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Being in debt sucks. Believe me, I know. There was a point when I found myself in way more credit card debt than I’d like to admit as a personal finance expert. My husband’s chronic illness flared up, and suddenly we were facing mounting medical bills at the same time he had to stop working. … Read more

The Marriott hospitality family is big. It has more than 7,000 hotel and resort properties worldwide, many of which don’t have “Marriott” in the name. I only travel a few times each year, but more often than not, I find myself staying at one without really meaning to. Which means, at least on paper, I’m … Read more

If you’re like the average person, you probably only use your bank for a handful of things, like cashing paychecks, withdrawing money, and mobile banking. But it offers a plethora of services, some of which you may not even be aware of. Get the most out of your bank by reviewing the standard services most … Read more

Most of us don’t keep our money under our mattresses. We keep it in a bank, where we trust it will be safe until we need it. This trust is the reason banks stay in business. If enough people lose that trust, it can set off a series of events known as a bank run. … Read more

Whether you prefer an intimate community banking experience or the anytime, anywhere convenience of a major national bank, Californians can find the best match for their needs. The Golden State has dozens of homegrown financial institutions, many of which serve only parts of this vast state. California also has a special connection to some of … Read more

Americans’ credit scores have improved dramatically over the past decade. Even the brief but sharp COVID-19 recession couldn’t stop the upward progress. In fact, credit scores actually jumped in 2020 and 2021 as consumers pared back spending and paid off debt. The average consumer’s FICO score was 714 in Q3 2021, up from 691 in … Read more

Maybe it was you in your dorm room at college. Maybe your mom at the kitchen table. Or maybe it was this one time in a high school blow-off class you kinda wish you hadn’t blown off called something like “life sciences” where the teacher (most likely a coach) taught you things about personal finance … Read more

The world has no shortage of online and mobile-first banks. I spend a lot of time researching and writing about financial technology, and if I find them all difficult to keep straight, I can’t imagine what it’s like for someone unfamiliar with the landscape. Finding a reliable place to park your money shouldn’t require so … Read more

I literally can’t conceive of a world without banks. They give us a safe place to store our cash, facilitate fast electronic payments to people and businesses thousands of miles away, and lend us money to finance big purchases we can’t afford all at once. I’ve had checking or savings accounts with about a dozen … Read more

Payment apps like Zelle make transferring funds easy. Unfortunately, they also make it easy for scammers to get ahold of your money. In 2021 alone, users lost around $440 million on the peer-to-peer payment system. What’s worse, Zelle warns they’re “unable to assist with getting your money back.” You can report fraud to your bank … Read more