disclosure: This post contains referral links; as a SoFi customer, I earn a small amount from qualifying sign-ups. I appreciate your support. That's why I finally opened an account with SoFi a couple of months ago. I went with their Robo Traditional IRA. I'll be honest with you: I chose the Robo option because I know absolutely nothing about investing. I didn't want to pick stocks and mess it up. I also realized after the fact that a Roth IRA might...