admin Some scams are easy to spot. I like to think if I connected with The Tinder Swindler on a dating app, I’d realize something was up the first time the so-called heir to a diamond fortune hit me up for money. Other scams are a bit harder to detect. If Frank Abagnale, Jr. was as … Read more
Spend little, save a lot, achieve financial independence and retire early. It’s the dream of many to be able to exit the traditional nine-to-five workforce and spend the rest of their days living a life of leisure. Early retirement is certainly a popular goal, but it’s one I quite honestly do not share. There are … Read more
Quick Look A benchmark interest rate is an interest rate that determines the amount of other interest rates. Two important benchmarks are the federal funds rate set by the Federal Reserve and the prime rate set by banks. Higher benchmark rates mean a higher cost of borrowing money. If at any point in the last … Read more
We can all agree that living paycheck-to-paycheck is not an ideal situation. And it’s just as obvious that individuals doing this still need to save their money and build a financial cushion so they can finally feel secure. Unfortunately, the basic rules of saving money are simple but not easy – particularly if you’re already … Read more
The tax resolution industry has a reputation for sketchy, even predatory behavior. By the time you’re tens of thousands of dollars in debt to the IRS, you’re willing to believe pie-in-the-sky promises of fast, painless fixes to wipe out most or all of what you owe. I’ve spent the better part of a decade covering … Read more
It is no secret I am a huge fan of stay-at-home moms. I know the choice is not the right one for everybody. For one thing, staying at home is often a thankless job and it’s also much more stressful than many jobs out there. However, there are plenty of benefits as well, chief of … Read more
Most entry-level credit cards are boring and bare-bones. If they earn rewards at all, the rate is usually low, like a flat 1% on all purchases. The Credit One Platinum X5 Visa credit card might be an entry level credit card, but it’s hardly boring. Though designed for applicants with fair credit, it earns a … Read more
Whenever I travel abroad, I carry at least one credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees (FTFs) — the surcharges issuers often impose to cover the additional cost of processing international purchases. I haven’t kept a precise tally of how much I’ve saved by using credit cards that waive foreign transaction fees, but it’s definitely … Read more
Quick Look Some loans charge you a penalty to pay off a loan early. Prepayment penalties are only legal on certain types of loans. It’s possible to avoid prepayment penalties. George’s beloved Aunt Azalea just died, leaving him a cash windfall large enough to pay off his house. But his wise friend William warns George … Read more
Americans’ collective credit card debt balance hit $930 billion in Q3 2022. That’s a $43 billion jump from the previous quarter. The average cardholder now has more than $6,000 in credit card debt, closing in on 2019’s all-time high. But our debt burden isn’t equally shared. Most Americans have no credit card debt at all. … Read more