Posts

Do you manage your bank account via a mobile banking app? Varo and Chime are two online options that can help you walk away from branch banking. Their online apps also make banking more accessible with round-the-clock availability that’s not bound to branch locations. By Scott Jeffries Overview About Chime About Varo Similarities Differences Which Is Better Alternatives All you have to do is open the mobile app on your smartphone to manage your accounts, with both services offerings checking, savings and more....

When you buy stock, you’re essentially buying a tiny piece of the company it represents. Understanding how profitable the company is in relation to its stock price can be an important consideration for investors. By Joel Anderson The definition of the price-to-earnings ratio, usually called a P/E ratio, is the ratio between how much a stock costs and how much in profits that company is making. Investors can use P/E ratios to find affordable stocks when the market is expensive....

President Joe Biden announced an expansion on student loan forgiveness on Aug. 24. A fact sheet provided by the White House indicates that Americans can expect wide-scale cancellations of up to $20,000 in student loan debt — though not everyone will qualify. By Nicole Spector See: Student Loan Repayments Would Be ‘Catastrophic’ for These Struggling FamiliesStudent Loan Cancellation and Payment Pause: Live Updates Higher income earners will likely be ineligible for the announced student loan forgiveness initiative....

A check is written, signed and dated instructions for a bank to transfer funds. To mail one, you have to wrap that piece of paper in a second piece of paper and then stick a third piece of paper on the outside to prove you paid to have it travel to its destination on at least one gas-burning vehicle. By Andrew Lisa If that sounds like a primitive way to move money, you’re in good company....

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said on Twitter that employees will now have the possibility to “live and work anywhere.” The move comes against the backdrop of a tight labor market and employers having to find creative ways to attract and retain employees. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time JobLearn: How To Get Rich With a Normal Job The design for working at Airbnb has five key features, he said on April 28....

After President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act significantly increased the Child Tax Credit’s value and expanded family eligibility for 2021, the credit is reverting to its original, pre-pandemic maximum amount of $2,000 per eligible child for 2022. By David Nadelle See: Stimulus Updates To Know for Spring 2022Find: 25 Extra Grocery Costs You’re Probably Forgetting About By all accounts, the CTC significantly improved the financial security of eligible families amid rising costs, and many advocates are urging for further relief packages through legislation....

While the prices of individual items may behave unpredictably due to unexpected economic factors, it is true that a recession might cause the prices of some items to fall. Because a recession means people usually have less disposable income, the demand for many items decreases, causing them to get cheaper. Now that a recession is predicted to be just around the corner, find out which items usually decrease in price during a recession and which ones don’t....

If high inflation strikes the American economy, high interest rates are likely to follow. Even though rising interest rates can make all types of financing — from credit cards to home mortgages to auto loans — more expensive, the (hopefully) short-term pain is worth it for the overall good of the economy. But, what exactly is inflation, how does it work, and how do higher inflation and interest rates affect consumers and markets?...

In today’s “Financially Savvy Female“ column, we’re chatting with Rachel Neill, a mom of five and the CEO and co-founder of Carex Consulting Group, which offers its employees a flexible work schedule and remote working possibilities. Neill shares how a switch to remote work has helped her achieve a better work-life balance as a female founder and retain high-performing female employees, and how this “new normal” is empowering women workers across many fields....

By Gabrielle Olya Read Day 22: How To Stop Accumulating Debt Once and for AllGo Back To Day 21 of Living Richer: Top 3 Expert Tips for Managing Debt Being in debt can feel overwhelming at times — but it doesn’t have to be. What you need is a plan to pay down your debt in a way that’s doable and fits into your budget. Sound too good to be true?...

With life slowly returning to normal as COVID-19 restrictions ease and more people get vaccinated, many Americans are taking a long, hard look at their financial goals, and deciding how or even whether to revise and recalibrate them. By Vance Cariaga See: How To Keep Your Financial Planning On Track in 2021Find: Big Personal Goals That You Should Put Your Money Toward Your own revisions will largely depend on how the pandemic affected you financially....

On March 9, Forbes reported that the average APR for a 30-year fixed refinance loan rose from 4.05% to 4.10% over the week before. That’s still low, historically speaking, but for anyone who’s hoping to trade their current mortgage for something better, it’s hard not to pine for the good old days of the pandemic, when interest rates hit record lows and refinancing activity hit record highs. By Andrew Lisa See: As Home Prices Reach 34-Year Record, Mortgage Rates Could Be Final Nail in Coffin for Some HomebuyersFind: 15 Mortgage Questions To Ask Your Lender...

In this “Financially Savvy Female” column, we’re chatting with Andrea Woroch, a money-saving expert who specializes in simple budgeting tips for busy moms. By Gabrielle Olya Keep Up With the Latest: SNAP Benefits Available in Your State in 2022Stay in the Know: 10 Reasons You Should Claim Social Security Early Here, she’s sharing the four tips every mom needs to know to keep spending in check and save money for the future....

Early tax filers may get a treat this year. If you’ve filed your taxes for 2020, you could be getting one of the “bonus checks” or “plus-up payments” the IRS distributed in the past two weeks, according to MoneyWise. By Dawn Allcot See: If You Get a Stimulus Check, How Will You Use It? Take Our PollFind: Will There Be a Fourth Stimulus Check? How Much Will It Be? All Your Questions Answered...

By John Csiszar Find Out: 27 Ugly Truths About RetirementImportant: 25 Things To Sell When You’re Ready To Retire Respondents Indicate They Are Financially Literate Yet Lacking in Crucial Knowledge The survey reveals an interesting dichotomy between how financially literate Americans think they are and what they actually know. Overall, 80.93% of Americans consider themselves financially literate, yet a large number admit to not understanding certain aspects of basic finance....

Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the financial lives of millions of Americans, more than four in 10 now say their savings goals are nearly back on track, according to a recent survey from Northwestern Mutual. But a separate survey from New York Life found that high inflation has muddied the picture, with roughly two-thirds of Americans having to cut back on spending to sustain those goals. By Vance Cariaga See: Here’s How Much Cash You Need Stashed if a National Emergency HappensCash App Borrow: How To Borrow Money on Cash App...

Whether it’s due to the high cost of rent, lack of affordable housing, a job struggle, too much student debt or another reason, it’s not uncommon for children to move back in with their parents. The question is: Should you charge your adult child rent? By Cynthia Measom Advice: Why You Need To Cut Your Kids Off — and How To Do It Tips: How To Help Your Adult Children Get Back on Their Feet After They Move Back Home...

More than 42 million people living in the U.S. rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — also known as SNAP — to help feed their families. With SNAP benefits, people can purchase fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages and plants and seeds that provide food. By Cynthia Measom Check Out: SNAP Benefits Available in Your State in 2022See: SNAP 2022: Is My State Giving Out Extra EBT Food Stamp Money in May?...

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Illinois are administered by the state’s Department of Human Services, which sets the schedule for when monthly SNAP payments are issued. Payment dates depend on a couple of factors, including when you began receiving benefits. That’s the case every month, including October 2022. By Vance Cariaga Food Stamps: States Extending SNAP Emergency Allotment Money Through October 2022SNAP Benefits 2022: Beware of These Scams...

In the past, your Social Security statements and benefit amounts were only available via a paper statement sent to your home. Now, you can access your benefit amount online through a mySocialSecurity account on the SSA website. By Georgina Tzanetos Explore: 5 Social Security Benefits You Can Claim OnlineDiscover: 6 Reasons You Won’t Get Social Security Your online Social Security statement will show all the earnings you’ve had each year and how much you could receive per month in Social Security benefits when you retire....