by Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorWhen I learned that the cost of my monthly parking garage pass was more than doubling to $75 a month, I balked. Seventy-five dollars a month just to babysit my car while I’m at work?So one muggy morning, I decided to give bike commuting a shot. I didn’t plan my route. Or my outfit. Or take my bike for a test ride, even though I hadn’t
Best for All-in-One LenderSoFIStarts at $5,000Loan AmountBest for Long Grace PeriodEarnestStarts at $1,000Loan AmountBest for International StudentsMPOWER$2,001 to $100,000Loan AmountBest for Lower InterestFederal Student Loans$5,500 to $12,500Loan Amountby Kathleen GarvinContributor College isn’t cheap. In the 2019-2020 school year, average tuition and fees were $9,400 for a four-year public institution, and $36,700 for a private four-year institution, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. (That dollar amount is per year,
by Jenna Limbach, Stephanie BollingBeing a parent is expensive. And exhausting.You’d think taking the little ones to a pizza and games place like Chuck E. Cheese would bring some distraction-induced reprieve. But alas, they’re coming at you every five minutes for more tokens.Not today, children.Behold the All You Can Play game option (aka the savior of parental sanity), at participating Chuck E. Cheese locations nationwide. For one flat fee, kiddos
by The Penny Hoarder Staff Getting paid to write may sound easy, but the reality is a little more complicated. Freelance writing can be hard to break into, and the pay can be low (or nonexistent) for beginners. The trick is to get your first few articles or creative pieces published and then use them to score bigger clients and better pay. And even if long-term freelancing isn’t your goal,
Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorWe have credit scores in the 500s, and we are being declined for loans to consolidate our debt to improve our credit.We understand the importance of improving our credit scores and are frustrated that the debt consolidation we have been advised to apply for is not working out — no approvals. Who can we turn to for a loan?-D.Dear D.,When you
by Nicole DowSenior WriterWho doesn’t love a relaxing dip in the swimming pool on a sweltering, hot day? And when that swimming pool is in your backyard, it’s even better.You could bring your friends together over the summer by hosting pool parties. You could teach your kids to swim right at home. If you rent out your place on Airbnb or Vrbo, you could fetch top dollar for the additional
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
