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.

Money Mistakes You Can't Make in Your 40s Many of us thought tomorrow would never come, but here it is, and it's time to be responsible. You should avoid money mistakes in your 40s. 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 Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski How to Fix Bad Credit Score with Secured Credit Cards Having bad credit doesn't make it nearly as difficult to operate in a highly... 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 Saving more each month means assessing your wasteful spending habits. See if you can cut these expenses out so you can save more. 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 Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski Home Closing Process: What Really Happens and What You Need to Know When I bought my house on foreclosure, I expected to live in it for quite some time,... 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 Being a landlord is an important responsibility. Learn about what it's like to rent an apartment to friends, and renting an apartment to others. My Foreclosure House: How I Began Fixing Up My Home Photo of Shirley Pulawski Shirley Pulawski My Foreclosure House: How I Began Fixing Up My Home When I left off in this series, I got the keys to my dream home that I bought on...