Americans’ credit scores have improved dramatically over the past decade. Even the brief but sharp COVID-19 recession couldn’t stop the upward progress. In fact, credit scores actually jumped in 2020 and 2021 as consumers pared back spending and paid off debt. The average consumer’s FICO score was 714 in Q3 2021, up from 691 in … Read more

Maybe it was you in your dorm room at college. Maybe your mom at the kitchen table. Or maybe it was this one time in a high school blow-off class you kinda wish you hadn’t blown off called something like “life sciences” where the teacher (most likely a coach) taught you things about personal finance … Read more

The world has no shortage of online and mobile-first banks. I spend a lot of time researching and writing about financial technology, and if I find them all difficult to keep straight, I can’t imagine what it’s like for someone unfamiliar with the landscape. Finding a reliable place to park your money shouldn’t require so … Read more

I literally can’t conceive of a world without banks. They give us a safe place to store our cash, facilitate fast electronic payments to people and businesses thousands of miles away, and lend us money to finance big purchases we can’t afford all at once. I’ve had checking or savings accounts with about a dozen … Read more

Payment apps like Zelle make transferring funds easy. Unfortunately, they also make it easy for scammers to get ahold of your money. In 2021 alone, users lost around $440 million on the peer-to-peer payment system. What’s worse, Zelle warns they’re “unable to assist with getting your money back.” You can report fraud to your bank … Read more

I’ve invested in precious metals for more than a decade and have worked with several precious metals companies along the way.  I’m not the only one interested in these assets either. Gold, silver, and other precious metals have long been staples in many retirement portfolios. These assets have been used throughout history as a solid … Read more

They didn’t have app-based custodial debit cards when I was a kid, but my parents still did what they could to prepare me for financial self-sufficiency. Now that I have my own kids, the appeal of a kid-friendly debit card I can effortlessly load, monitor, and control from my phone is clear. I’ve spent hours … Read more

Quick Look If you receive your paycheck via direct deposit, then you probably already use e-checks.  E-checks work like paper checks, but you authorize, send, and receive them electronically. Thanks to the efficiency of the ACH network, e-checks are fast and usually free to the consumer.  E-checks are much safer and more secure than paper … Read more

Quick Look The Fed will likely raise interest rates by 75 basis points this week. Economists expect another 50-basis-point hike in December. Interest rates on credit cards and mortgages will continue to increase as a result. Savings account yields could increase as well. The Fed hopes to stop hiking rates early next year, but that … Read more

If you’re a renter, JPMorgan Chase is coming for your checkbook. The banking and investment giant is piloting a new platform that allows property owners to bill and accept payment digitally. That’s good news if you, like many renters, only keep a checkbook because you have to pay rent. It may be even better news … Read more