3 Must-Know Facts About Costco Gas Stations That Might Surprise You
Image source: Getty Images If you’re a Costco member or thinking of becoming one, you’re probably already aware that the warehouse club has great deals on gas. In fact, the savings on fuel is one reason why many people join Costco in the first place. Although you may be aware that Costco’s gas is cheap, […]
3 Habits of Americans With a Perfect 850 Credit Score
Image source: The Motley Fool/Upsplash Nobody’s perfect, so the saying goes. But when it comes to credit scores, a small but mighty group of Americans are as close as it gets. As of the third quarter of 2023, roughly 1.54% of U.S. consumers had a FICO® Score of 850, according to Experian data. Since FICO® […]
How to Get an Apartment With Bad Credit
Image source: Getty Images In her great book, You are a Badass at Making Money, author Jen Sincero shares a real-life story of her broke days when she lived in downtown Los Angeles and dreamed of living by the beach. Every weekend, she would drive west and put up flyers, schmooze landlords, and roam the […]
Leaving a Job? Here Are 3 Key Financial Steps to Take
Image source: Getty Images Leaving a job, whether planned or unexpected, certainly brings many changes — neither all good nor all bad. This is especially true when it comes to your finances. From health insurance to retirement savings, there are certain steps you ] should take to keep your financial life on track (as best […]
3 Reasons I’ll Be Taking Social Security Long Before Age 70
If you’re a pre-retiree who’s done at least a little research on your eventual retirement income, then you almost certainly know that the longer you wait to claim Social Security benefits, the bigger your monthly payments will be. Indeed, the monthly checks being cashed by 62-year-olds — the earliest age at which you can claim […]
Don’t Bother With Costco’s Executive Membership Unless You Do This
Image source: Upsplash/The Motley Fool If you join Costco, you’ll pay $65 to get access to all of the deals the warehouse club has to offer with a Gold Star membership. Or you can double that amount and pay $130 for an upgraded Executive Membership. In either case, it pays to maximize your Costco membership. […]
Want to Be a Roth IRA Millionaire? 3 Tips All Retirees Should Know.
When it comes to retirement accounts, the Roth IRA often steals the show and is worth considering. For example, if you rack up a million dollars in a Roth IRA, you can tap into your treasure 100% tax-free if you’ve reached age 59 1/2 and met the requirements of the five-year rule. This perk exists […]
The Fed Just Cut Interest Rates. Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Car?
Image source: Getty Images In September, the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point. That was then followed by a quarter-point rate cut in November. The bad news about the Fed’s rate cuts is that they could lead to a drop in savings account and CD rates. So if you […]
Here’s the Average American’s Social Security Benefit and How Much It Will Increase in 2025
Do you know how much the average retired worker gets from Social Security each month? What about the average spouse of a retired worker or the average widow(er) of a deceased worker? In this short video, Matt Frankel, CFP®, breaks down all the numbers and how they could change in 2025. *Stock prices used were […]
4 Habits of People With Poor Credit — and How to Break Them
Image source: Getty Images Your credit score has a direct impact on your ability to borrow money. A higher credit score makes you more likely to get approved for loans or credit cards, and it can also set you up with more affordable borrowing rates. But if you have poor credit, you might not only […]
