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.

Should You Save for Retirement or for Your Kids' College? Should adults save for retirement or kids college funds? How to set goals to save for retirement and college using a 529 plan; how to choose which to do. Money Mistakes You Can't Make in Your 40s Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski Money Mistakes You Can't Make in Your 40s Many of us thought tomorrow would never come, but tomorrow is here, and if you’re... Downsizing a Home: Is it Right for You? Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski Downsizing a Home: Is it Right for You? Is the McMansion feeling too large and costly to maintain? Maybe the kids are... How to Fix Bad Credit Score with Secured Credit Cards What everyone should know about secured credit cards for people with bad credit. Tips about secured credit cards and rebuilding a credit score. Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Tips You Should Know What is an IRA? Tips about IRAs, the difference between Roth and traditional, how to save money on taxes deferred through individual retirement accounts. 6 Wasteful Spending Habits That Prevent You from Saving More Each Month Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski 6 Wasteful Spending Habits That Prevent You from Saving More Each Month When you’re young, working hard, and making plans for the future, you can’t really... 7 Reasons Why You Have a Love-Hate Relationship With Home Insurance Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski 7 Reasons Why You Have a Love-Hate Relationship With Home Insurance Buying homeowners insurance is not as easy as it used to be. Superstorms and other... Home Closing Process: What Really Happens and What You Need to Know Learn about closing on a home you're selling from someone who has been through it. How one person sold a foreclosure at a profit and navigated closing. Valuable Lessons Learned After Switching From Debit Card to Prepaid Card Read about one person's attempt to switch from a regular bank to a bluebird card by American Express. 5 Lessons Learned About Renting to Friends and Living Above Them Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski 5 Lessons Learned About Renting to Friends and Living Above Them A myriad of issues come with renting an apartment, but those issues can change --...