Enjoy this post by our friend Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez. The week after I got engaged I opened my first shared bank account with my fiancé. We had a wedding to save for and a shared savings account seemed like a good way for us to work toward that goal together. Having all of your […]
Read More >>Other Posts By David Carlson
Teppy Pocket WiFi Review: Get WiFi When Traveling Internationally
When my wife and I were planning our trip to Vietnam and Thailand, one thing I wanted to make sure we had was cell phone service. Being connected is so important when you travel today. It makes it easy to Google things on the spot, use essential apps like Uber (or Grab in SouthEast […]
Read More >>Top Tips for Pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or PSLF, can make sense for many student loan borrowers who are employed full-time by a nonprofit or the government. In my student loan repayment 101 webinars and presentations I always love highlighting how PSLF can literally mean a $100k+ swing in net worth for certain borrowers. To put […]
Read More >>10+ Examples of Unexpected Home Expenses to Plan For
One of the arguments for renting instead of buying is the fact that you don’t have to pay for repairs and maintenance. Unexpected home expenses is one reason why many in the personal finance space recommend homeowners have an extra-healthy emergency fund. “Small” unexpected expenses of $100-$300 can add up quick, and big expenses […]
Read More >>Tips for Making Travel More Affordable: Save Thousands on Travel (2020)
The past couple months I have been busy planning my first trip to Southeast Asia. This will be my first time in Asia, and I’m looking forward to checking out Vietnam and Thailand. Between flights, ground transportation, excursions, hotels, and food and drinks this trip will cost my wife and I over two thousand […]
Read More >>9 Personal Finance Hacks to Take Advantage Of
Most people who look into personal finance eventually realize that success with finances typically comes down to two things: knowledge and action. There are a ton of personal finance hacks to take advantage of, but unless you know about them and take action, you miss out. Think about the stories you hear about high […]
Read More >>5 Ways to Fix a Bad Credit Score
You aren’t alone if you have a bad credit score. Nearly a third of Americans in total and 43% of millennials have a bad credit score. Credit scores are important. The biggest impact they have on your financial life is on your ability to take out loans, but it goes beyond simply qualifying for […]
Read More >>How to Prepare your Finances for a Recession
We’ve seen unprecedented growth the past ten years since the last recession. According to Goldman Sachs in early 2019, the 10-year trailing annual return of 15% ranks in the 94th percentile of all 10-year periods going back to 1880. There are millions in the workforce today – including young millennials and the oldest of […]
Read More >>Key Concepts for New Investors
This post is about investing, but I first want to recognize that even having the cash flow to invest is a big hurdle for many. Over the past couple decades wages have grown at a slower pace than the cost of living. It’s also become the norm to graduate with student loan debt, which […]
Read More >>How to Double-Dip Cash Back Rewards (with Real Examples)
I’ve been saying it for a long time: whenever you make a purchase online, you should be getting cash back rewards. This is also true for in-store purchases, though these purchases are typically limited to cash back from credit cards. Today I want to go over a simple way to “double-dip” cash back rewards, […]
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