Lorraine Roberte

Have you ever met a type A person?

You can spot them like a fly on a pie. They stand out. They feel so different from the rest of us—they might as well be part of an alien race.

Every social circle seems to have at least one. They’re a highly competitive, achievement-seeking, go-getting, perfect-multitasking bunch who work hard and succeed by the sweat of their brow. They’re the natural leaders who excel at efficiency and get three-fourths of their to-dos done before you’ve even had your morn...

As spring settles in and the second quarter of the year unfolds, many are taking a new look at their New Year’s resolutions. For the majority of us, we’ve already fallen behind on what we hoped to achieve. But, we still feel like there’s enough time to catch up and deliver what we set out to accomplish–if only we could stick to the plan!
The truth is we’re not alone. Rather grim statistics show only 8 percent of us will actually complete our New Year’s goals
How can this be?
Part of the probl...

Imagine you’re watching television, and an infomercial comes on about a fancy new exercise ball that can be used in 20 different ways for a full body workout.
But wait! If you order now you’ll get a second exercise ball free, just pay separate shipping and handling.
*Click*. On to the next channel.
All traces of that infomercial would have permanently been erased from your mind had it not been for a friend you saw the following week. They mentioned ordering that ve...

As women continue to push through gender constraints within the workplace, many are breaking through the glass ceiling to reach powerful positions within companies — and often with a salary to match.
While, admittedly, an income gap problem remains to be solved, this doesn’t change the fact that women are now significant contributors to household incomes. In fact, over half of women in the U.S. are primary breadwinners for their families, and 30% of them are married and contribute more than h...

The views expressed in this post are those of a Spoke contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Red Tricycle.
Finding meals that will please picky palates cripple even the mightiest of parents. While chicken nuggets and mac and cheese are probably a win with the kids, sometimes we need healthier meals that will feed growing bones.
But too many times healthy gets a turn-of-the-face from little ones, and parents testify many battles have been lost in trying to make them eat it.
...

Companies offering live customer service chats are on the rise, and customers are loving it. In fact, customers have come to prefer live chats as their medium of choice when it comes to connecting with companies.
And considering this form of communication has one of the highest chances of winning over clients and turning them into loyal followers, it may be one of the best services your company can offer.
But how can you use live chats to get raving fans? Read on to find out.
Act Like The Rea...

Does it seem like just when you commit to starting a budget, along comes a trip to the ER, a phone that quits working, or some other expense beyond your control happens?
It completely derails your finances or forces you to either scratch your budgeting plan for the month. Maybe it even makes you want to give up and try the whole budgeting thing again next New Year.
If So, You are Not Alone.
A U.S. Bank study revealed only 41 percent of Americans keep a budget. There are several reasons why in...

According to a report by U.S. Bank, less than half of Americans use a budget. Given the benefits of budgeting, like achieving your ambitions and affording what matters most to you, it’s worth a try to find an approach that resonates with you.
Below is an easy guide to help pick a budgeting style that’s right for you.
Go by your personal financial style
Why fight your nature when nurturing it is so much easier? See which one of the categories below you identify with, and th...

The student loan debt crisis is real. Those of us with student loan feel it with every pinch to our wallets when the monthly bill comes due.
Income fluctuations, compounding interest and more can make our student loan debt balloon to a much higher amount than we even borrowed. It can give us anxiety to see our student loan balance get higher and higher every month, even as we make our monthly payments.
Good news! It is possible to pay less than what you owe on student loan...

It’s been over two years since you had a raise and you’re doing more, but still earning the same. Maybe you were the brain behind a strategy that significantly increased the company’s profits or slashed its spending. Their bottom line grew, but disappointingly, yours didn’t.

If you want to see your salary go up, your boss needs to see as clearly as possible how you’ve helped the business. Consider that over 60 percent of companies fail within 10 years and that even for startups that do well, ...

In a recent survey by the Princeton Survey Research Associates International, Millennials were deemed “the most underinsured generation.” The survey estimated that 90 percent of Millennials do not have homeowners insurance, while another 87 percent lack renters’ insurance. The survey also found close to 36 percent do not have car insurance.

Millennials’ relationship to insurance, or lack thereof, may partly be due to the generation’s evolving dynamics. More and more people are becoming self-employed, according to a survey conducted by...

5 Powerful Benefits of Cooking With Beef Tallow

The rate of student loan defaults has reached mind-boggling proportions. Each year more than 1 million borrowers enter into default, and nearly 40 percent of all student loan holders are expected to do the same by 2023.
And it’s not even those with the highest loans who are struggling the most to repay them. It’s borrowers with less than $25,000 of student loan debt who are the ones most likely to have delinquent accounts.
Luckily, there are several ways to avoid defaultin...

The 4-1-1 On Emergency Savings Funds

There are big changes on the horizon when it comes to federal student loan repayment. The Department of Education is in the process of implementing a new online portal this year in the hopes of creating an easier and more transparent repayment experience.
Although news of the reformed servicing platform is making headlines, plans of reform have been in the pipeline for the last four years. The system is long overdue for a revamp, and with the government contracts for loan ...