Monthly Archives: May 2022

by Rachel Christian, CEPF®Senior WriterCryptocurrency investors are reeling and wondering what comes next after a massive market shakeup sent the price of bitcoin plummeting to its lowest level in 17 months last week.The pullback was triggered by the collapse of two of the largest cryptocurrencies — the stablecoin terraUSD (UST) and its sister token luna.Terra’s value is meant to stay at $1. But it wasn’t backed by real-world assets. Instead, the

Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorI just discovered two new debit cards in my husband’s name. One is an Ally debit card, which means he has a secret checking account going on. The other is a PayPal debit card for his small business he does on the side. He has never told me about the PayPal one, but I understand this one. The other card is

by Mike BrassfieldSenior WriterCredit card debt is  like a money-grubbing evil spirit that never goes away and drains your bank account dry.It’s the most expensive kind of debt you can have. First you start falling behind on your monthly payments. Next thing you know, they’re gouging you something fierce by charging you more than 20% interest on your balance. You end up paying so much interest that you can never

by The Penny Hoarder Staff We’re living longer than ever before, and doing so in better health. So what can you do when you retire and want to keep your mind sharp or need to gain additional skills to stay competitive at work?For many, the answer is to go back to school. But tuition can be prohibitively expensive.At the same time, schools want their classrooms to be full of engaged

by Timothy MooreContributorWondering how to become a plumber? Our guide covers the education, apprenticeship and licensing requirements on your journey to getting certified as a licensed plumber — and offers a peek into the day-to-day, job outlook and typical salary.Skilled plumbers fulfill a crucial need in society, and demand for plumbers continues to grow. Though the manual labor is often grueling, a career in plumbing can be quite lucrative —

by Katherine Snow SmithContributor Ever consider what it’s like to be a 911 emergency operator? Well now’s the time to think about it. The job is in high demand these days and it doesn’t require a college degree, saves lives and is never boring. The average starting salary is $38,000 and the national average pay is about $48,000, which isn’t super high but the job usually has good medical benefits.

Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorI am a single parent. I am 67 years old and ready to retire.  However, I am anxious about decisions I need to make.My daughter is in her last year of college. I don’t have any more money to pay for it. So for her last year, should I take from retirement monies or get a loan? She is a good kid

by Nicole DowSenior Writer From the dress to the cake to the reception venue, wedding planning can pull you in dozens of different directions. It can also pull on your purse strings until they’re ready to snap. According to wedding publisher The Knot, American couples spent an average of $28.000 on their wedding ceremony and reception in 2021 — back up to pre-pandemic spending levels. And that figure doesn’t even

by Michael ArchambaultSenior Writer Getting a loan when you have mediocre credit is no easy task. You can face astronomical interest rates — or outright rejection. LendingPoint is a personal loan company that makes loans to people with credit scores as low as 580. In this LendingPoint review, we’ve taken the time to research and analyze the company’s offerings and compare everything to the competition. From the interest rate range

by Michael ArchambaultSenior WriterIn the technology world, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are a hot topic. No matter where you seem to turn, there are advertisements promoting VPNs when using your computer or other mobile devices.But what exactly is a VPN, and how can it help you keep sensitive data, such as your financial information, secured?We’re going to take a deep dive into VPNs — what they are and how they