Managing Your Money

If you’ve been denied credit recently or are in the process of repairing your credit, you may have come across the option to send a 609 letter to credit reporting agencies.  But what is a 609 letter? And can it really help you to clean up your credit or to get a higher credit score?  […]

Over the years, I’ve seen my fair share of personal finance apps. The ones that are free tend to be fairly useful but loaded with advertisements or other “features” designed to sell you more stuff. Nothing wrong with that, since the tool is free, but they can be cumbersome. The ones that are paid tend

We all have a checking account that we use to pay bills, make purchases, and deposit our paychecks. But most checking accounts don’t earn any interest, nor do they offer benefits. So, it may surprise you to learn that checking accounts exist that pay interest on deposits and cash back. Of course, the benefits vary

If you need to send money to a friend or receive payment, chances are you’re using PayPal or Venmo. Millions of people use these two payment apps to transfer money every day. But while both platforms offer a similar service, and PayPal actually owns Venmo, there are some key differences. For example, PayPal operates internationally,

Are you looking for a money app that can help you manage your day-to-day spending? Rocket Money claims to do just that, as well as help you cancel unwanted subscriptions and plan for future purchases. But is Rocket Money safe to use, and how does it compare to similar budgeting apps like YNAB and Personal

If you’ve ever “linked” your bank account to a fintech platform, chances are you did so with Plaid. Many finance and investing apps such as Empower Personal Dashboard, Acorns, and Vyzer use Plaid to connect your bank account to their platform without storing your sensitive credentials on their servers. In addition to the added security,

One way to improve your credit score is to be added as an authorized user on another person’s credit account(s). But what if you don’t have another person with good credit to be added as an authorized user? That’s where Tradeline Supply Company comes into the picture. It is a service that enables you to

Your 401(k) and IRA retirement plans are most likely your two largest (and most important) investment accounts. And as you inch closer to your target retirement date, you may want help managing your portfolio to ensure you have the ideal asset allocation. Blooom pioneered independent retirement portfolio reviews and automatic rebalancing. They helped subscribers optimize

Anytime you apply for a new credit product, the lender submits what’s known as a hard inquiry to the credit bureau. But too many hard inquiries can negatively impact your credit score. Unfortunately, the problem can be compounded by unauthorized or fraudulent hard inquiries. Thankfully, there is a way to have some hard inquiries removed

A personal line of credit can be a convenient way to borrow money when you need cash fast for an expensive purchase. It’s also an alternative to a home equity line of credit (HELOC) if you’re a renter or have insufficient equity.  CreditFresh offers a line of credit that allows you to make on-demand withdrawals.

If you struggle with poor credit or are new to credit, you may have heard of credit builder services as a way to increase your credit score. But how do they work, and are credit builder loans and credit cards legit? Like anything else, credit builder services aren’t for everyone, but if used properly, they