When it comes to student loans, dealing with the lender can be more difficult than repaying the loan. That’s one of the top complaints by consumers in a report of the student loan ombudsman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
For federal student loans, more than twice as many consumers (71 percent) reported difficulties dealing with their lender or service than the 28 percent who complained to the CFPB that they were struggling to repay their loan. Two percent of complaints wer...
Saving money is often easier said than done, but if you’re serious about bulking up your savings account, there are ways to achieve your financial goals. And while eliminating vacations, canceling your cable subscription or getting rid of your car and relying on public transportation can help you save big chunks of money, these may not be practical solutions for you and your family.
If eliminating big expenses is too difficult, take a step back and focus on cutting smaller expenses that won’t i...
If you want to buy a house but you have student loans, you may be trying to figure out if you should save money for a down payment or focus on eliminating your existing debt before you take on a mortgage. The answer will depend on your individual circumstances.
What Are the Terms of Your Student Loans?The amount you owe, your interest rate and the number of years left in your repayment period are all important. If you have large monthly payments that are straining your budget now, focus on pay...
Learning doesn’t stop after high school, especially when it comes to financial lessons that will set the stage for financial freedom for years to come.
If you’re getting ready to send your child off to college, the military or straight into a job, set them up for success by ensuring that they know the following money skills:
How to Use Credit WiselyGetting your first credit card after high school isn’t impossible, but it can be difficult. Parents can help by adding their child as an “authorized...Building good credit in college is one of the best financial moves students can make. Having good credit allows them to qualify for loans, rental applications, auto insurance, phone plans and can help them get a job.
Being responsible with credit is the best way to establish and improve a credit score. For college students without much credit history, there are small but important steps they can take to build up their score.
Obtaining a Student Credit Card
Some credit cards are marketed to stud...Using a credit card to buy lunch or a cup of coffee may not feel like a loan, but it can be if you use it as revolving credit.
Revolving credit is a credit line to borrow against and repay repeatedly. The amount of credit you can use each month is your credit line, or credit limit, and can be used as little or as much as you want up to that amount.
If you pay off the balance when you get your credit card bill at the end of each statement period, you don’t have to pay interest. Revolving credi...
Saving, spending, budgeting and paying off debts—we all try to do it, and do it responsibly. But it’s not always easy to pay bills, buy groceries and budget for your future all while enjoying the cash you work so hard for.
In today’s tech-filled world, it’s easy to find an app for just about anything, including controlling your money. So get out your smartphone and head to the app store to try one of these money saving tools…
MintPowered by Intuit, Mint can help you track your spending, pay yo...