by Robert BruceSenior Writer On the heels of offering four free COVID-19 tests to all American households, the U.S. government recently announced it will distribute 400 million free N95 masks to the public. The masks, which the CDC says provide the greatest protection against the highly contagious Omicron variant, will be shipped to pharmacies and community health centers and will be available in the coming days and weeks. How Do
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 Dana Sitar, CEPF®ContributorIf we asked if you were friends with your bank, what would you say?If your answer is vigorously shaking your head “no,” then you might want to keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on speed dial.This government organization started collecting consumer complaints in 2011. Apparently, a lot of people have something not-so-nice to say about financial institutions: More than half a million complaints are housed in
by Quinten PlummerStaff WriterMost “free” mobile games want to make money off of you through in-app purchases and aggressive ads. But an app called Bingo Clash will actually pay you. Yep, they’ll pay you real cash just for winning games on your phone.The more you win, the bigger the prize pools you’ll get to compete for. And you can cash out your winnings for real money.Before you dive into your
by Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorMark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks and “Shark Tank” star, has a new online pharmacy that could make your prescription medications more affordable.On Jan. 25, Cuban announced the launch of the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. Currently, 100 generic prescription medications are available on the pharmacy website, costplusdrugs.com. Medications are priced at cost plus a 15% markup and a $3 pharmacist fee.To
by Lisa Rowan, Jenna LimbachSome purchases are tough to plan: car repairs, patches for a leaky roof, a working furnace right before the big snowstorm hits.But more often than not, you can plan ahead for life’s necessities — and some non-necessities, too.“You might be able to score an extra discount on a floor model, and some stores are offering special freebies and bundles to incentivize consumers,” Trae Bodge, a Smart
Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorMy son and his girlfriend convinced my hard-working twins, a boy and a girl, to co-sign their student loans by telling them it was only for a year. Well, my boy twin signed for his brother. After I reamed him for tricking them, all is well. My son has a job and is working on his second master’s. Now for the problem:
by Tiffany Connors, Robin Hartill, CFP®Maybe you’d rather forget 2021 — we get it.But before getting too far into 2022, it’s a good idea to take stock of how your finances may have changed during the last 12 months and make any needed adjustments.Here are five areas of your finances to check on so you don’t get any unpleasant surprises this year. If you’ve been taking advantage of student loan
by Robert BruceSenior Writer As remote work becomes more and more of a thing, recruiters are increasingly vital to remote-leaning companies. If you think of yourself as a “people person” drawn to the HR world, then becoming a recruiter might be a good, rewarding career fit for you. Yes, these are the people who write the job descriptions and post the jobs, but there’s a lot more to recruiting than
by Mike BrassfieldSenior WriterSo you’ve achieved the American Dream. You’re married and you own a house and cars. Congrats!Problem is, the American Dream is so expensive. You’ve got to pay so many bills to keep the whole thing going.Here’s an easy way to lower one of those pesky bills: When’s the last time you compared car insurance rates? If it’s been more than six months, you should look again. Chances
