There’s no shortage of ways to pay someone these days, from cash and credit cards to Zelle and PayPal. It’s easy to go your whole financial life without ever coming across a money order. But if you’re here, someone’s asked for one, so follow these directions to fill it out. How to Fill Out a … Read more

I’ve spent the last few months researching how to rebuild your credit for an educational series I’m writing. That’s why I was intrigued by CreditStrong, a service that helps you rebuild your credit by giving you specialized loans or lines of credit and reporting them to credit reporting agencies.  I know that probably sounds like … Read more

If you watch your running bank or credit card balances closely, you’ve probably noticed ghostly charges that appear and disappear within a day or two. It’s not always obvious where they come from, but they’re usually small — just a few dollars — and they never show up on your official monthly statements. So, like … Read more

According to a recent Lending Club report, 64% of Americans lived paycheck-to-paycheck in December 2022, up from 61% a year earlier. Also, one-third of American consumers report not saving any money. But what does it mean to live paycheck-to-paycheck, and how does a person break the cycle? In this article, I’ll answer that question, but … Read more

Even in the best of times, carrying a credit card balance is best avoided. It’s expensive, stress-inducing, and can damage your credit score. These are definitely not the best of times. In fact, based on prevailing credit card interest rates, 2023 is the worst year to carry a credit card balance since at least 1995, … Read more

Investing in a guaranteed interest account is a great way to secure your money, as there is very little risk. Guaranteed interest accounts provide reliable, consistent returns and can be used for short-term savings or to supplement other investments in your portfolio. But with so many options available, it can be hard to decide which … Read more

It’s annoying to go somewhere to run an errand, only to find out the business is closed. If that somewhere is your bank, and you’ve got time-sensitive money-related business to conduct there, it can be especially annoying to find the lights out and the door locked. Fortunately, banks don’t take many days off, and the … Read more

Bank of America’s answer to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card, a premium piece of plastic that rewards dining and travel purchases above all else. In some respects, it’s better than Sapphire Preferred. In others, it falls short. All in all, it’s a better deal — a … Read more

A major decision in retirement planning is whether to make pre-tax or Roth (after-tax) 401k contributions. Pre-tax contributions go into your retirement account with money that has not been taxed, and then taxes will be paid when the funds are withdrawn in retirement. With Roth contributions, taxes will be taken from the money prior to … Read more

The U.S. housing market partied hard in 2021 and early 2022, as record-low mortgage rates and pandemic-induced demand set off vicious bidding wars and sent home prices soaring.  The fun didn’t last. The Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in March 2022, turning off the easy-money spigot that fueled the boom. By the fall, homebuyer … Read more