Chuck Bentley
Chuck Bentley
Hi Chuck, I am part of the ‘Gig Economy’ and work full-time as a freelance graphic designer. Some months I am slammed with work and make a great amount of money. But then other months are really slim. I’ve found it’s really difficult to budget for these major ups and downs – I end up […]
I did not enjoy taking tests in school. There were some students that eagerly welcomed the opportunity to showcase their knowledge, but tests typically made me nervous. As a student, I saw a test as a way to prove to the teacher what I had learned. The number of correct and incorrect answers I gave […]
Dear Chuck, I need help prioritizing how to use my tax refund. We are expecting to receive about $3,100 from our refund and want to use it wisely since we have a little over $23,000 of debt and are in desperate need of new tires for my car ($450). In what order should we use […]
Have you ever lied to your spouse about a purchase or hidden money? A poll from the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 2 in 5 Americans admit to lying about or withholding money information from their partner. USA Today reports that 15 million people have admitted to hiding financial information from their spouse, […]
Finding creative ways to increase your income has become an increasingly important step in navigating the workforce and personal finance. It can help you develop and sharpen skills to add value to your current job, and provide financial margin to accomplish future goals, such as saving, investing, and paying off debt. If you’re looking for […]
Are you an investor? The U.S. stock market has grabbed everyone’s attention since volatility began to increase after a full year of uninterrupted growth in 2017. With so many people having some stake in the market, it is no wonder that it has been making the financial headlines lately. Recent surveys indicate that about 45% […]
Dear Chuck, Amazon seems to have taken over the world! Their dominating presence makes me a little nervous…but I still love my free 2-day shipping from Prime. Are there any alternatives out there that I should know about? I feel like I can save money shopping from Amazon and the free shipping is always a […]
Are you expecting a tax refund soon? If you’re like most Americans, you’re probably expecting somewhere around $3,000 to show up in your mailbox over the next weeks and months. Receiving a refund check has become a strangely normal piece of financial planning for Americans – we count on receiving that extra cash and plan […]
Dear Chuck, I’m in my early twenties and finances are a topic of stress in my life and among my peers. One of my friends, who is about my age, just paid off his mortgage. How is that even possible? Others I know rely solely on credit cards and are in thousands of dollars of […]
Feeling anxious about your tax liability as April 15 nears? The Bible has many references to taxes that will sound strangely relevant at this time of year — beginning with the story of David and Goliath. Many remember a teenage boy offended by insults thrown by a giant foe against his nation and God himself, […]
