4 Passive Income Ideas to Increase Your Annual Income

Having multiple streams of income can help relieve the pressure of relying solely on one job to pay your bills and reach your retirement savings goals. Luckily, one of these streams could be income that you earn daily—without even trying. Passive income is the monetary stream that could help you achieve your savings goals sooner […]

How Much Money Should I Save Each Month?

Figuring out how much of your income to save each month is as intimate a decision and striking the right balance is an important move that could set up your future decades from now. According to an article by CNBC, the average American savings account for adults without children, aged thirty-four and younger, holds just […]

Tight on Cash: 8 Side Hustles For Extra Money

No matter who you are or what you do, you could probably use some extra cash. Honestly, we all could. That’s why side hustles are a thing—and there are a lot of good ones out there for us to choose from. Here are 10 side hustle ideas you can try when and if you’re tight […]

The 10-Step Process of Buying a House: Big Moments Made Easy

Buying a house is a series of choices that should lead to living in a place that best suits your needs. But how do you decide what you need? How do you advocate for those choices? And where do you even begin? We’ve distilled the answers into a few points to consider to help make […]

Investing for Beginners: How to Get Started

Investing. The word can be enough to make people shiver. The old-timey notion is that investing is reserved for the rich and those on Wall Street, and that the average Joe just doesn’t know enough about the stock market to invest. We’re here to tell you that isn’t true. Investing doesn’t have to be scary, […]

The Best Free Budgeting Tools for Your Lifestyle

The idea of budgeting is one that can scare even the best of us. Budgets have the reputation of being tedious and hard, and as such people can be reluctant to even attempt to create one – but it doesn’t have to be that way. With these free budgeting tools, budgeting can be as easy […]

Wedding Season is Here: Your Guide to Wedding Gifts on a Budget

Remember when you were receiving what seemed like a ‘Save the Date’ or wedding invitation in the mail or online every week? Well, those weddings are likely right around the corner. Wedding season has officially arrived and although you could not be more excited to see your best friend, sister, or 4th cousin say ‘I […]

Back in Session: Save Money on Back-to-School Shopping This Year

Queue the school bell. Begin the morning announcements. Although we’re currently in the dog days of summer, it’s not long until your kids are back to after-school sports and math homework. This year, be prepared for back-to-school shopping with Illinois Lending. We’re here to show you how to save money, and time, as you stock […]

Community Series: 7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Rockford, IL

Have you ever been to Rockford, IL? You might want to pop by some time soon, because this city has enjoyed quite a revival over the last few years. Whether you walk through its scenic downtown or participate in one of many free summer activities, the city of Rockford will always have plenty for you […]