Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Bad Credit, No Credit, What’s the Catch?

There are a couple of area car dealerships that advertise “Guaranteed Financing. Bad Credit! No Credit! No Problem! Guaranteed on the spot financing available.”  As the father of a teenage driver, I became curious to find out if this might be an option. What’s the catch? I also wondered would this option help build credit […]

WRITTEN BY: Ken Stewart, Extension Educator,Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Monroe County

REVIEWED BY: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Dan Gold-N7RiDzfF2iw-unsplash

SOURCES:

  • Credit Karma, Buy-here, pay-here financing: What you need to know (2022) Kim Porter
  • Lending Tree.com, Why you should skip the 'Buy Here Pay Here' Car Lots (2022)
  • Bank Rate What You Should Know About 0% APR Car Deals, Michelle Black

REFERENCES:

  • Consumer Financila Protection Bureau, https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/buying-a-car/#anchor_start.

Getting Financial Aid Without Getting Scammed

Avoiding financial aid scams.   My first year of college I was invited by a person from my dorm to attend a sales presentation. When they said that I would receive a FREE glass beer mug I agreed. I attended the presentation, thinking that I would stay only long enough to get my mug. It turned […]

WRITTEN BY: Ken Stewart, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Monroe County

REVIEWED BY: Courtney Warman

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/photos/mentor-school-students-college-3513738/

SOURCES:

  • https://studentaid.gov/resources/scams
  •  http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scholarship-and-financial-aid-scams
  • https://studentaid.gov/articles/student-loan-scams   

Your Financial Life~Claim Your Unclaimed Money

Looking for a financial windfall that is legitimate? There is a great possibility that personal property such as money with your name on it is just waiting for you to claim! Annually states return more than $3,000,000,000 in unclaimed property to one in every 10 persons. Lost and forgotten property is considered abandoned or unclaimed. […]

WRITTEN BY: Candace J. Heer, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Morrow County

REVIEWED BY: Courtney Woelfl, Program Specialist, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/
  • https://www.missingmoney.com/en/Property/Search

SOURCES:

  • Unclaimed Money from the Government; https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money
  • National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators; https://unclaimed.org/
  • The Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization (UPPO), Gift Cards/Stored Value Cards; https://www.uppo.org/blogpost/925381/Unclaimed-Property-Focus?tag=Gift+Cards#:~:text=Dormant%20unredeemed%20gift%20cards%20and,that%20address's%20state%20will%20apply

REFERENCES:

  • National Conference of State Legislatures, Abandoned or Unclaimed Property and Escheatment Statutes; https://www.ncsl.org/research/financial-services-and-commerce/abandoned-or-unclaimed-property-statutes.aspx
  • The Office of the Ohio Attorney General; https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Home
  • Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Information; https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts

How to “buy” happiness and better health

My husband and I took my 15 year old daughter to see Hamilton a couple nights ago. Her birthday was January 29th, the same day that Hamilton opened in Columbus. She told me last summer that she would like to go to the show for her birthday. I informed her that I would try to […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.417@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/en/african-african-american-american-3741972/
  • https://pixabay.com/en/couple-happy-old-grandfather-858694/

SOURCES:

  • Consumer Federation of America, (2018). 54 Ways to Save Money, America Saves. Retrieved from: https://americasaves.org/for-savers/make-a-plan-how-to-save-money/54-ways-to-save-money
  • Newman, K. (2016). Six Ways to Get More Happiness for Your Money. Greater Good Magazine. Found here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_get_more_happiness_for_your_money
  • Santi, J. (2015). Nine Tips to Make Your Giving Feel Good. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved from: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/nine_tips_to_make_your_giving_feel_good
  • Wilblin, R. (2016). Everything you need to know about whether money makes you happy. 80,000 hours. Retrieved from: https://80000hours.org/articles/money-and-happiness/
  • University of Minnesota, (2016). How Can You Improve Your Relationship with Money? Taking Charge of Your Health and Wellbeing. Found here: https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-can-you-improve-your-relationship-money

REFERENCES:

  • Bea, S. (2016). Wanna Give? This Is Your Brain on a ‘Helper’s High’. Cleveland Clinic. Found here: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-giving-is-good-for-your-health/

Financial Stress & Stigma – Episode Two of the Healthy Living Resources Telecast

Healthy Living Resources is a new telecast presented by the Family and Consumer Sciences program specialists that will focus on health, wellness, and the impact that stress has on our lives. Whether it be financial struggle, or chronic disease management, stress can creep up as a result of many of the day to day events […]

WRITTEN BY: Amanda Woods, Healthy Finances Program Specialist

REVIEWED BY: Amanda Rysz, Program Specialist, Training and Professional Development

Graduations, Money, More Graduations, and More Money

This year, the month of May is filled with several graduations and graduation parties for my family. My son graduates from a 2-year college program as well as from high school. My nephew graduates from a 4-year college, and my niece graduates from high school. With all of these milestones and celebrations comes gifts for […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.417@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Joseph Maiorano, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Harrison County, maiorano.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/en/money-donation-donate-profit-give-652560/

SOURCES:

  • Harmon, M. (2018). Mindful Parenting: Enjoy Every Moment. Live Smart Ohio. Available at http://livesmartohio.osu.edu/mind-and-body/harmon-416osu-edu/mindful-parenting-enjoy-every-moment/
  • Long, H. (2015). What I wish I knew about money on graduation day. CNN Money. Available at http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/26/investing/graduation-2015-what-i-wish-i-knew/index.html?section=money_latest
  • ProCon.org. (2016). Is College Education Worth It? Available at https://college-education.procon.org/
  • National Endowment for Financial Education. (2018). Avoid Graduation Money Mistakes. Smart About Money. Available at https://www.smartaboutmoney.org/Topics/Education-and-Career/Graduation/Avoid-Graduation-Money-Mistakes
  • HOMEROOM. (2016). 8 Things High School Grads Need to Do Before Leaving for College. The U.S. Department of Education. Available at https://blog.ed.gov/2016/07/8-things-hs-grads-need-to-do-before-college/
  • Harmon, M. (2018). How Are You Spending Your Tax Refund? Live Smart Ohio. Available at http://livesmartohio.osu.edu/money/harmon-416osu-edu/how-are-you-spending-your-tax-refund/

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