Scott Bates

Estate and garage sales are a great way to save money buying everyday household items for yourself or if you’re looking for hidden treasure and valuables to resell to others for a profit. Over the last 7 years, I’ve gone to over 100 estate sales and countless garage sales. Below, I’ll share with you what … Read more

Watching movies about wall street and finance are an excellent way to learn about the history of how money, investments, and various scandals have impacted the different economies around the world. Primarily, in the United States of America. The first finance movie I ever watched was in my 12th-grade Economics class; it was the original … Read more

Late payments can be reported on your credit report for accounts such as Credit Cards, Personal & Auto Loans, Mortgages, and Student Loans. Normally, you find out about late payments because you were turned down on a loan application or you get a nasty letter from a lender or collections agency. Sometimes, the collections agency … Read more

Let’s review the most common items that an underwriter might want to verify (at the last minute) during the process of closing on your new mortgage. As of this writing, I’ve signed for a new mortgage loan (or home equity line of credit) at least 25 different times in the last 20 years. Each time … Read more

Knowing how to list your home on Craigslist is a huge advantage for saving money. I’ve sold every property I’ve ever owned on Craigslist and ended up saving thousands of dollars in realtor commission fees by using a discounted realtor to write-up the contract for me. The best part about it is, I actually enjoy … Read more

When I first turned 18, applying for new credit was tough. My credit score was barely a 600 and no one (and I MEAN NO ONE) would give me an approval for my first credit card. I even tried getting a new car loan to buy a cheap Honda Civic DX; I was not approved. In … Read more

Although the winnings from a game show can change a lucky winner’s life instantly, their after-winning-life might not be as splendid and impressive as most of us think. I always had the dream of making an appearance on game shows such as The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Let’s Make a Deal. The … Read more

Parents! I can’t emphasize enough about how important it is to teach your kids about money. Especially, by the age of 14 and they’re teenagers becoming young adults. These days it seems like there’s little to no financial education in the traditional school system. This is setting up young adults who are graduating high school … Read more

The Pros vs. Cons of Hiring A Certified Financial Advisor – Do You Actually Need a Financial Advisor? There’s no doubt that you’ll have more investment opportunities as you attain more wealth. Unfortunately, more wealth often comes with lots of complexities and of course a greater need to get a certified financial advisor. Generally, a … Read more