Paying for College: Financing Options, Scholarships, and More

It's no secret that paying for college can be expensive. The average cost of tuition and fees for the 2021-2022 school year was $38,070 at private colleges, $10,740 for state residents at public colleges, and $27,560 for out-of-state residents attending public universities. For students living on campus, that number can climb to nearly $14,000 more for room and board, and the costs to attend college rise yearly. But don't worry! There are plenty of ways to finance your education without breaking the bank. We'll run through some options to get you started.

7 Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Credit Card Spending

The aroma of sugar cookies, chestnut lattes, and a quick look at your calendar confirms it’s the holiday season. Many people welcome the cooler evenings filled with festive meals, gift-giving, and credit card spending. While holiday shopping using a credit card can bring joy today, using it without a plan can lead to sorrow while reviewing your next billing statement.

How to Avoid a Credit Card Mismatch

Like wearing sneakers one size too small, using a credit card that doesn’t fit your active lifestyle can be painful. Owning a credit card that requires you to juggle purchase categories to maximize rewards or jump through hoops to avoid high fees might signal a credit card mismatch. Fortunately, you have options. You can step into a credit card that supports your active lifestyle and financial goals.

How Many Credit Cards are Too Many?

Cash back rewards. 0% introductory interest rates. Sign-up bonuses. These are a few reasons consumers can’t resist adding one more credit card to their wallets. While each new credit line expands purchasing power, accepting the latest offer is not without risk. Before adding another card to your financial toolkit, weigh the pros and cons of owning multiple credit cards to determine if you already have one card too many.

How to Max Out Credit Card Rewards

Rewards credit cards come with many perks, including points, miles, cashback, bonuses, and more. Instead of missing out on those benefits, we're bringing you some expert tips to help you max out your credit card rewards, and it all begins with understanding your loyalty program details.

Why an Annual Credit Card Fee Might Be a Good Thing

You’re not alone if you’re looking for the right credit card. There’s a labyrinth of cards to choose from, each with a different focus and approach, including perks cards that offer points, miles, discounts, and more to conventional cards with no fees, low fees, low interest, or a combination of these. Of the different credit cards, some carry annual fees, but why would anyone want a credit card with annual fees? The answer might surprise you.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

What You Need to Know about the FAFSA

Financial aid is a great way to cover college expenses. Yet, finding student aid and applying for it can seem like a daunting task for students and parents. Still, it's easier and less painful than it sounds, and what the aid covers might surprise you.

College-bound students and their parents need to know the answers to common questions before applying for aid with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). So, where do you begin, and how much can you expect to get? We researched the topic to bring you these answers and more to prepare you for your college career.

What To Do When You Can’t Pay Your Bills

If U.S. economic news is keeping you up at night, you’re not alone. With inflation at a 40-year high (8.5% as of July 2022, after rising to 9.1% previously) and economists predicting a recession, many Americans are concerned about their financial well-being. Figuring out how to stretch your paycheck to cover the increased costs of food, vehicles, and energy are only the beginning.

Tips for Buying a New or Used Car in Today’s Market

Visit any dealership today, and the view will look much different from a few years ago. The effects of supply and demand, microchip shortages, and more have rocked the automotive industry, making it harder to find the car you want and at an affordable price.

How to Build or Improve Your Credit

Have you ever wondered how to improve your credit score or build one from scratch? It’s easier than you might think. Whether your goal is to create a credit score or improve a less-than-stellar score, we’ll cover a few steps you can start with today.

How to Build Credit from Scratch

You know that you need a positive credit history to make big purchases, get the best insurance rates, and even get your dream job. But how do you get started? What should you do, and what should you avoid?

Three things to know about credit scores

Applying what you learn here can not only improve your financial health but can put you on the path to achieving your financial goals.

This article was originally posted in October 2021.

5 Reasons to Refinance Today

Higher prices on everyday goods and services are forcing households to reassess their finances and find new ways to save money. While eating out less and canceling unnecessary subscriptions are excellent ways to temper spending, another option might have an even greater impact on your budget — refinancing debts to a lower interest rate. When you refinance, a new loan is used to pay off existing debt.

Starting Your Financial Life? Here Are Tips For New College Graduates

Graduation is the end of one phase of your life — and the beginning of an exciting new one. You’re on your own. You’re ready to start your career (or take a stop-gap job until you find the right position in your field). And you’re poised to make your own financial decisions, maybe for the first time in your life.

You have all the power here. But, as they say in Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Here are some steps you can take to make responsible choices with your finances as you’re starting out.

Home Buying Terms You Should Know

Once you start speaking with mortgage lenders, realtors, and even friends about buying a home, you might feel like you’re swimming in an unfamiliar pool of abbreviations and terms you’ve never heard before. We’re defining some of the most common terms here, so you learn to tell your PMI from your DTI.

Mortgage Pre-qualification: What Is It and Why Does It Make Home Buying Easier?

When you’re ready to buy a house, there is one step you need to take before you start looking at homes — get pre-qualified for a mortgage.

Pre-qualification is the process of going over your finances, so you can see how much mortgage you qualify for. You’ll look at the factors that might affect your ability to get a mortgage, your estimated payments, and whether now is the right time to apply.

Timeline of a Home Purchase

Once you make an offer on a home, how long will it take before you can finally hire the movers and start your new life?

Every situation is different, so we can’t tell you exactly how long it will be to the day, but we can give you some estimates for each part of the process, so you won’t be surprised at how long it takes. (And we know, if it’s taken you weeks or months just to find the right house, waiting even longer seems like a big hassle.)

Stay Safe When Buying a Home: Common Scams Targeting Consumers

Because homes are a high-value purchase, shopping for one or looking for a refinance deal can bring scammers out of the woodwork. A little knowledge of some common scams will help you protect yourself. Here are the things to look out for.

Why a Low-Interest Rate on a Home Loan Matters

Preparing to buy a home while mortgage rates and real estate prices are on the rise can be nerve-racking. With each uptick in rates, you might wonder if delaying homeownership might be the better option. But trying to time the market by waiting until rates or home prices reverse course could result in missing out on an excellent buying opportunity.

While rates are no longer at 2019 levels, they are still considered historically low. Plus, experts predict prices will continue to increase for homebuyers and renters due to the continued housing demand. Here's why securing a low-interest home loan approval is still a good idea — and how you can improve your chances of success.

Tips for Finding Your Dream House in Today’s Market

The housing market may be slightly slowing down, but sales are still moving fast, and sellers still have their pick among multiple offers. Here is what you need to know to find your new home.

Buying a Multi-generational Home

Is it time for your ohana to begin sharing a home? Maybe your parents need to move in to make it easier to ensure their safety as they age. Or maybe your adult kids need a place to live as they start their own families. Regardless of your situation, these are the features you should look for and the questions you need to ask as you merge your family into one home.

Is it time to downsize?

When starting a family or moving from a starter home, you may have thought bigger was always better. But there are times in life when you may be considering a smaller home. Here are some questions to help you decide if downsizing your home is the right option.

Easy Home Upgrades You Can Do Yourself

Do you feel like you need a change? Sick of looking at everything in your house?

With some creativity, you can make changes that will help you feel like you’re in a new home. And the bonus? They are projects you can tackle yourself — no waiting for a contractor or other professional to slot you into their packed schedule. Nonetheless, if you are renting, you may need to get permission from your property manager or landlord before undertaking some of these projects.

Are you Ready to Buy a Home?

With low mortgage rates and rising rents, it certainly seems like all signs are pointing to buying a house. But are you ready? These questions will help you figure out if now is your time to buy.

Steps in the Home Buying Process

Buying a home is such an exciting milestone, but it can also feel overwhelming if you aren’t sure where to start.

You know you’ll be looking at houses, putting in offers, and securing a mortgage. But what else goes into buying a home? How long does it take? What do you need to know and do between house hunting and moving in?

Financial Literacy FAQ

Money topics can spark lively online conversations. Whether shared in social media posts or website comment sections, much of the information can leave you feeling more confused than when you started. Whether due to incomplete answers or a failure to consider an individual's financial status, learning about personal finance can be a challenge.

To help improve your financial literacy, we've gathered some of the most frequently asked questions (and the answers!) about credit, savings, making a major purchase, and retirement planning.

DIY or Hire Out? How to Decide if You Should Do a Home Improvement Project Yourself

You’ve watched HGTV and seen all the things that can go wrong when taking on a big home improvement project or repair, so you’re a total expert, right?

Maybe. There are some projects that the average homeowner can definitely tackle. But there are others that will benefit from a professional.

Here are some tips to help you decide when to go it alone.

Home improvements that add value

Smart Home Improvements That Increase Your Value — and Those That Don’t

Home improvements should serve two purposes. First, they should make you happier in your home. And second, they should add to the value of your home. But many improvement projects are undertaken without regard to whether they improve the value. And if they aren’t a home-run in your enjoyment, then do you even need to do them?

Here are some ideas of home improvements that add value — and some common ones that don’t — so you can decide whether a project is worth it for your home and family.

When does an Interest-Only HELOC Make Sense

When an Interest-Only HELOC Makes Sense

When faced with an extensive home repair or improvement project (new roof, anyone?), it can seem like saving up enough money to pay for it is impossible.

But a home equity loan can be a smart choice. Yes, you’re borrowing against your home’s value. But you may be using that money for something that will only increase the overall value of your home. And with home values on the rise, you may have more equity than you imagined, so the overall debt burden on your home can remain reasonable.

Financial Literacy Quiz

According to a National Financial Capability Study, financial literacy rates among Americans have decreased from 42% to 34% since 2009 — yet 71% of Americans believe they know more about personal finance than the data suggests. This has real-world implications for how people manage money today and prepare for their financial futures. How financially savvy are you?

Complete this quiz to gauge your financial literacy IQ.

Should you consolidate high-interest rate debt?

Debt payments can put the squeeze on your financial goals. They often shoehorn themselves into your monthly budget, leaving little cash to put toward savings. Multiple sources of high-interest rate debt can make it seem impossible to gain control of your finances.

But don't despair! Whether your cash squeeze is due to a job loss, unexpected expenses, or the pandemic, it's possible to relieve the financial pressure in a few simple steps. And if you're a homeowner, you have even more options than you think.

5 Things to know before you start a home renovation

Whether you're planning a room addition to welcome a new family member or exploring ways to boost the market value of your home, a renovation can be a wise investment. While home improvement TV shows, blogs, and magazines provide inspiration, few of them share some of the most important aspects of renovation to consider before starting your project. Here are five things to know before tearing down your first wall.

Can your home help pay for college?

If your child recently received a college acceptance letter from their first-choice school, you both have reason to celebrate. But the letters that soon followed were likely a real party pooper. Is the gap between your child's college tuition bill and their financial aid award package larger than you expected? Even after adding in scholarships, grants, and federal assistance, the balance due before the start of the semester may be more than you have in your savings account.

Paying for unexpected expenses

Both the best and worst surprises in life can come as unexpected costs you weren’t able to plan for. There’s nothing we can do to stop these surprises from coming in the door, but we can work to find ways to cope with them once they do.

Got a debt hangover? How to pay it down

At one time or another, we have all overspent during the holidays. Now that the holidays are over, many of us enter the new year with a bit of dread. If you set a holiday budget and you stuck to it, you're probably feeling pretty good. But what if you let the holiday season sweep you up? You might be wincing every time you open your email as you wait for those statements to come in. If you've got a debt hangover from the holidays, we can help.

Funding your next chapter

If there’s one thing you can always count on in life, it’s change. Some changes are little; some are big. Some are “lose-a-week-of-sleep” big. Some changes are as simple as picking out a new color of carpet, while others are as complex as picking who you’re going to spend the rest of your life with – living on that carpet.

2 Ways to take control of your debt - without extra payments

Paying off debt tops most lists of New Year's resolutions. But many households are experiencing financial hardship and are not in a position to make extra payments. Hundreds of thousands are finding it difficult to even make ends meet, which can result in feelings of helplessness about their financial circumstances. If this sounds like you, there's good news! You have options.

Do's and don'ts of living on less

Whether it be a temporary setback or permanent lifestyle adjustment, you will get through this

Your first mortgage

As the single largest purchasing decision in most people’s lives, it’s worth taking some time to understand the mortgage process.

5 simple steps to planning your wedding

To help you focus on what matters (you and your soon forever-to-be), here are some general guidelines.

Auto buying myths that can cost you

While uncovering the best car deal can seem like a battle of wills (you versus the car salesperson), it doesn’t have to be.

4 myths about mortgage loan approvals that keep you renting

Four myths about mortgage loan approvals that prevent renters from becoming homeowners.

Drive akamai

Everyone has their ideal dream car, but is your dream car the right car for you?