Articles by Shirley Pulawski

Shirley is a staff writer for MyBankTracker who covers personal finance trends, money habits, mortgages and foreclosures. Education: B.S. in Environmental Science from SUNY Empire State College.

When to Consider an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski When to Consider an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) Adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, are generally unpopular compared to fixed-rate... 8 Ways to Use Your Tax Refund Wisely Put your tax refund to better use by putting it into a better savings option, including retirement vehicles for long-term growth. Filing Taxes: Why You Should Start Now Why you should start working on filing taxes now and not later. How to get started working on your taxes. How to learn about tax deductions How to Select a Financial Advisor for Retirement or Investments Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski How to Select a Financial Advisor for Retirement or Investments Selecting a financial advisor is a critical step to managing money, whether it's... How to Use Chexsystems to Fix a Bad Credit Report Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski How to Use Chexsystems to Fix a Bad Credit Report ChexSystems is a reporting agency sort of like a credit reporting agency, like... Ways to Spend Windfall Money Wisely If you have a large lump sum of cash, be smart about it. Here is how to spend windfall money to make your life easier. Which In-Store Upsells Are Not Worth It Learn why sellers upselling sales techniques to purchase more expensive items, or other add-ons to make a more profitable sale is not worth for customers. What Moving Expenses Are Tax Deductible? Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski What Moving Expenses Are Tax Deductible? No one enjoys the process of moving, but we all have to do it at one time or... How to Lower Property Taxes and Avoid Increases Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski How to Lower Property Taxes and Avoid Increases Property taxes add up year after year, and lowering your property taxes, or... What to Do If You Didn't File Taxes on Time Find out what you should if you missed the IRS deadline for filing your tax returns. Learn about when it matters and when it doesn't -- depending on whether you are getting a tax refund or owe taxes. See the steps that you should take immediately to avoid penalties and fees.