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Paying Off Student Loans
Take a Load Off
It might seem like there’s only one way to pay down your student loans (namely: slowly, painfully, and for the rest of your life.) But there are actually a few different ways you may be able to structure your payments, depending on whether you want to pay off your loans...
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Emergency Fund
Cash Cushion
An emergency fund is your stash of just-in-case money. Along with your insurance coverage, it’s a vital...
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Roth IRAs
Road to Retirement
A Roth IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is one of the most common types of retirement savings...
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Credit Report
Good Marks
Your credit report is a detailed history of your past use of credit. It’s a bit like...
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How to Save More Money
Keep the Change
Like many good habits, saving more money is easier said than done. Once you’ve gotten into a...
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Getting Out of Credit Card Debt
Pay the Piper
Credit card debt can be overwhelming. As interest accrues, your balances may keep increasing even if you’re...
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Term vs. Permanent Life Insurance
Life Sentence
Term and permanent policies are the two main types of life insurance. With both types of policies,...
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HMO vs. PPO
Bill of Health
HMOs and PPOs are two different types of health insurance plans. HMO (or Health Maintenance Organization) plans...
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Sticking to a Budget
In It to Win It
Budgeting can be a lot like dieting. You start out with big hopes for dramatic changes in...
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Paying Down Debt
Get Low
Paying down debt can make you more financially secure and give you more flexibility when deciding what...
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Hard vs. Soft Credit Inquiries
Extra Credit
Banks, lenders, and others use your credit report and scores to determine your creditworthiness. In other words,...
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Balance Transfers
Shell Game
Balance transfers are a way to move what you owe on one (or more) credit cards and...
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Financial Planning
Ducks in a Row
Financial planning describes the process of mastering your money. It means figuring out where you actually are...
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IRA vs. 401(k)
Nest Eggs
IRAs and 401(k)s are two popular types of retirement savings accounts. Most people who work in the...
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Robo-Advisor
Autopilot
A robo-advisor is an investment management company that uses a computer program instead of a live human...
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APR
Another Day, Another Dollar
An annual percentage rate (APR) represents the annual cost of borrowing money, including fees. Because the APR...
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Rent vs. Buy
Where the Heart Is
The choice between renting or buying a home may be one of the biggest decisions you make...
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Index Funds
Copy That
An index fund is a professionally managed collection of stocks, bonds, or other investments that tries to...
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Improving Credit
Extra Credit
Your credit report and credit scores describe whether you have a good track record of repaying borrowed...
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Mutual Funds
Join Forces
A mutual fund is a professionally managed fund that pools lots of investors’ money in order to...
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Building Credit
Bit by Bit
Credit is money that’s available to you to borrow whether through a credit card, mortgage, car loan,...
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Insurance
Cover Your Assets
Insurance is financial protection. Along with your emergency fund, insurance makes up your safety net so that...
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ETFs
Jack-of-All-Trades
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are investment vehicles similar to mutual funds. Like mutual funds, ETFs are professionally managed...
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Student Loans
Old College Try
A student loan can be any kind of borrowed money that’s used to pay for education. Although...
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Life Insurance
Beyond the Veil
Life insurance is a contract with an insurance company. In exchange for periodic payments, the insurance company...
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