Monthly Archives: June 2022

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

by Michael ArchambaultSenior Writer Remembering passwords can be a chore, but biometric options such as Face ID from Apple help us log into our favorite devices while keeping them secure. Instead of typing in a password or code to unlock your device, Face ID, also known as facial recognition, allows you to merely glance at your iPhone or iPad and gain access to its contents — so convenient! But is

by Brynne ConroyContributorFiguring out and sticking to a budget isn’t super fun for most people but it certainly is a smart way to to handle your money.The 50/20/30 rule is one of many budgeting plans that help us get spending under control. This plan works well for households where no more than 50% of the money coming is spent on living expenses. As housing prices rise across the country, this

Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorI was married to a man for almost 19 years when he decided (unbeknownst to me) that he wanted a divorce. I felt that we had a happy marriage the majority of those years. We only had the occasional disagreement, as most marriages do. In fact, he didn’t tell me until after the divorce was finalized his reasons for leaving me. He

by The Penny Hoarder Staff You’ve probably heard the term passive income. It sounds appealing right? According to the definition of passive, it would mean you’re earning income without participating or having to do anything at all. Free money? Sign me up! Unfortunately, that’s a common misconception. Just like you can’t pluck money from a tree, you can’t expect to earn passive income by being, well, totally passive. However, it’s

by The Penny Hoarder Staff When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look? Probably not as good as you’d like. It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?Ask one of these companies to help…. If you have credit card debt, you know. The anxiety, the

by Brynne ConroyContributor Having kids is expensive. The cost of everything goes up: Clothing, shelter and — of course — food. We’ve brought you ways to save on clothes and housing in recent months. Today we’re going to show you how to get free kids meals any day of the week. Some of the restaurants that we’ve rounded up have locations around the country and others are regional. Many of

by Rachel Christian, CEPF®Senior WriterAffording hearing aids is challenging if you’re an older American on Medicare.That’s because Original Medicare — which covers a majority of beneficiaries — doesn’t cover hearing aids, fittings or hearing exams.That’s right — not a dime. And hearing aids are expensive: The average cost for one pair ranges from $3,000 to $6,000.About 1 in 3 people between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing loss,

by The Penny Hoarder Staff While many of us dream of having the summer months off, lots of teachers use their vacations to earn extra cash. The median income for U.S. teachers is $61,751, according to Salary.com. Teacher salaries recently increased 1.5 percent according to the National Education Association, with starting salaries at just  $41,163. So it’s little surprise that more than one in five educators work a second job

by Rachel Christian, CEPF®Senior WriterIf you’re enrolled in Medicare, routine vision care isn’t guaranteed.Some privately administered Medicare Advantage plans cover eyeglasses and eye exams.But Original Medicare — which provides health insurance to about 37.7 million Americans — doesn’t pay for your new eyeglass frames or an annual vision exam.So how do you know, in your own case, what’s covered and what’s not?Whether you’re new to Medicare and wondering what to