Personal Finance

09/27/2024
Loan application approved

Line of Credit—Essential Guide to Expectations & Realities

A line of credit is a flexible funding solution that allows you to tap into funds on an as-needed basis. Depending on your situation, a line of credit can offer much-needed access to cash.
08/23/2024
Graduating college without loans

Back to School: How to Pay for College Without Loans

It’s no secret that college is expensive, and the costs seem to continue rising without an end in sight. The increasing cost of college has far outpaced inflation.
08/07/2024
Credit card mistakes

Credit Card Mistakes to Avoid

Credit card mistakes can eat away at your budget and your credit score. Let’s explore the most common credit card errors and what you can do to avoid them.
08/05/2024
Long-term wealth-building success

Feelings in Finance—Your Empowerment Guide

What if you connected to your emotions surrounding money and that helped you actually master your finances? This guide will help you feel confident in tackling your money from a new perspective and build your wealth so that you can live a fuller, happier life.
07/26/2024
Healing from financial trauma

Fixing Your Emotional Relationship with Money

I’m going to let you in on a secret. Most people aren’t bad at handling their money. Most people are bad at handling their emotions about money. When you can hone in on your emotions, your finances fall into line.
07/11/2024
Mortgage loan vs. rent

Is Renting Better Than Owning—for You?

It’s no secret that keeping a roof over your head can get expensive quickly. On average, households spend over a quarter of their household income on housing costs each year, and housing costs are on the rise.
05/20/2024

How to Use a Windfall to Improve Your Finances

Whether you got a bonus at work or won the lottery, a financial windfall is always welcome. After all, who doesn’t love when extra funds hit their bank account? What you do with those funds can have a big impact on your financial situation.
05/10/2024
Coffee money myth debunked

Money Myths Debunked

money myths can cause significant financial damage if you follow through on the ideas. As you navigate your own financial situation, it’s helpful to understand which often-repeated money ideas are actually just myths.
05/03/2024
Limiting money beliefs

Start Making Good Money Moves by Destroying Limiting Beliefs

Limiting beliefs are beliefs that keep you from doing something. Some limiting beliefs are helpful because they keep you safe (e.g. you believe you can’t fly, […]
04/22/2024
Increasing credit card debt

How to Avoid a Growing Credit Card Balance

Credit card debt is common. Many households are facing a growing credit card balance. But this type of debt, with notoriously high interest rates, is one of the hardest to climb out of. Once you slide into credit card debt, it can be difficult to pull yourself back out.
04/08/2024
What Is a Credit-Builder Loan and How Does It Work?

What Is a Credit-builder Loan and How Does It Work?

A credit-builder loan can help you improve your credit, but it is critical that you understand exactly what it is and how this type of loan could impact your credit. Let’s explore credit-builder loans so you can decide if this tool is right for you.
04/01/2024
Personal budget planning

How to Be Your Own Best Budget Planner

Have you ever thought that budgeting just isn't for you? If so, you're not alone. Many feel that budgets are too restrictive or find budget planning to be a chore—but it doesn't have to be.
03/19/2024
Snowball vs. Avalanche: What Is the Best Way to Pay Off Debt?

Snowball vs. Avalanche: What Is the Best Way to Pay Off Debt?

The debt snowball and the debt avalanche are the two most popular methods for paying off debt. We explain how they work, the pros and cons of each approach, and how to decide which debt payoff strategy is right for you.
03/15/2024
Homeless Prevention Finance Guide

Homeless Prevention Financial Guide: The Money Guide to Preventing Homelessness

One of the most distressing problems in America today is people living without roofs over their heads. However, knowing the factors that lead to homelessness can help you avoid becoming homeless.
03/11/2024
Things Everyone Should Know About Credit Cards

Things Everyone Should Know About Credit Cards

Credit cards are not only a useful payment method for making purchases but also an essential component of a solid credit-building strategy. When you have the knowledge to use credit cards to your advantage rather than to your detriment, they can be an extremely powerful financial tool to have in your arsenal.
02/25/2024
Get Ahead With Your Tax Refund

How to Break Free From Debt and Get Ahead With Your Tax Refund: Pay Bills, Settle Debt, & Grow Savings

It’s a good idea to use your tax refund to get ahead financially. But where should you allocate these funds? Let’s take a closer look at how you can use your tax refund to move toward your financial goals.
02/23/2024
Student loans

How to Prepare Your Finances for Student Loan Payments

Back in 2020, the federal government gave student loan borrowers a payment reprieve. The temporary measure was designed to help borrowers with federal student loans get through the financial uncertainty caused by the pandemic. But the federal student loan payment pause came to an end in fall 2023.
02/09/2024
Financing a used car

What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Car Payment

When you need a vehicle to get around, you might feel pressure to spring for more than you can truly afford. Whether your financial situation has changed or you felt pressure to overspend at the dealership, being stuck with a car payment that you cannot afford is an uncomfortable situation.
01/05/2024
Giving up small purchases

Financial Myths to Ignore

You can find financial advice almost everywhere you turn. Whether you are hearing advice from TikTok stars or friends and family, you’ve likely heard more than a few financial myths thrown into the mix.
12/28/2023
Budgeting for savings goals

How to Improve Your Finances in 2024

Making smart money choices can propel you toward the future you desire. Luckily, it’s easy to take action to improve your financial situation this year.
12/22/2023
AI financial advice

Should You Trust AI Financial Advice?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making headlines in recent months. As AI develops into a more sophisticated tool, it’s natural to wonder how this technology might impact financial advice. If AI can answer other questions, can it be trusted to provide worthwhile financial advice?
12/01/2023
Increasing savings rate

How to Grow Your Savings Rate

Saving more money is solid financial advice. In theory, we all know that saving money is important. But when it comes to managing our funds, it can be difficult to track how much of our income we actually save.
11/28/2023
Buying a new car

2024 Car Shopping Secrets Unlocked

Are you thinking of driving a new car? If so, you're in luck. Here are some of the best tips and tricks for shopping for a car.
11/03/2023
Financial stress

How to Lower Financial Stress

While stress of any kind can take a toll on your health, certain kinds of stress are especially prevalent in American society. Financial stress is one type of stress that can permeate your life.
10/27/2023
Credit card debt statistics

How to Avoid Credit Card Debt

While it’s relatively easy to slip into credit card debt, it’s a challenge for many to pay off this kind of debt. High interest rates make repayment an uphill battle. With that, it’s best to completely avoid credit card debt if you can.
10/18/2023

How to Overcome Financial Trauma

If you have negative feelings around money, or you just don’t know what to do with it, there’s a chance that you might have experienced financial trauma in the past.
09/08/2023
Credit Builder Loan

Credit-Builder Loans: Can They Help You?

If you have bad credit or no credit at all, you’ll likely have a hard time getting a loan. Fortunately, there are some ways to start building credit even when you haven’t used credit before.
08/25/2023
SMART money saving goal

How to Reach Your Savings Goals

Saving money is a cornerstone skill for building a stable financial future. Without saving, it’s impossible to build a strong financial foundation. But reaching savings goals is often easier said than done.
07/31/2023
Opening a credit card

Should You Open a Credit Card?

Opening a credit card is a very serious financial decision. As with all financial decisions, it’s not a good idea to fly into this situation blindly. Instead, it’s helpful to weigh out the options to determine whether or not a credit card is truly the right fit for your wallet.
07/21/2023
Unclaimed funds

How to Search for Unclaimed Property

Everyone loves a financial windfall. Unclaimed property in the form of a cash payment might give your financial situation a boost. Not everyone will uncover unclaimed property, but the potential to reclaim funds you are owed makes it worth taking a look around.
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