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Tag: Checking Account

How To Pay Off Student Loans Faster Than Ever

  • Credit Cards
  • Student Loans
  • 18 min
  • 2 months ago

Nobody wants to pay off student loans longer than they have to, yet far too many people are stuck in lengthy repayment plans that seem like they’ll never end. While income-driven repayment plans backed by the federal government ask you to pay down loans for 20 to 25 years before leading to loan forgiveness, even the “standard” […]

The post How To Pay Off Student Loans Faster Than Ever appeared first on Good Financial Cents®.

  • January 12, 2021
Tagged All, Blog, budget, Buy, Buying
Read More
Full view here

Nobody wants to pay off student loans longer than they have to, yet far too many people are stuck in lengthy repayment plans that seem like they’ll never end. While income-driven repayment plans backed by the federal government ask you to pay down loans for 20 to 25 years before leading to loan forgiveness, even the “standard” repayment plan for federal loans lasts for a full ten years. No matter how you cut it, that’s a long time!

With that in mind, you should know that it’s possible to pay off student loans faster if you are willing to think outside the box and forge your own path along the way. However, not all early repayment plans will work for every borrower, so it’s important to think through how to pay off student loans faster in a way that helps you reach your goals in a common sense way.

One strategy many borrowers use to pay off student loans faster is refinancing loans with a different lender. Not only do some student loan refinancing companies offer lower interest rates and flexible repayment terms, but you could even earn a cash bonus just for signing up.

Compare Refinance Rates

9 Ways to Pay Down Student Debt Faster

The sooner you can pay off all your student loans, the quicker you can move on with your life. Here are some strategies to consider that can help you pay off your student loans much faster than a traditional repayment plan allows.

What You’ll Learn

  • Make More Than the Minimum Monthly Payment
  • Try the Debt Snowball
  • Refinance with a Private Lender
  • Enroll in Autopay to Score a Lower Interest Rate
  • Make Payments While You’re in School
  • Live Like a Poor Student
  • Earn Money On the Side
  • Throw All “Found Money” Toward Your Student Loans
  • Ask Your Boss for Help

Make More Than the Minimum Monthly Payment

The minimum payment on your student loans is the absolute minimum amount you’re supposed to pay, but there’s nobody stopping you from paying more. And, if you make extra payments the right way, you could easily pay down the principal of your student loans at a faster pace.

Unfortunately, many student loan servicing companies won’t automatically apply extra payments you make toward your loan principal. Instead, they’ll use any payment overages to “pay ahead” on your loans and continue making the next month’s payments as well as the prepaid interest for future months.

If you decide to pay extra toward your student loans, you’ll need to specify that you want overage payments to go toward the principal of your balance. You can do this over the phone or by written message when you mail in your monthly student loan payment, but make sure you don’t forget.

Try the Debt Snowball

The debt snowball method for getting out of debt is worth considering if you have several different student loan bills to juggle each month. This strategy requires you to make a list of your student loans and each of their balances. From there, you’ll start the next month by paying the minimum amount on all your largest loan balances and as much as you can on the smallest balance you have. Over time, you’ll continue paying as much as you can toward your smallest balances until they’re gone, at which point you’ll “snowball” all your extra payments toward the next smallest debt.

With the debt snowball, you’ll slowly pay off your smallest loan balances until you only have the few largest balances left. Eventually, you’ll only have one student loan left and you’ll pay all the cumulative payments of all the others toward this debt until it’s gone, too.

The benefit of this strategy is the momentum you’ll gain as you knock out small balances one at a time. Not only will your balances go down, but you’ll have fewer loan payments to make each month as well.

Refinance with a Private Lender

You can also consider refinancing all your student loans into one new one, which has the potential to save you more money than any other strategy on this list. Many private student loan companies offer fixed interest rates as low as 3.50% right now, which is lower than any federal student loans offer. Of course, you do have to have an income and good credit or a cosigner to qualify.

How much can you save by refinancing your student loans? That really depends on how much debt you have, your current interest rate, and your current repayment timeline.

However, let’s say that you have $10,000 in student loans with an APR of 7% and you just started a 10-year repayment plan. In that case, you would pay $121.33 per month for ten years and a total of $4,559 in interest before your loan was paid off.

If you were able to refinance your loans into a new private loan with the same repayment plan at 3.50%, however, you could pay just $96.56 per month for ten years and only $1,587 in interest during that time. Better yet, you could refinance into a new 7-year loan, pay $132.13 per month, fork over only $1,099 in interest during that time, and shave three full years off your repayment timeline.

Compare Refinance Rates

Enroll in Autopay to Score a Lower Interest Rate

Some student loan companies offer discounts to customers who are willing to sign up for automatic payments. This discount is usually around .25% off, but all you have to do is allow your student loan payment to be debited from your checking account automatically each month.

These programs make it easy to stay on track with your student loan payments, and they also ensure you are never late. All you have to do is make sure you have the cash in your account before the date your payment is automatically debited each month.

Make Payments While You’re in School

If you haven’t graduated from college yet, it’s not too early to start preparing for the inevitability of that first student loan payment. Further, it can be extremely smart to make payments while you’re still in school if some of your student loans are unsubsidized.

What’s the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized student loans? By and large, the biggest difference is the fact that the federal government pays the interest on subsidized loans while you’re still in college, but they do not extend this benefit to unsubsidized student loans. By making payments on unsubsidized loans while you’re still in school, you can keep student loan interest at bay and keep your loan balances from ballooning until you have a job and can attack your student loan debt with all your might.

Live Like a Poor Student

It’s tempting to inflate your lifestyle once you graduate from college and start bringing in a paycheck, but this is the opposite of what you should do if your goal is getting out of debt faster. The longer you can live at home with your parents or share an apartment with roommates, the more money you can continue throwing toward your student loans. And, if you can hold off on buying a house or financing a new car, you’ll be in even better shape when it comes to destroying your student loan debt at a record pace.

Finance guru Dave Ramsey frequently gives the following advice, which I absolutely agree with:

“Live like no one else now so you can live like no one else later.”

Living the poor student lifestyle for as long as possible is a smart way to pay down debt when you’re first starting out.

If you have roommates, keep them.

If you’re managing to get by on Ramen, keep it up.

Once your student loans are paid off and in your rearview mirror, you can start using your income to pay for the lifestyle you really want.

Earn Money On the Side

If you want to pay your debts down even faster, earning more money is one approach that always works. The key here is making sure you use the extra money you earn to pay off your student loans instead of paying for stuff you don’t need.

We’ve shared myriad side hustles here on Good Financial Cents in the past, from 65 side hustles you can do from your kitchen table to ideas on starting an online business. Some of the easiest ways to earn money include driving for Uber or Lyft, starting a blog, or learning an online skill people will pay you for. You could become an online freelance writer or sell your design or data entry skills with a website like Fiverr.com. Heck, you could walk dogs in your spare time or mow people’s yards in your neighborhood.

The basic principle is the same no matter what side hustle suits your fancy. Pour as much time or effort into your side hustle as you can, and use all the extra money you earn to pay off your student loans.

Throw All “Found Money” Toward Your Student Loans

If you get any extra money during the course of the year, you should absolutely throw your “found” cash toward your student loans. This can include your tax refund each year, any Christmas bonuses you get from employment, and money you get from working over time. Heck, you can even throw your birthday money at your student loans.

Any extra money you pay toward your loans can be used to reduce the balances of your debts, which in turn lowers the amount of interest you pay over the life of your loan.

Remember that, when it comes to paying off debt, even small amounts of money can add up in a big way. By throwing all found money you come across toward your loans each year, you can expedite your debt payoff process even more.

Ask Your Boss for Help

While asking your boss for help with student loans is a fairly novel concept, it isn’t unheard of.
Actually, nearly anything is on the table when you’re negotiating your salary or benefits – and sometimes, the key to getting what you really want is just asking for it.

Further, some industries and government agencies have already thought of this option. For example, some government employees can receive up to $10,000 a year towards student debt repayment by accessing the federal government’s Student Loan Repayment Program.

Similar programs are also available for nurses and teachers through the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program and Teach for America, which is part of AmeriCorps.

Students who find work in the public sector can also get help with student loans by applying for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

With this option, the federal government will forgive the remaining balance on your Direct Loans provided you have made 120 qualifying payments and remained employed with a qualified employer in the public service sector.

Which strategy made the difference? 3 financial experts weigh in

Plenty of people have used these tips and others to pay off their student loans once and for all. We reached out to several people who have paid off their loans for good to find out how they did it and which strategies they suggest. Here’s what they said:

Paying Off Student Loans with a Side Hustle

“In my early 20’s, I was paying a very affordable $160 per month on my $25,000 of student loan debt. It wasn’t much to pay and it seemed my balance never decreased. That’s one of the reasons I decided to start blogging at 28 years old. After about six months, I started earning extra income from my blog and began sending extra payments toward my student loan.

As my blog income grew, I was able to send chunks of $1,000 to $2,000 pretty regularly in my 30’s and I finally began making a dent in my balance. I made my final student loan payment at 38 years old and it was glorious. Had I not been able to send in extra money, I probably would have been paying student loans into my 50’s.” â€” Chris Huntley, co-founder of Credit Knocks

Living the Poor Student Lifestyle

“My wife graduated with over $80,000 of student loan debt, but we managed to pay it all off in just under three years. We had to make sacrifices to pay that much debt off quickly, but we also had other things going for us that made it easier. My wife is a registered nurse and I was an accountant at the time so we earned a reasonable income.

We didn’t have anyone else relying on us so our spending decisions only impacted ourselves. We kept our expenses to the minimum and continued to live like college students to put as much money toward the debt as we could. We bought a small townhouse that resulted in a monthly mortgage payment of only $500.

We had a very limited fun budget and didn’t go on traditional vacations. We refused to buy new furniture (except for much-needed mattress) or go out to eat multiple times per week. Instead, we cooked at home and relied on hand-me-downs or used furniture to get by until the debt was paid off. We also put off decorating and renovating our home unless the cost was minimal and we could do the work ourselves.” â€” Lance Cothern, founder of Money Manifesto

Earning Money On the Side to Pay Down Debt

“I paid off almost $43,000 in student loan debt in three years. First, I worked full-time during college and that helped minimize expenses. After graduation, I was promoted at my same company, and earned a starting salary of $45,000 per year.

However, while working, I was also side hustling and earning extra money. My main side gig was buying things to resell on eBay. At my peak, I was making a profit of about $2,000 per month. I would also do off jobs, and I started my blog, The College Investor.

Between my day job and side hustle earnings, I was able to knock out my student loans in a short amount of time.” â€” Robert Farrington, co-founder of The College Investor

The Bottom Line

There’s no reason to pay off your student loans any longer than you have to. Any of the tips on this list could help you get out of debt faster, and it’s even possible to use more than one of these tips to annihilate your debts at lightning fast speed.

As the nation’s total student loan debt levels continue to rise, we all have to take responsibility for ourselves. Let the numbers fall where they may; it’s up to us to find ways to get our finances straight – and if that process includes paying off student loans the hard way, so be it.

Just remember, you’ve got a wealth of tools at your disposal.

Using everything from debt calculators to budgeting tools, you can dream up dozens of ways to get out of debt faster, and most importantly, smarter.

With student loan debt levels at an all-time high, you’re going to need all the help you can get.

The post How To Pay Off Student Loans Faster Than Ever appeared first on Good Financial Cents®.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Can you Pay a Credit Card with a Credit Card?

  • 8 min
  • 2 months ago

A credit card is designed to help you in an emergency, to give you options when there are none. But what happens if you have a maxed-out credit card in one hand and an empty card in the other, can you use one credit card to pay off the other and, more importantly, should you? The short answer is yes and… probably not. […]

Can you Pay a Credit Card with a Credit Card? is a post from Pocket Your Dollars.

  • January 12, 2021
Tagged All, bad credit, Checking Account, Convenience, Credit
Read More
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A credit card is designed to help you in an emergency, to give you options when there are none. But what happens if you have a maxed-out credit card in one hand and an empty card in the other, can you use one credit card to pay off the other and, more importantly, should you?

The short answer is yes and… probably not. However, there is a better option available and it’s actually one of the best ways to clear a credit card balance.

Options for Paying Credit Card Bill with Another Card

There are three ways you can clear a credit card bill using another credit card. The first two options are nothing short of terrible and are likely to cause more issues than they fix. The third is really the only one you should consider, but before we get to that option, let’s get the bad ones out of the way.

Cash Advance and Convenience Checks

Credit card companies won’t let you pay off one credit card with another, at least not in that way. However, you can get around this by using convenience checks or a cash advance. The former is sent by your creditor for you to make a deposit into your checking account; the latter is used to withdraw cash. 

Technically, you can get cash from your credit card, put this into your checking account, and then use that money to clear your credit card debt.

​But, as mentioned above, this is a bad idea. Cash advance fees can be enormous and if you’re moving large sums of money and being charged a high fee for doing so, you could be seriously out of pocket. Luckily, there is a better alternative.

Using a Balance Transfer

A balance transfer is the act of moving a credit card balance from one or more cards to another. There are specific balance transfer credit cards designed to help you with this process and all come with an introductory period where you’re offered 0% APR for the first 6, 12 or 18 months. 

Once this period ends, you may be charged a higher interest rate, but if you can clear your balance during that intro period those extra interest charges won’t matter.

How Balance Transfers Work

Balance transfer credit cards are used by credit card companies to attract new users. These introductory offers convince you to move your balance to a new credit card company, after which they hope you will continue to make purchases, accumulate debt, and remain with them for years to come.

Most balance transfer credit cards charge a fee for moving the money across. This fee is often levied as 3% or 5% of the total balance, which equates to $300 or $500 for a balance of $10,000. 

That sounds like a lot, but it also comes with a 0% APR, which means your monthly payments will go exclusively towards the principal, paying it off quickly.

Usually, the majority of your minimum payment goes towards interest, which means your balance will decrease slightly with each passing month. By removing this interest obligation from the equation, all your payment will go towards the balance, thus clearing it quickly and cheaply. 

These cards can save you thousands of dollars if used properly, but it’s important not to swap an older problem for a new one; not to create the same issues on your new card that you had on your old card.

Use a balance transfer offer to remove the balance entirely. Meet the minimum payment, pay more where possible, and ensure that when the introductory period ends, there is no balance on which interest can build. Once you reach this point, you’ve wiped the slate clean and can start afresh, making credit card payments on time and clearing your balance in full every month.

Many balance transfer credit card offers come with a $0 annual fee and don’t charge you for foreign transactions. However, they typically won’t provide you with the sort of cashback rewards you can get from other credit cards.

Paying Off a Credit Card with Bad Credit

If you have bad credit, you may struggle to find a balance transfer card with a high enough credit limit. These cards, like all good credit cards, require a relatively clean credit report, preferably with a credit score above 670.

As long as your credit score is above 580, you’ll still options, but those options may be limited to high-interest rates and unfavorable terms. In such cases, there are a few things you can to clear your credit debt:

1. Improve Your Credit Score

A balance transfer fee is the only real downside to a balance transfer credit card, so it’s worth putting the time and effort in to get one of these cards. It may only take a few months to improve your credit score to a point where you can apply for one of these cards.

Take a look at the best balance transfer credit cards (Discover, Visa, Chase) to give you an idea of the sort of card that can help you and the type of credit score you need. Once you have that target in mind, you can work towards achieving it.

2. Credit Counseling

A credit counselor can look at your current financial situation and determine the best course of action going forward. These services are offered by many credit counseling agencies and you typically only need to pay a token amount for a short 30- or 60-minute session.

3. Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation is very similar to a balance transfer, as it swaps one or more smaller debts for a big one. The difference is that it pays the credit card balances off with a single loan, and you then focus on repaying that loan.

Typically, debt consolidation extends the length of your loan with a view to reducing the monthly payments but increasing the total balance. This can help to make your credit card debt more manageable and it will also improve your debt-to-income ratio.

4. Debt Settlement

Debt settlement is one of the cheapest ways to clear credit card debt. It begins when a debt specialist requests that you stop meeting all monthly payments and then move your money to a separate bank account. 

The debt specialist will then use this bank account to negotiate with your creditors, waiting until they desperate to settle and then offering them a greatly reduced settlement sum.

Just bear in mind that when you miss a minimum monthly payment, you run the risk of your account defaulting, which will hurt your credit score.

Can you Pay a Credit Card with a Credit Card? is a post from Pocket Your Dollars.

Source: pocketyourdollars.com

Easiest Credit Cards to Get After Bankruptcy

  • Credit Cards
  • 13 min
  • 2 months ago

There’s nothing fun about declaring bankruptcy, but those who emerge from it can be thankful for the opportunity to rebuild their personal finances without the burden of debt. Unfortunately, bankruptcy also does damage to your credit, making it difficult to get approved for credit cards and other lines of credit. Since credit cards are a… Read More

The post Easiest Credit Cards to Get After Bankruptcy appeared first on Credit.com.

  • January 12, 2021
Tagged All, Avant Credit Card, bad credit, bad-seg, bankruptcy
Read More
Full view here

A woman sitting on a couch

There’s nothing fun about declaring bankruptcy, but those who emerge from it can be thankful for the opportunity to rebuild their personal finances without the burden of debt. Unfortunately, bankruptcy also does damage to your credit, making it difficult to get approved for credit cards and other lines of credit. Since credit cards are a good way to build or rebuild credit, we have the details for some credit cards to get after bankruptcy.

Secured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards generally have lower credit score requirements and often can be obtained post-bankruptcy. While they do require an upfront security deposit to open, they otherwise work just like traditional credit cards and can help you rebuild your credit. When choosing a secure credit card, look for one that lets you build toward unsecured credit status and reports to all three credit bureaus so it helps you positively impact your credit.

Credit Cards for Bad Credit

Secured credit cards are often considered bad debt credit cards because they’re targeted to people with poor or no credit. But you can also find credit cards that are approved for people with less-than-stellar credit and don’t require a security deposit. In return for the chance to get positive reporting on your credit report via one of these cards, you might have to pay an annual fee or deal with a high interest rate.

Credit Card for After Bankruptcy

There’s no single best credit card to get after a bankruptcy, but there are many options to consider. Carefully review the details of relevant credit card offers before making a decision for yourself.

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Apply Now

on Capital Bank’s secure website

Card Details
Intro Apr:
N/A


Ongoing Apr:
17.39% (variable)


Balance Transfer:
N/A


Annual Fee:
$35


Credit Needed:
Fair-Poor-Bad-No Credit

Snapshot of Card Features
  • No credit check necessary to apply. OpenSky believes in giving an opportunity to everyone.
  • The refundable* deposit you provide becomes your credit line limit on your Visa card. Choose it yourself, from as low as $200.
  • Build credit quickly. OpenSky reports to all 3 major credit bureaus.
  • 99% of our customers who started without a credit score earned a credit score record with the credit bureaus in as little as 6 months.
  • We have a Facebook community of people just like you; there is a forum for shared experiences, and insights from others on our Facebook Fan page. (Search “OpenSky Card” in Facebook.)
  • OpenSky provides credit tips and a dedicated credit education page on our website to support you along the way.
  • *View our Cardholder Agreement located at the bottom of the application page for details of the card

Card Details +

Annual Fee: $35

APR: 17.39% (variable)

Why we picked it: This card helps you build credit while still offering a fairly low interest rate and a refundable deposit for as little as $200 (some restrictions apply; see cardholder agreement for details).

The details: There is no credit check necessary to apply, and you can apply in less than 5 minutes. Your responsible use of the card is reported to all three credit bureaus each month. And when you need extra credit, you may be eligible for a credit line increase.

Drawbacks: There is an annual fee, which isn’t necessarily bad in exchange for building credit.

Read Our Full Review

First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard Secured Credit Card

First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

Apply Now

on First Progress’s secure website

Card Details
Intro Apr:
N/A


Ongoing Apr:
19.99% Variable APR for Purchases


Balance Transfer:
N/A


Annual Fee:
$29


Credit Needed:
Poor-No Credit

Rates and Fees

Snapshot of Card Features
  • Receive Your Card More Quickly with New Expedited Processing Option
  • No Credit History or Minimum Credit Score Required for Approval
  • Full-Feature Platinum Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
  • Good for Car Rental, Hotels; Anywhere Credit Cards Are Accepted!
  • Monthly Reporting to all 3 Major Credit Bureaus to Establish Credit History
  • Credit Line Secured by Your Fully-Refundable Deposit of $200 — $2,000 Submitted with Application
  • Just Pay Off Your Balance and Receive Your Deposit Back at Any Time
  • Apply in just a few moments with no negative impact to your credit score; no credit inquiry will be recorded in your credit bureau file
  • Nationwide Program though not yet available in NY, IA, AR, or WI * See Card Terms.

Card Details +

Annual Fee: $29

APR: 19.99% Variable APR for Purchases

Why we picked it: With responsible use, this card can be a good place to start working to rebuild your credit. There is no minimum credit score required for approval, and it also reports to all three credit bureaus each month.

The details: You can secure your credit line by putting down a fully refundable deposit of $200 to $2,000 during the application process. When you pay off your balance, you can receive your deposit back. Its expedited processing option lets you receive your card more quickly, and you can apply in minutes with no negative impact to your credit score.

Drawbacks: While the APR isn’t super high for a bad-credit credit card, it’s still high enough to run up hefty interest charges. You’ll want to pay the balance off as often as possible to avoid that extra expense. The card is not yet available in all states.


Milestone Unsecured Mastercard

Milestone® Unsecured Mastercard®

Apply Now

on Milestone’s secure website

Card Details
Intro Apr:
N/A


Ongoing Apr:
24.90%


Balance Transfer:
N/A


Annual Fee:
$35 – $99*


Credit Needed:
Poor-Bad

Snapshot of Card Features
  • Easy pre-qualification process which does not affect your credit score
  • Choice of card image at no extra charge
  • Less than perfect credit is okay, even with a prior bankruptcy!
  • Mobile friendly online access from anywhere
  • Accepted nationwide, wherever Mastercard is accepted
  • Unsecured credit card, no deposit required
  • Protection from fraud, if your card happens to be lost or stolen

Card Details +

Annual Fee: $35 – $99*

APR: 24.90%

Why we picked it: It is possible to be approved with poor credit and a bankruptcy on your credit report, but you don’t have to start with a security deposit. Plus, you can choose your card image at no extra charge!

The details: Prequalification doesn’t require a hard credit inquiry, so you can find out if you’re a likely candidate for this card without impacting your credit. You can access your account via mobile to manage it, helping you stay on track with positive payment history and balance management, and the card comes with decent fraud protection.

Drawbacks: The annual fee can be pretty high depending on the terms you’re approved for. The interest rate is also fairly high, so you might not want to carry over large balances between statements.


Indigo Mastercard for Less Than Perfect Credit

Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit

Apply Now

on Indigo’s secure website

Card Details
Intro Apr:
N/A


Ongoing Apr:
24.90%


Balance Transfer:
N/A


Annual Fee:
$0 – $99*


Credit Needed:
Poor-Bad

Snapshot of Card Features
  • Less than perfect credit histories can qualify, even with prior bankruptcy!
  • Choose your card design with chip technology at no additional cost
  • Quick pre-qualification available with no impact to your credit score
  • Easy pre-qualification process with fast response
  • 24/7 access to your account, even on mobile!
  • Protection from fraud, if your card happens to be lost or stolen
  • Accepted nationwide wherever Mastercard is accepted

Card Details +

Annual Fee: $0 – $99*

APR: 24.90%

Why we picked it: You can prequalify for this card without impacting your credit, and there’s no security deposit required.

The details: The APR is fairly steep, so you probably want to limit what balances you carry over each month. How much the annual fee is depends on your credit profile. However, it doesn’t require a security deposit.

Drawbacks: A potentially high annual fee and less-than-stellar APR make this a potentially expensive way to build credit.


Avant Credit Card

Avant Credit Card

Apply Now

on Avant’s secure website

Card Details
Intro Apr:
N/A


Ongoing Apr:
25.99% (variable)


Balance Transfer:
N/A


Annual Fee:
$39


Credit Needed:
Fair

Snapshot of Card Features
  • No deposit required
  • No penalty APR
  • No hidden fees
  • Fast and easy application process
  • Help strengthen your credit history with responsible use
  • Disclosure: If you are charged interest, the charge will be no less than $1.00. Cash Advance Fee: The greater of $10 or 3% of the amount of the cash advance
  • Avant branded credit products are issued by WebBank, member FDIC

Card Details +

Annual fee: $39

APR: 25.99% (variable)

Why we picked it: There’s no deposit required, no penalty APR, and no hidden fees.

The details: What you see is what you get with this card. With responsible use, you can strengthen your credit history.

Drawbacks: There is an annual fee and the variable APR can be a bit steep. You may also need fair credit to qualify.

Read Our Full Review

Surge Mastercard

Surge Mastercard® Credit Card

Apply Now

on Surge’s secure website

Card Details
Intro Apr:
N/A


Ongoing Apr:
See Terms*


Balance Transfer:
N/A


Annual Fee:
See Terms*


Credit Needed:
Fair-Poor-Bad

Snapshot of Card Features
  • All credit types welcome to apply!
  • Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
  • See if you’re Pre-Qualified without impacting your credit score
  • Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
  • Use your card at locations everywhere that Mastercard® is accepted
  • Free online account access 24/7
  • Checking Account Required

Card Details +

Annual fee: See Terms*

APR: See Terms*

Why we picked it: All credit types are welcome to apply, and the pre-qualification process won’t impact your credit score.

The details: Surge can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted. , and the card reports to all three major credit bureaus.

Drawbacks: You need a checking account to apply. Because the card is specifically for people with less-than-perfect credit scores, interest rates and terms may be a bit high.

Read Our Full Review

How to Choose a Credit Card After Bankruptcy

After a bankruptcy, improving your finances and rebuilding your credit should be a priority. Do some research and pick a credit card that helps you achieve that goal. If you feel that you can’t responsibly manage credit right now, you should wait until you’re in a better place to submit a credit card application.

Since secured credit cards require an upfront security deposit, you’ll need to determine how much money you can afford. Most secured cards will give you a credit line that equals the amount of your original deposit.

While high APRs and annual fees are common with all of these credit cards, you should compare rates across several cards to find the ones that are best for your spending habits.

Some cards for bad credit are designed to exploit people using unfair terms or policies that make it difficult to rebuild your finances. You may even start receiving multiple credit card offers in the mail after your bankruptcy is discharged. Watch out for red flags to avoid getting burned.

And remember: A credit card can only build credit if you use it correctly. You should keep your credit card balance below 30% of the available credit limit and make all your payments on time to help build your credit.

The post Easiest Credit Cards to Get After Bankruptcy appeared first on Credit.com.

Source: credit.com

Most Fitness-Friendly Places for 2021

  • Checking Account
  • Interior Car Wash Tips
  • 11 min
  • 2 months ago

Though the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in widespread fitness center closures, many Americans still want to stay as healthy as possible. Depending on the level of services and equipment required, staying active can affect people’s budgets in a variety of … Continue reading →

The post Most Fitness-Friendly Places for 2021 appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

  • January 12, 2021
Tagged All, budget, Checking Account, Cities, Colorado
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fitness friendly places for 2021

Though the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in widespread fitness center closures, many Americans still want to stay as healthy as possible. Depending on the level of services and equipment required, staying active can affect people’s budgets in a variety of ways. For now, virtual exercise classes and home gyms are the route most people are taking. Eventually, though, gyms will reopen at full capacity, and everyone will be able to reestablish his or her normal workout routine. When that happens, some places will be more conducive to jumping into a full-on fitness frenzy, and SmartAsset crunched the numbers to find where they are.

To locate the most fitness-friendly places for 2021, we compared 301 metropolitan areas across the following metrics: percentage of residents who walk or bike to work, fitness professionals per 10,000 workers, fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments, the percentage of restaurants that are fast-food establishments and the average wage of personal trainers. For details on our data sources and how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, check out the Data and Methodology section below.

This is SmartAsset’s seventh annual study on the most fitness-friendly places in the U.S. Read the previous version here.

Key Findings

  • Western and Midwestern metro areas populate the top. For the second straight year, cities in the Midwest and West dominate the top 10 of this list. Six metro areas are in the West and three are in the Midwest. Western metro areas do well in terms of fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments – all rank within the top 8% of study for this metric – and they also rank within the top 14% of the study for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work. Only one metro area in the top 10 is not in either of these regions – Ithaca, New York.
  • Fitness-friendly cities are light on the drive-thrus. On average, across the 301 metro areas in our study, fast-food establishments represent 45% of all restaurants. Though fast food is popular, convenient and inexpensive, it tends to be relatively high in calories and low in nutritional value – making it tougher to be healthy if you eat a lot of it, regardless of your exercise levels. In the top 10 of this study, all but three metro areas have fewer than 40% of their restaurants serving fast food, so there is less temptation to go for an easy-but-unhealthy meal that can ruin all your hard work. The metro area with the lowest percentage of restaurants that are fast food is Wenatchee, Washington, where it is just 27%.

1. Missoula, MT

The Missoula, Montana metro area is the most fitness-friendly place in the U.S. for 2021. There are 131 fitness establishments – including places like gyms and sporting goods stores – per 10,000 total establishments in Missoula, the third-highest rate for this metric in the study. There are also plenty of fitness professionals living in Missoula, 59 per 10,000 workers, placing it sixth-best for this metric. Residents in Missoula also get plenty of exercise simply by walking or biking to work: 7.1% of residents choose to do so, the 17th-highest rate for this metric across the 301 areas we studied.

2. La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN

The La Crosse, Wisconsin metro area, which also includes parts of Minnesota, has 130 fitness establishments for every 10,000 total establishments, the fourth-highest rate for this metric. The metro area finishes in the top quartile for three other metrics as well, ranking 28th for fitness professionals per 10,000 workers (with 42), 33rd for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work (at 5.2%) and 64th for the percentage of restaurants that are fast-food establishments (around 39%).

3. Bend, OR

The Bend, Oregon metro area cracks the top 10 for two of our metrics. It places fourth in terms of fitness professionals per 10,000 workers with 61, and seventh for fitness establishments per 10,0000 total establishments, at 116. Bend can be a bit pricey of a place to stay in shape, though. The average hourly wage of personal trainers is $18.72, placing Bend at 176th out of 301 for this metric.

4. Ann Arbor, MI

There are 67 fitness professionals per 10,000 workers in the Ann Arbor, Michigan metro area, the second-highest rate for this metric of the 301 metro areas we analyzed. For their commutes, 7.4% of residents walk or bike to work, the 15th-highest percentage in this study. There are also plenty of fitness establishments in the metro area if you prefer to work out in a dedicated space: At 112 per 10,000 residents, this is the 10th-highest rate of the 301 places we analyzed.

5. Bloomington, IN

Folks in the Bloomington, Indiana metro area might have more of an opportunity to get a workout in during their commute, with 8.0% of residents walking or biking to work, the eighth-highest rate in the study for this metric. Bloomington has two other metrics for which it finishes in the top fifth of the 301 metro areas of the study – fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments (ranking 48th-highest, with 93) and average wage of personal trainers (ranking 49th-lowest, which makes it cheaper for the consumer, at $14.53).

6. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

The metro area around Santa Cruz, California finishes ninth overall for its relatively low percentage of restaurants that specialize in fast food, at 33%. Santa Cruz also comes in 12th for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work, at 7.5%. If you’re looking for help getting in shape, though, it’ll cost you. The average wage of a personal trainer in the area is a steep $20.59, ranking in the bottom third of this study.

7. Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff, Arizona has the third highest percentage of residents who walk or bike to work we saw in this study, at 11.5%. There are also 109 fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments, the 14th-highest rate we observed. Flagstaff is hurt, though, by its price: The average wage of a personal trainer in this metro area is $22.27, in the bottom sixth of this study.

8. Fort Collins, CO

Fort Collins is the first of two metro areas in Colorado to rank in the top 10 of this study, and it gets there on the strength of having 113 fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments, ranking ninth of 301 metro areas for this metric. It also scores in the top 15% of the study for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work (5.2%) and fitness professionals per 10,000 workers (46).

9. Boulder, CO

Boulder is the second Colorado metro area in the top 10, and it has two metrics for which it finishes in the top 15 out of 301 in the study overall. It comes in 11th for fitness professionals per 10,000 workers, at 53, and 12th for the percentage of residents who walk or bike to work, at 7.5%. Its final ranking is dragged down a bit due to its bottom-10 finish for the average hourly wage for personal trainers, at a pricey $27.25. However, it still ranks in the top 20 of the study for fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments, at 105.

10. Ithaca, NY

A whopping 14.5% of residents of Ithaca, New York walk or bike to work, the second-highest percentage in this study for this metric. Ithaca finishes eighth in terms of fitness establishments per 10,000 total establishments with 114. It is very expensive to get help with fitness in Ithaca, though. The average hourly wage for a personal trainer is $29.30, finishing third-worst out of 301 metro areas in this study for its high cost.

Data and Methodology

To find the most fitness-friendly places in the country for 2021, we examined data for 301 metro areas across the following five metrics:

  • Percentage of residents who walk or bike to work. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
  • Concentration of fitness professionals. This is the number of fitness professionals per 10,000 workers. Our list of fitness professionals includes dietitians and nutritionists, recreational therapists, athletic trainers as well as fitness trainers and aerobics instructors. Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics and is for May 2019.
  • Concentration of fitness establishments. This is the number of fitness establishments per 10,000 establishments. Our list of fitness establishments includes sporting goods stores and fitness and recreational sports centers. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2018 Metro Area Business Patterns Survey.
  • Concentration of fast-food restaurants. This is the percentage of restaurants that are limited-service establishments. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2018 Metro Area Business Patterns Survey.
  • Average hourly wage of personal trainers. Given the limited availability of direct data about the cost to consumers for personal training services, this metric acts as a proxy to indicate the relative affordability of hiring a personal trainer in a given metro area. Data comes from the BLS and is for May 2019.

First, we ranked each metro area in each metric. Then we found each place’s average ranking, giving all metrics a full weight except for concentration of fast-food restaurants and average hourly wage of personal trainers, each of which received a half weight. Using this average ranking, we created our final score. The metro area with the highest average ranking received a score of 100, and the metro area with the lowest average ranking received a score of 0.

Tips for a Fit and Financially Secure Life

  • Find the right financial fit. No matter what your fitness goals are, financially you want to make sure you are secure, and a financial advisor can help. Finding the right financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with financial advisors in your area in five minutes. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that will help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
  • Consider the health of your budget. If you live somewhere where fitness is expensive, make a budget so that you can work the price into your monthly spending.
  • Making bigger money moves? If you’re considering moving to one of the places we listed above, use SmartAsset’s tool to find out how much house you can afford before you make the big move.

Questions about our study? Contact press@smartasset.com.

Photo credit: Â©iStock.com/PeopleImages

The post Most Fitness-Friendly Places for 2021 appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

Source: smartasset.com

4 Tips for Handling Finances After a Pay Cut

  • Building Wealth
  • Money
  • 9 min
  • 2 months ago

woman sitting on the floor doing work on her computer

Millions of Americans faced pay cuts as the coronavirus pandemic affected industries. While many workers were laid off, some were furloughed, and others kept their jobs but at lower salaries as businesses struggled to stay afloat. Some workers are reexamining their budgets to cut some of their expenses until they get another job or their […]

The post 4 Tips for Handling Finances After a Pay Cut appeared first on SoFi.

  • January 12, 2021
Tagged 401(k), All, Auto, budget, Budgeting & Goals
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woman sitting on the floor doing work on her computer

Millions of Americans faced pay cuts as the coronavirus pandemic affected industries. While many workers were laid off, some were furloughed, and others kept their jobs but at lower salaries as businesses struggled to stay afloat.

Some workers are reexamining their budgets to cut some of their expenses until they get another job or their employer restores pay cuts. Taking a pay cut means facing the reality of no longer living the same financial life.

Americans often aren’t so good at saving for emergencies such as a car repair or sudden illness, or for their retirement. A recent survey found that 59% of U.S. residents say they live paycheck to paycheck.

Less than 40% of working adults think their retirement savings are on track, and 25% have no retirement savings or pension at all, according to the latest Federal Reserve Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households.

Another alarming fact is that 4 in 10 adults have said that if they had an emergency and had to pay a bill of $400, they would have to borrow the money or sell an item they own. And that is in so-called normal times. Here are four strategies to handle finances after a pay cut.

1. Update Your Budget

There are several ways to deal with the changes to your budget after a change to your salary. Create a budget if you do not already have one. List all your expenses for weekly purchases, from groceries to gasoline and parking fees. Add monthly bills, including rent or mortgage, car loan, cable, cellphone, utility bills, credit cards, student loans, and any other debt such as personal loans.

Update your budget and examine all your expenses to see which ones you can lower or eliminate, even temporarily, for the next six months. Add your income and include part-time jobs, tax refunds, bonuses, and any child support, alimony, or help from parents. This will help you determine how much money you can spend for necessities, expenses, entertainment, and other items such as doctor visits.

There are several free apps that can help you manage your debt easily and update it as your financial circumstances change. To track your spending, decide if you want to track it daily, weekly, or biweekly. You might try different time periods before you decide on one. Some people prefer to keep up with their spending on old-fashioned pen and paper.

SoFi Relay.

After you track your spending for two or three months, you will see a pattern emerge of where most of your money goes. You can also look at older bank and credit card statements to see what you were spending money on last year compared to this year. This will help determine if you had one-time expenses such as medical bills, airplane tickets, hotel stays, wedding gifts, or a vacation. You might be surprised at what you’re spending your money on. For instance, you might be spending a lot of money on entertainment or buying gifts.

In addition to a budget, create a financial plan for both short- and long-term goals. A plan will help you determine when you can pay off any loans and how much you want to save, say, for a down payment on a house.

2. Cut Expenses

One place many consumers can cut costs is from entertainment, such as their cable bill or streaming services. These can really add up. Canceling all or some of these services can improve your cash flow, which is how much money you have left over at the end of the month. Another place where you can slash expenses is from your food budget. Consider using digital coupons, shopping at warehouse clubs, or going out to eat for lunch instead of dinner.

Your expenses include debt such as credit cards, student loans, and personal loans. Paying more than the minimum balance, refinancing to a lower interest rate. and making extra payments can help you pay down the principal amount, or the original amount that you borrowed, sooner.

Consider refinancing your student loans by checking out both fixed and variable rates. Interest rates are at historic lows. You might be able to pay down your credit card bills faster by taking out a personal loan; those interest rates are often lower. And if that’s the case, the debt could be paid sooner.

Automating the payment of bills can make your life easier. This will also help you avoid paying late fees. You can either have your bills paid automatically through your checking account or set yourself a reminder on your calendar if you have some bills such as utilities that are a different amount each month.

You can also automate your savings. You can have money taken out of your checking or savings account each month and have it automatically invested into your workplace 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.

Snip, Snip, Snip

When your salary has been slashed, there are several ways you can save money immediately and long term.

Call your mortgage, auto loan, utilities, credit card, and student loan companies to see if you can defer payments for several months. Skipping a few payments can help you get back on your feet sooner. If the company cannot provide this option, see if the interest rate can be lowered on, say, credit cards.

Check with your local nonprofit organizations. Many provide food or partial payments for utility bills. Your local food bank is a good place to start; this can help you lower your monthly grocery bill.

Look online to see if stores are offering deals. Stock up on staples such as beans, rice, and pasta if they are on sale.

If you are still short of money, you might consider talking to family members and friends about obtaining a short-term loan or working on a small project to earn some extra money.

cash management account that keeps track of weekly spending—which then allows creation of a budget based on habits.

There are no account fees for SoFi Money® and you can earn cash-back rewards on spending. And SoFi members can gain financial advice—at no cost.

Learn more about SoFi Money® today.



SoFi Money®
SoFi Money is a cash management account, which is a brokerage product, offered by SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA / SIPC .
Neither SoFi nor its affiliates is a bank.
Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.
SoFi Relay is offered through SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. For more information, please see our Form ADV Part 2A, a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov . For additional information on SoFi Wealth LLC, SoFi Relay, and products and services of affiliates, see SoFi.com/legal.
Advisory services are offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC an SEC-registered Investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at adviserinfo.sec.gov .
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer to sell, solicitation to buy or a pre-qualification of any loan product offered by SoFi Lending Corp and/or its affiliates.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Money Market Account or Checking Account: Which Is Best For You?

  • Office Furniture Items
  • 11 min
  • 2 months ago

Depending on how you plan to spend and save, a money market or checking account—​or both—​could suit your needs.

The post Money Market Account or Checking Account: Which Is Best For You? appeared first on Discover Bank – Banking Topics Blog.

  • January 12, 2021
Tagged ATM, Automatic Transfer, Banking, Banking 101, Cash Back
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If you’re looking for a new bank account that allows you to easily store as well as access your cash, you might be thinking about opening a money market account or checking account. But how do you know which to choose? Decisions, decisions. Both types of accounts have unique advantages, depending on your savings and spending goals.

“Think about how you will be using the money within the account,” says Jill Emanuel, lead financial coach at Fiscal Fitness. “Is this money for daily, weekly or monthly use? Or is it money that will not be needed regularly?”

When comparing a money market account vs. a checking account, consider how often you'll need to access the funds in the account.

You’ll probably need a little more to go on before answering the question, “How do I decide between a money market account or checking account?” No worries. Our roundup delves into the features of both types of accounts to help you determine which one could be right for your financial plans, or if there’s room for both in your money mix.

Get easy access to your funds with a checking account

In simple terms, a checking account allows you to write checks and make purchases with a debit card from the money you deposit into the account. That debit card can also be used to withdraw cash from the account via an ATM.

When deciding between a money market account or checking account, Emanuel says most people use a checking account for the primary management of their monthly income (i.e., where a portion of your paycheck is deposited) and daily expenses (often small and frequent transactions). “A checking account makes the most sense as the account where the majority of your transactions occur,” she adds. This is because a checking account typically comes with an unlimited number of transactions—whether you’re withdrawing cash from an ATM, transferring money to a savings account or swiping your debit card.

While a checking account is a good home base for your finances and a go-to if you need to easily and quickly access your funds, this account type typically earns little to no interest. Spoiler: This is one key difference when you compare a money market account vs. a checking account.

“If you plan to use your account for monthly bill payments and day-to-day transactions, you would be better suited with a checking account, as these support daily and frequent use.”

– Bola Sokunbi, certified financial education instructor and founder of Clever Girl Finance

Grow your balance with a money market account

When you’re comparing a money market account vs. a checking account, think of a money market account as a savings vehicle that allows you to earn interest on the balance you keep in the account.

“A money market account is an interest-bearing bank account that typically has a higher interest rate than a checking account,” says Bola Sokunbi, certified financial education instructor and founder of Clever Girl Finance.

With some money market accounts, you can even earn more interest with a higher balance. Thanks to its interest-earning potential, a money market account can be the way to go if you’re looking for an account to help you reach your savings goals and priorities.

If you’re deciding between a money market account or checking account, you may think that a money market account seems like a typical savings account with your ability to earn, but it also has some features similar to a checking account. With a money market account, for example, you can withdraw cash from an ATM and use a debit card or checks to access money from the account. There are no limits on ATM withdrawals or official checks mailed to you.

You can withdraw cash from ATMs and write checks with a money market account or checking account.

Before you decide to use this account for your regular bills and your morning caffeine habit, know that federal law limits certain types of withdrawals and transfers from money market accounts to a combined total of six per calendar month per account. If you go over these limitations on more than an occasional basis, your financial institution may choose to close the account.

Don’t need regular access to your funds and want your money to grow until you do need it? Then the benefits of a money market account could be for you.

Deciding between a money market account or checking account

Still debating money market account or checking account? Here are some financial scenarios to help you determine which account may best suit your current needs and goals:

Go with a checking account if…

  • You want to keep your funds liquid. If you’re thinking money market account or checking account, know that a checking account is built for very regular access to your funds. “If you plan to use your account for monthly bill payments and day-to-day transactions, you would be better suited with a checking account, as these support daily and frequent use,” Sokunbi says. Think rent, cable, utilities, groceries, gas, maybe that morning caffeine craving. You get the idea.
  • You want to earn rewards for your spending. When you’re comparing money market account vs. checking account, consider that with some checking accounts—like Discover Cashback Debit—you can earn cash back for your debit card purchases. The best part is you are earning cash back as you keep up with your regular expenses—no hoops to jump through or extra account activity needed. Then put that cashback toward fun things like date night, lunch at your favorite spot or a savings fund dedicated to something special.

Get 1% cashback on Debit from Discover. 1% cashback on up to $3000 in debit card purchases every month. Limitations apply. Excludes Money market accounts.Discover Bank,Member FDIC.Learn More
  • You want to deposit and withdraw without the stress of a balance requirement. If you do your research when comparing money market accounts vs. checking accounts, you’ll find that some checking accounts don’t require a minimum balance (or much of one). However, you may be required to maintain a minimum balance (and potentially a higher one) with a money market account in order to avoid a fee. If you’re accessing your money frequently and need to make large withdrawals, a checking account with no minimum balance requirement is a convenient option.

Go with a money market account if…

  • You want to earn interest. “If your money is just sitting there, it should be earning money,” Emanuel says of the money market account or checking account question. “I spoke with a woman recently who told me she’d had around $50,000 sitting in her checking account for at least the last 10 years, if not longer. If that money had been in a money market account for the same period of time, she would have earned thousands of dollars on it. Instead she earned nothing,” Emanuel says.
  • You want to put short-term savings in a different account. If you have some short-term savings goals in mind (way to go!), you may benefit from keeping your savings separate from your more transactional checking account so you don’t dip into them for a different purpose. That whole out of sight, out of mind thing. “A money market account is the perfect place for money that will be accessed less frequently, such as an emergency fund [a.k.a. rainy day fund], a vacation fund or a place to park money after you’ve received an inheritance or proceeds from selling a home,” Emanuel says.
  • You need an account to fund your overdraft protection. If you’re comparing money market account vs. checking account, consider that a money market account could also cross over to support spending goals. One way is in the form of overdraft protection. If you enroll in overdraft protection for your checking account, for example, you could designate that funds be pulled from your money market account to cover a balance shortfall.

“A money market account is the perfect place for money that will be accessed less frequently, such as an emergency fund [a.k.a. rainy day fund], a vacation fund or a place to park money after you’ve received an inheritance or proceeds from selling a home.”

– Jill Emanuel, lead financial coach at Fiscal Fitness

Using both accounts to achieve your financial goals

Speaking of crossover. Both spending and saving are vying for your attention, right? Consider leveraging both types of accounts if you have needs from the checking and money market account lists above.

“Personally, I use my checking account for bill payments, my day-to-day spending, writing checks and for any automatic debits I have each month,” Sokunbi says. She’s added a money market account to the mix “because of the higher interest rate—to store my savings for short-term goals, for investing or for money I’ll be needing soon,” she explains. Maybe it’s not about deciding between a money market account or a checking account, but getting the best of both worlds.

Before opening a money market account or checking account, do your research and compare your options to see which bank offers the best package of low or no fees and customer service, in addition to what you need from an interest and access to cash perspective.

The post Money Market Account or Checking Account: Which Is Best For You? appeared first on Discover Bank – Banking Topics Blog.

Source: discover.com

BlueVine Business Checking Account Review

  • Office Furniture Items
  • 1 min
  • 2 months ago

Source: thesimpledollar.com

  • January 12, 2021
Tagged Checking Account, Financial Wize, FinancialWize
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Source: thesimpledollar.com

5 Things Keeping You From a Life of Financial Independence

  • Budgeting
  • Financial Freedom
  • First Time Home Buyers
  • 6 min
  • 2 months ago
Couple worried about paying bills

Financial independence can mean different things to everyone. A 2013 survey from Capital One 360 found that 44 percent of American adults feel that financial independence means not having any debt, 26 percent said it means having an emergency savings fund, and 10 percent link financial independence with being able to retire early.

I define financial independence as the time in life when my assets produce enough income to cover a comfortable lifestyle. At that point, working a day job will be optional.

But what about the rest of America? How would you define financial independence? If freedom from debt is what you’re seeking, here are five areas that could be holding you back.

1. Not having clear, financial goals

If you’re not planning for financial independence, chances are you won’t reach it. The future is full of unknowns, but having an idea of when you’d like to achieve financial freedom should be your first step.

Do you want to retire before you turn 65? Do you want to travel the world with your spouse once you reach early retirement? Both goals will require a significant amount of cash stashed away, so it’s important to start saving ASAP to make those dreams come true. (See also: 15 Secrets of People Who Retire Early)

2. Not saving enough

It’s important to identify how much you’re currently saving, and how much you need to save in order to retire when you want to, or reach another major financial goal. Using a calculator like Networthify can help you play with various money-saving scenarios and make realistic projections about retirement.

Another way to make saving money easier is to automate it. Setting up an automatic weekly or monthly transfer from your checking account into your savings account will take the extra task off your already full plate. Even if it’s as little as $5 a week, it’s enough to start building that nest egg. (See also: 5 MicroSaving Tools to Help You Start Saving Now)

3. Not paying off consumer debt

If you’re carrying a credit card balance each month, financing cars, or just paying the minimum on your student loans, compound interest is working against you. Creating an aggressive plan to pay off debt quickly should be a number one priority for anyone who is serious about achieving financial independence. Otherwise, your money is working for your creditors, not you.

If you prefer to tackle credit card debt first, there are several debt management methods you can try, including the Debt Snowball Method and the Debt Avalanche Method. The Debt Snowball Method has you paying off the card with the smallest balance first, working your way up to the card with the largest balance. The Debt Avalanche Method is similar, but here you would pay more than the monthly minimum on the card with the highest interest rate first, working towards paying off the card with the lowest interest rate. Both are highly effective methods, and choosing one really just depends on your preference.

4. Giving into lifestyle creep

A high income does not automatically make you wealthy. As you move up in your career, the temptation to upgrade your lifestyle to match your income will be ever-present. After all, you work hard, so why not reward yourself with the latest gadgets and toys?

However, if you continue to spend and live modestly, you can put more money away for travel or retirement with every pay raise you earn. Financial freedom will be just around the corner if you resist that temptation to upgrade your home, car, and electronics to match your income bracket. (See also: 9 Ways to Reverse Lifestyle Creep)

5. Being driven by FOMO

Fear Of Missing Out, aka FOMO, is the modern version of keeping up with the Joneses. Except now you have access to the Joneses’ social media platforms, and they go on all kinds of fun adventures. Social media is a great tool for keeping in touch, but it can also make you want to spend all your money on lavish vacations, clothes, spa treatments, and other extravagent things. Resist that urge. And block the Joneses on social media if needed. (See also: Are You Letting FOMO Ruin Your Finances?)

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How would you define financial independence? If freedom from debt is what you're seeking, here are five areas that could be holding you back. | #budgeting #debt #savingmoney

This article is from Toni Husbands of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:
  • 5 Money Moves to Make Before You Turn 40
  • The 10 Commandments of Reaching Financial Freedom
  • 16 Small Steps You Can Take Now to Improve Your Finances
  • The Pros and Cons of Paying Off Your Debt Early
  • How a Credit Card Can Actually Help You Get Out of Debt


  • January 11, 2021
Tagged All, Budgeting, budgeting tips, building, Career
Read More
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Couple worried about paying bills

Financial independence can mean different things to everyone. A 2013 survey from Capital One 360 found that 44 percent of American adults feel that financial independence means not having any debt, 26 percent said it means having an emergency savings fund, and 10 percent link financial independence with being able to retire early.

I define financial independence as the time in life when my assets produce enough income to cover a comfortable lifestyle. At that point, working a day job will be optional.

But what about the rest of America? How would you define financial independence? If freedom from debt is what you’re seeking, here are five areas that could be holding you back.

1. Not having clear, financial goals

If you’re not planning for financial independence, chances are you won’t reach it. The future is full of unknowns, but having an idea of when you’d like to achieve financial freedom should be your first step.

Do you want to retire before you turn 65? Do you want to travel the world with your spouse once you reach early retirement? Both goals will require a significant amount of cash stashed away, so it’s important to start saving ASAP to make those dreams come true. (See also: 15 Secrets of People Who Retire Early)

2. Not saving enough

It’s important to identify how much you’re currently saving, and how much you need to save in order to retire when you want to, or reach another major financial goal. Using a calculator like Networthify can help you play with various money-saving scenarios and make realistic projections about retirement.

Another way to make saving money easier is to automate it. Setting up an automatic weekly or monthly transfer from your checking account into your savings account will take the extra task off your already full plate. Even if it’s as little as $5 a week, it’s enough to start building that nest egg. (See also: 5 MicroSaving Tools to Help You Start Saving Now)

3. Not paying off consumer debt

If you’re carrying a credit card balance each month, financing cars, or just paying the minimum on your student loans, compound interest is working against you. Creating an aggressive plan to pay off debt quickly should be a number one priority for anyone who is serious about achieving financial independence. Otherwise, your money is working for your creditors, not you.

If you prefer to tackle credit card debt first, there are several debt management methods you can try, including the Debt Snowball Method and the Debt Avalanche Method. The Debt Snowball Method has you paying off the card with the smallest balance first, working your way up to the card with the largest balance. The Debt Avalanche Method is similar, but here you would pay more than the monthly minimum on the card with the highest interest rate first, working towards paying off the card with the lowest interest rate. Both are highly effective methods, and choosing one really just depends on your preference.

4. Giving into lifestyle creep

A high income does not automatically make you wealthy. As you move up in your career, the temptation to upgrade your lifestyle to match your income will be ever-present. After all, you work hard, so why not reward yourself with the latest gadgets and toys?

However, if you continue to spend and live modestly, you can put more money away for travel or retirement with every pay raise you earn. Financial freedom will be just around the corner if you resist that temptation to upgrade your home, car, and electronics to match your income bracket. (See also: 9 Ways to Reverse Lifestyle Creep)

5. Being driven by FOMO

Fear Of Missing Out, aka FOMO, is the modern version of keeping up with the Joneses. Except now you have access to the Joneses’ social media platforms, and they go on all kinds of fun adventures. Social media is a great tool for keeping in touch, but it can also make you want to spend all your money on lavish vacations, clothes, spa treatments, and other extravagent things. Resist that urge. And block the Joneses on social media if needed. (See also: Are You Letting FOMO Ruin Your Finances?)

Like this article? Pin it!

How would you define financial independence? If freedom from debt is what you're seeking, here are five areas that could be holding you back. | #budgeting #debt #savingmoney

This article is from Toni Husbands of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:
  • 5 Money Moves to Make Before You Turn 40
  • The 10 Commandments of Reaching Financial Freedom
  • 16 Small Steps You Can Take Now to Improve Your Finances
  • The Pros and Cons of Paying Off Your Debt Early
  • How a Credit Card Can Actually Help You Get Out of Debt


Source: feeds.killeraces.com

Best Places to Live on a $60,000 Salary – 2020 Edition

Best Places to Live on a $60,000 Salary – 2020 Edition

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According to Census data, more than 17% of American households earn between $50,000 and $74,999, making it the income bracket comprising the highest number of people. This large cohort may not be among the most handsomely paid in the U.S., … Continue reading →

The post Best Places to Live on a $60,000 Salary – 2020 Edition appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

  • January 10, 2021
Tagged 60000 salary, 60k salary, All, best places to live, budget
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Image shows a person's hands holding a paycheck taken out of an envelope just received in the mail. SmartAsset used various data to conduct its latest study on the best places to live on a $60,000 salary.

According to Census data, more than 17% of American households earn between $50,000 and $74,999, making it the income bracket comprising the highest number of people. This large cohort may not be among the most handsomely paid in the U.S., but strategically living in a place with robust employment opportunities and a lower cost of living can help Americans stretch their dollar further and enable them to sock away ample savings. With that in mind, SmartAsset decided to find the best cities in America for those with an annual income of $60,000, the sweet-spot of this range.

To find the best cities in America to live on a $60,000 salary, we compared 97 cities (all with a population of at least 60,000 and a median household income of between $55,000 and $65,000) across the following nine metrics: median household income, median monthly housing costs, housing costs as a percentage of a $60,000 income, entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents, civic establishments per 10,000 residents, percentage of people without health insurance, average commute time, unemployment rate and poverty rate. For details on our data sources and how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, check out the Data and Methodology section below.

This is SmartAsset’s second annual study on the best places to live on a $60,000 salary. Read the 2019 version here.

Key Findings

  • Smaller cities – especially in the Midwest – rank highly. It probably comes as no shock that big cities aren’t making the cut here. Real estate and cost of living are just too expensive in big cities, and especially on the coasts. For true value, look to places a bit off the beaten path. Eight of our top 10 cities (all except Omaha, Nebraska and Lexington, Kentucky) have fewer than 300,000 people. Additionally, eight of our top 10 cities (all except Billings, Montana and Lexington, Kentucky) are located in the Midwest.
  • Under one grand. All but one of the top 10 cities in our study (Omaha, Nebraska) have median housing costs of less than $1,000 a month, or $12,000 a year, representing less than 20% a $60,000 income.

1. Sioux Falls, SD

The best city to live in on a $60,000 salary is Sioux Falls, South Dakota, according to the data we analyzed. Sioux Falls comes in sixth overall for two of our nine metrics: average commute time (17.4 minutes) and poverty rate (8.6%). It also comes in eighth for three other metrics: entertainment establishments (8.75 per 10,000 residents), civic establishments (13.00 per 10,000 residents) and July 2020 unemployment rate (5.8%).

2. Billings, MT

Billings, Montana has 13.08 civic institutions per 10,000 residents (the seventh-highest rate for this metric in the study) and 10.48 entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents (the sixth-highest rate in the study). Only 4.4% of the population in Billings is without health insurance – the sixth-lowest rate for this metric across all 97 cities we analyzed.

3. Lincoln, NE

Lincoln, Nebraska had an unemployment rate of just 5.0% in July 2020, the second-lowest ranking overall for this metric. Lincoln has 13.26 civic establishments per 10,000 residents, sixth-highest in the study. The city places 10th overall for average commute time, with the average person going from home to work in 18.4 minutes.

4. Eau Claire, WI

Eau Claire, Wisconsin has an average commute time of just 15.1 minutes, ranking second-shortest in the study. The city places eighth for two other metrics: median monthly housing costs ($915) and housing costs as a percentage of a $60,000 income (18.30%).

5. Wyoming, MI

Wyoming, Michigan has a poverty rate of just 8.5%, ranking fifth-best across all 97 cities we studied. Wyoming places fourth in two separate metrics related to housing costs: median monthly housing costs ($880) and median housing costs as a percentage of a $60,000 income (17.60%). There are 12.01 civic establishments per 10,000 residents, ninth-highest overall.

6. Appleton, WI

The July 2020 unemployment rate in Appleton, Wisconsin was 6.1%, 10th-lowest of the 97 cities for which we considered data. Appleton’s median monthly housing costs amount to $920 (an 11th-best ranking) represent just 18.40% of a $60,000 income (also an 11th-best ranking). Appleton’s other top-20 ranking is for a relatively low poverty rate of 11.5%.

7. Duluth, MN

Duluth, Minnesota has the highest number of civic establishments of any city we analyzed, at 15.62 per 10,000 residents. The city comes in third in terms of the percentage of residents without health insurance, at just 3.5%, and fifth for average commute time, at 16.8 minutes. While Duluth has a median household income of just $55,819 – ranking 88th overall for this metric – it ranks ninth overall for both housing cost metrics we considered.

8. Omaha, NE

Omaha, Nebraska had the 11th-lowest July 2020 unemployment rate in the study, coming in at 6.4%. The city places 20th for its relatively low poverty rate, with 11.6% of the population living below the poverty line. Omaha is fairly expensive, with median monthly housing costs of $1,044, which represents 20.88% of a $60,000 income – ranking 31st out of 97 in the study for both housing costs and housing costs as a percentage of income.

9. Cedar Rapids, IA

Cedar Rapids, Iowa has monthly median housing costs of $902, which is 18.04% of a $60,000 income. The city places seventh in our study for both of those metrics. Cedar Rapids has two other top-15 metrics: It ranks 12th overall for the relatively low percentage of people without health insurance (5.5%) and 13th overall for average commute time (18.7 minutes).

10. Lexington, KY

Lexington, Kentucky had the seventh-lowest July 2020 unemployment rate of the 97 cities we analyzed, at 5.7%. Median monthly housing costs in Lexington total $991, which is 19.82% of a $60,000 budget (a top-25 rate). Lexington also ranks 10th out of 97 for its relatively high number of civic establishments, at 11.98 per 10,000 residents.

Data and Methodology

To find the best cities in the U.S. to live on a $60,000 salary, SmartAsset first created a list of the cities in which the population was at least 60,000 people and the median household income was between $55,000 and $65,000. We did this in order to find the cities where an income of $60,000 fell within the range of an average household. This resulted in a list of 97 cities, which we compared across the following nine metrics:

  • Median household income. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
  • Median monthly housing costs. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
  • Housing costs as a percentage of income. We calculated this by finding the median monthly housing costs as a percentage of a $60,000 salary. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
  • Entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2018 Business Patterns Survey. It is measured at the county level.
  • Civic establishments per 10,000 residents. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2018 Business Patterns Survey. It is measured at the county level.
  • Percentage of people without health insurance. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
  • Average commute time. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.
  • Unemployment rate. Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is for July 2020.
  • Poverty rate. Data comes from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.

First, we ranked each city in each metric. From there, we calculated the average ranking for each city, assigning each metric an equal weight. Using this average ranking, we created our final score. The city with the highest average ranking received a score of 100. The city with the lowest average ranking received a score of 0.

Tips for Managing your Money With $60k in Income

  • Seek expert financial advice. If you’re making $60,000 a year, you might stretch your dollar further by living in a place with lower living costs. But no matter your salary, a financial advisor can help you make the most of your money. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool connects you with financial advisors in your area in five minutes. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors, get started now.
  • Create a budget you can count on. If you’re trying to make your $60k salary cover all your expenses (and still have something leftover to save), consider using SmartAsset’s budget calculator.
  • It’s never too early to be saving even a little for retirement. You work hard to earn that $60k a year. Now make that money work for you. Even if you’re on a relatively tight budget, try to make sure you save for retirement, perhaps using a workplace savings vehicle like a 401(k).

Questions about our study? Contact press@smartasset.com

Photo credit: Â©iStock.com/AndreyPopov

The post Best Places to Live on a $60,000 Salary – 2020 Edition appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

Source: smartasset.com

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