The best financial decisions are made with the benefit of time, thoughtful consideration and trusted professional advice. As tax time once again approaches, there are many things you can do to give you the flexibility to make the best long term financial decisions and prepare to minimize expenses, taxes and the headache of organizing your finances at the last minute.

Budgeting is the systematic allocation of one's limited resources (income) to a potentially unlimited number of needs and wants (expenses.) Budgeting your income, though oftentimes tedious and difficult to maintain, can help you better control how your income is being spent.

One well-known fact of economic life is that a dollar received today is worth more than a dollar received a year from now.

Time and Money

The relationship between time and money provides the foundation for virtually every financial decision you will make. Whether you are saving money for a future event or considering a loan to pay for a current financial need, you will be greatly impacted by the time value of money.