Personal finance and tech writer experienced in breaking down complex topics for consumer audiences in the form of B2C affiliate marketing materials
This glossary was designed to serve as a guide to credit-related terminology and language to NextAdvisor readers. I came up with the concept and helped coordinate the editorial team to compile existing content into this guide.
Besides being great financial tools, credit cards are in part about convenience, and as such, there are features that credit card providers offer to make using them easy. One example of this is the ability to grant other people access to your account by designating them as an . Lots of people allow friends and family to be authorized users on their cards, for reasons varying from reaping extra rewards to helping them establish or build their credit, but should they? In this post, we’re discussing the pros and cons of assigning authorized users to your credit card and how you can decide whether it’s a good idea.
Last year, we discussed how data brokers and tech companies work to collect your data and how these practices indirectly impact your life. We decided to once again look at this topic in a series we’re dubbing The Future of Privacy, which will explore just how expansive data collection is set to become, the ways it’s shaping the privacy debate and how it’s already begun transforming every aspect of the economy and our lives. In this first post, read up on what society’s collective growing demand for data means for us as individuals.
If you’re looking for a well-rounded cash back credit card, the is worth considering, especially now that it just increased its cash rewards bonus to $200! Cardholders can earn this $200 bonus by spending $1,000 on purchases within 90 days of opening their account. That’s like getting 20% cash back on the first $1,000 you spend! As if the new intro bonus isn’t enough, the card is rounded out with customizable ongoing rewards. Keep reading and learn what the Bank of America Cash Rewards credit card can do for you.
Despite our best efforts, job hunting can turn out to be an emotionally draining experience. To worsen matters, scammers posing as legitimate employers may approach us or trick us into approaching them. The signs of a job scam can vary wildly, with some being laughably obvious and others being deviously clever. That’s why we’ve taken the time to highlight many of the telltale signs of a job scam so you can lower your risk of falling for one.
Not all debt or credit is the same. While this might seem like an obvious statement, it’s important to note because different types of credit generally require different repayment strategies. On a similar note, not all types of credit are accessible to everyone, and understanding why requires you to know what you’re looking at when you consider a certain type of credit. In this post, we’re comparing secured and unsecured credit, two terms that you will come across as you seek out credit opportunities. Continue reading to learn more about both types of credit and how they relate to your finances.
The last decade has brought significant advancements in the financial technologies (fintech) sector, changing everything from how we budget to even how we pay for goods and services. One of the transformations that’s taken place is that consumers can now use their phones to make payments through mobile wallet apps. While these apps provide many features to smartphone, smartwatch and tablet users, they may be confusing to consumers considering how many mobile wallets exist and the ways they all differ from one another. To help you understand mobile wallets a bit more, we’re detailing what they are, the types of mobile wallets that exist and how they interact with your credit or debit card.
It’s no secret that managing debt is a central part of financial wellness. In fact, paying down debts is critical for keeping your credit reports clean, maintaining a healthy credit score and building up your savings. But did you know that higher levels of debt can also affect the types of loans and credit cards you qualify for? This is because, for most lenders, the amount of debt you have is nearly as important as whether or not you’re paying it down. That’s where a metric known as the (DtI) comes in. Along with other factors, this ratio is used by some lenders to help them determine who they should extend a loan or credit card to. Continue reading to learn more about the debt-to-income ratio and find out how it relates to your finances.
It’s pretty common for individuals to carry some form of identification on them, given that IDs tend to be required for everything from traveling to making expensive purchases. While children aren’t held to the same standards as adults when it comes to providing proof of age or identification, many states nevertheless allow them to apply for state-issued photo IDs. Is it a good idea for your child to take advantage of this and get their own ID? In this post, we detail some of the reasons why you may wish to get an ID for your child so you can determine if it’s the right option for your family.
As the cost of college tuition continues to skyrocket, students and families are eager to seek relief, and one of the ways they do so is through scholarships. Unfortunately, scammers know this and have for years set their eyes on the market for scholarships. The complexity of the scholarship system, as well as the genuine desperation for money, allows for scammers to thrive. Here’s what you need to know to identify and avoid falling for a scholarship this season as you and your student navigate the application system.
With credit being of central importance to Americans’ everyday lives, it’s not surprising that many people seek advice on how to improve their credit scores. As the national average credit score of Americans rises, more people are finding themselves asking whether or not it’s possible to actually get a perfect credit score. Keep reading as we break down how the credit scoring system works and determine if there is such thing as a perfect credit score.
Having control over your finances is an important life skill, and mastering this skill has deep implications for other parts of your life. This fact is especially true for anyone in a relationship, as money problems (and successes) tend to spill into personal lives. Despite this, many couples struggle with conversations about money — when to have it, how to bring it up, what they should talk about and more. That’s why we’ve decided to dig into the when’s and how’s of having a productive financial discussion with your significant other.
Identity theft is an enduring aspect of modern life affecting everyone, even children. That’s why it’s important to know how to spot and potentially prevent instances of identity theft committed against your child. To help you out, we’re detailing some of the ways you can recognize attempts of child identity theft. Continue reading to learn the signs of child identity theft and how you can catch identity theft, report it and protect your child’s identity.
Raising a child can be both the greatest challenge and most rewarding experience of a person’s life. But how do you know if you’re ready to be a parent? While many factors go into parenting, one of the most important is your financial health, as it’ll underpin your ability to support your family. With the cost of raising a child currently estimated to be $233,610 before college, you’ll want to make sure you feel confident that your finances won’t get in the way of you being the best parent possible; here’s how you can make sure that doesn’t happen.
On Sept. 12, New Mexico’s Attorney General Hector Balderas announced a lawsuit against a group of tech companies – including Google and Twitter – for jeopardizing children’s safety and privacy in ways that are in violation of child protection laws, including the Child Online Protection Act (COPPA). While major tech platforms and advertisers are named in the lawsuit, it’s explicitly directed at Tiny Lab Productions, a smartphone game developer. Tiny Lab’s alleged behavior, involving the capture and use of children’s location data (among other things), is emblematic of a broader problem in the tech industry. That’s why we’re not only digging into the details of this lawsuit, but also describing the reasons why it’s so timely and significant. Keep reading to learn more about both the suit and what it means for parents and families.
Out of curiosity, we wanted to see for ourselves what consumers thought of terms of service (ToS) agreements given the stories that dominated this year’s headlines. That’s why we surveyed over 500 individuals* to see if consumers actually read these documents, as well as how they felt user agreements shaped their behavior. Here were some of the takeaways from our investigation: