Monthly Archives: February 2022

by Kristen Pope, Brynne Conroy Quick Navigation Apps That Pay You to Exercise A Healthy Wage: Get Paid to Lose Weight Evidation: Earn Points by Sweating Sweatcoin: A Fitness App Tied to a Hopeful Cryptocurrency StepBet: Turn Your Own Money into Extra Money FitPotato: Walking Toward the Pot of Gold Fitforbucks: Small Prizes for Lots of Steps Side Gigs for Health and Money Lead Fitness Boot Camps Babysitting the Kids

Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorI’m a 31-year-old woman who just completed a career shift out of corporate America and into academia. I worked for a large corporation for about four years and saved for retirement during that time, but I put my savings on hold while I was in grad school. Luckily, I accumulated no debt, but I took a very reduced salary.Now, I’ve been

Best for Simple, Fee-Free BankingU.S. Bank$100 Minimum initial depositBest for Business Interest CheckingAxos Bank$1,000Minimum initial depositBest for Fee-Free, Online-Only BankingBlueVine$0Minimum initial depositBest for New Small Business Owners Wells Fargo$25Minimum initial depositby Kathleen GarvinContributor Starting a business is an opportunity to be your own boss, make money and grow your skill set. There are also the not-so-great, somewhat messy and complicated parts about operating a business. If you start off solo

Best for Helping Out a FriendChime Referral Bonus$100 Best for Socially Conscious ClientsAspiration Plus$200 Best for Basic CheckingChase Total Checking$225 Best for ATM Power UsersPNC Virtual WalletUp to $400 by Timothy MooreContributor So, you’re looking for a new bank account. You’ve got several factors to consider — ATM access, interest rates, monthly account fees, minimum balances, online bill payments and more. Another factor: sign-up promotions and bonuses. Banks and credit

by Nicole DowSenior WriterManaging money efficiently may seem like largely a numbers game.You’ve got to earn a certain amount of income to cover all your expenses. If your income doesn’t stretch, try subtracting from your spending. And don’t forget to save aside a certain percentage for retirement and other goals.But truly becoming a master over your money requires more than just understanding the math.“It’s time to look past the numbers,

by Carson Kohler, Robert BruceWhen it comes to remote work, everything changed in 2020.You know how it happened. The pandemic struck and employers who weren’t already allowing remote work were forced to do so. The pandemic continued and employees continued to stay at home. Then, as vaccinations became widely available and covid rates dropped, employers saw the benefit of  employees working remotely.Remote work, which a decade ago was a benefit

by Nicole DowSenior WriterSo you’ve made a budget, cut out unnecessary spending and found ways to earn extra income. You finally have money to set aside. Great work!Now the question is: Where will you stash that cash?If you just let it pile up in your checking account — or worse, stuff it under your mattress — your money won’t be working to its highest potential. You want your savings to

Varo BankBest for Cash Back3.00% APY Axos Bank Essential Checking AccountBest for Unlimited ATM AccessUp to 1.25% Chime SpendingBest for Digital Features0.50% APY Ally Interest CheckingBest for No Fee PerksUp to 0.25% by Kathleen GarvinContributorDo you remember why you chose your current checking account?If you got started early, your parents might have helped you open a kids’ checking or savings account at their bank’s branch. Or maybe you went with

by Rachel Christian, CEPF®Senior WriterTax time is officially upon us: The Internal Revenue Service began accepting and processing 2021 tax year returns on Jan. 24.Whether you’re anticipating a refund or dreading the bill, you’ll want to mark some important dates on your calendar.First, you should receive your W-2 forms in the mail soon if you haven’t already. You know, those little sheets of paper showcasing your wages and tax —