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by Rachel Christian, CEPF®Senior WriterSince October 2020, any PayPal user in the U.S. can buy, sell and hold Bitcoin.But there’s a big catch, according to cryptocurrency experts: Any cryptocurrency you buy on PayPal isn’t technically yours.You can’t transfer your cryptocurrency purchases off the platform unless you cash them out to U.S. dollars first.That may not seem like a big deal, especially for cryptocurrency newcomers. But for some investors, control over

Best for Comparing Loan RatesCredible3.02% – 14.08%Fixed APRBest for SoFi Banking MembersSoFI3.47% –11.16%Fixed APRBest for Merit-Based LendingFunding U7.49% – 12.99%Fixed APRBest for Traditional Bank CustomersCitizens Bank3.48% – 10.78%Fixed APRby Dana Miranda, CEPF®Contributor College costs are overwhelming for a lot of families. So students turn to student loans to cover them. Most students, following expert recommendations, start with federal student loans, but those aren’t always enough to cover costs. When federal

by Lisa Rowan By now most people know the shopping process of buying groceries online and contactless delivery. But there’s more to it than filling an online cart and scheduling delivery times. Which grocery delivery services offer unlimited free deliveries? Which one allows you to order alcohol? Who offers fast delivery and great deals on in-store prices? And before you sign up, read each service’s COVID-19 updates to understand any

by Katherine Snow SmithContributorAre you harboring a collection of classic rock albums mostly afraid to part with the memories of your youth? Or did you inherit a stack of records of some of the biggest acts of the 1960s and don’t know what to do with them?They can bring you some extra cash. The trick is to be realistic about value, and separate your love of Sinatra, Streisand or Sting

by Mike BrassfieldSenior WriterThe Force will be with us — always. Over numerous movies and assorted iterations, “Star Wars” has taught us about overcoming obstacles, about dealing with family drama, about friendship, about patience, about beating the odds — and even about money. Because this is The Penny Hoarder, we’re especially interested in the part about money.Even though the epic saga of Luke Skywalker & Co. played out a long time ago

by Katherine Snow SmithContributorTeacher gifts are usually small tokens to represent big thanks, most often given during Teacher Appreciation Week at the beginning of May or at the end of the school year.The Penny Hoarder asked several educators to help create a list of teacher-approved gift ideas.“The best are the notes from the kids. Honestly, those are the things that you save in your desk drawer,” said Kate Brown, who

by Dave SchaferContributorAmerican Education Services (AES) is a private and federal student loan servicer that handles student loans from a wide variety of lenders. If you have a Federal Family Education Loan, there’s a good chance it’s serviced through AES.You don’t typically get to choose your loan servicers. However, if you ended up with AES and have questions, you’re in the right place. Let’s walk through everything there is to

by Kari FaberStaff WriterListen, not everyone has a job they love. And that’s totally OK — there’s more to life than your job, and not everyone has plans to ascend the corporate ladder until they’re 70.Sometimes, you just want to make enough to retire early and never have to work again. That kind of money has a name. To put it politely: “Forget You!” Money.It’s the amount of money you

Varo BankBest for Cash BackUp to 5.00%APYAxos Bank Essential Checking AccountBest for Unlimited ATM AccessUp to 1.25%APYChime SpendingBest for Digital Features0.50%APYAlly Interest CheckingBest for No Fee PerksUp to 0.25%APYby 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 the credit union down

by Sam Levine, CFA, CMT Many investors only buy U.S.-based stocks or funds because it’s comfortable to stick with the companies we know. But there are good reasons why you should consider broadening your horizons to other developed markets and maybe even emerging markets.As investment advisor James Duronio of Covenant Capital Advisors points out, U.S. stocks represent roughly half the world’s equity markets. “Investors who only invest in the United