Personal Finance

Are you tired of your bank taking advantage of you? Do you know how to choose a bank you can actually be proud of for a change? You should use a bank that treats you like a valued customer. Here's what you need to know to find a bank worthy of your business. Are you falling out of love with your current bank, or were you never particularly fond of your current bank in the first place? Whether you’re sick of hidden fees, bad customer service, or you simply think there are better opportunities elsewhere, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to … [Read more...] about Top 9 Crucial Considerations to Make Before Choosing a Bank

The U.S. economy is booming right now, with unemployment rates at record lows, consumer spending rising at steady rates, new home construction rates skyrocketing, and the Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates again. Although economists are still concerned about things like the student loan debt crisis, rising rates of job automation, and the lack of affordable housing for low-income renters around the country, the American economy is generally performing its best since pre-2008 economic activity. However, what goes up must come down … [Read more...] about What is the Paradox of Thrift? How Saving May Not Help the Country

There aren’t too many things in life that are more expensive than owning a car. At least homes and other types of properties are appreciating assets, while a car is a depreciating asset that presumably loses 20% or more of its sale value the moment you drive away from the dealership. Fortunately, Lending Club wants to make car ownership easier with its new auto loan-refinancing program. Say goodbye to application fees, origination fees, and those annoying prepayment fees that other lenders charge to punish borrowers from paying off their … [Read more...] about Review of Lending Club’s New Car Refinancing Loans

If you buy Starbucks every day of the workweek, then you could be missing out on the opportunity to save thousands of dollars per year by switching to cheaper alternatives. Worried about the quality or time-intensiveness of these alternatives? Do you know how to stop coffee addiction?  Don’t let these concerns prevent you from saving money because you might be surprised by how similar generic and brand-name coffee varieties taste, and how easy it is to start making coffee for less than $1 per day, instead of shelling out $4+ per … [Read more...] about 7 Simple Ways to Cut the Cost of Your Coffee Addiction Today

What do you do when you blow your budget? If you’re like many of us, feelings of dread give way to anxiety or even panic as you wonder how you’ll cover your credit card payments next statement period or mentally kick yourself for spending that money on a comparatively frivolous shopping spree when you could have saved that money and/or invested it instead. How to Recover from Impulse Spending It’s okay to feel this way at first, but the best way to recover from a spending hangover is to be proactive and immediately look for ways to tighten … [Read more...] about Top 5 Easy Steps for Recovering from Impulse Spending