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Smart Start Money

What is Smart Start Money?

Smart Start Money provides information on making smart money decisions. Providing tips, personal experiences, and money-saving resources, the goal is to help people start each day by staying out of debt, build wealth, and remain on a path of financial freedom.

Times have changed since getting a job and keeping the same place of employment for a lifetime. The average time spent with one employer is now three to five years. Companies are replacing workers with lean staff that previously held more people to accomplish the same tasks. This has resulted in periods of unemployment for many people making it challenging to save for retirement and stay debt free.

The rising costs of healthcare, consumer goods, and wages that often do not seem to keep pace with the cost of daily life make it more important than ever to make smart financial decisions.

$563

Average Monthly New Car Payment

$37,172

Average Student Loan Debt

$393

Average Monthly Student Loan Payment

Resource: Lendingtree.com, Nitrocollege.com

16.46%

Average Credit Card Interest Rate

21%

People That Have No Retirement Savings

39%

People That Have No Savings At All

Resource: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 Planning & Progress Study, 2017 GOBankingRates survey