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For the last several decades, parents have been welcoming their adult children home after moving out for college. It’s become an accepted way for young adults to save up and start their lives off with a little less financial burden, and we’re currently seeing that trend…

Cost of attendance is the estimated amount you’ll pay for college in a given year. It’s an official number determined by each college and includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation and personal expenses. Sometimes, people refer to cost…

Taking a year off school to travel the world or dive into self-discovery can sound like the perfect way to celebrate graduation and get ready for the next phase of your studies. You might even consider taking a year off to work and save money to help pay for college. While a…

Lurking under mattresses in high-rise urban apartments and roadside motels alike, bedbugs have become increasingly common across the U.S. in recent years. Ridding your home of these persistent pests can cost anywhere from $300 to $5,000, depending on the size of your space…

Note: As you plan travel during the coronavirus pandemic, please check the CDC and State Department websites for current guidance and travel restrictions. On July 8, the TSA reported that 632,498 travelers passed through its airport checkpoints. That’s just 25% of the…

With international air travel severely restricted, domestic flights unappealing and cabin fever reaching unbearable heights, many Americans are choosing to hit the highways this year. Despite their budget-friendly reputation, road trips can get costly in a hurry. The price…

If you’re a current college student, you may find yourself wondering what your career — and budget — will look like after you get your diploma. Will the hours spent studying all prove worth it? Internships can be the perfect opportunity to discover your passions…

Thanks to quick online applications and, in some cases, instant approval and access, credit cards make it as easy to build your credit history as it is to make purchases. But they can also make it easy to fall into debt if you struggle to pay on time or tend to spend more…

COVID-19 has given everyone around the world both time and space to reflect on what individually matters most in life. Whether it’s the chance to walk around outside, or the opportunity to spend more time with your kids, knowing what brought you joy during quarantine can…

The word portfolio is used to describe an investor’s financial assets, including stocks, bonds, real estate, mutual funds and other securities. The term refers to total investments and isn’t necessarily a specific location where those investments are kept. Portfolio…

A gap year is a yearlong break after you complete a diploma or degree and before you move on to higher education or the workforce. The most common gap years happen between high school and college or undergraduate and graduate school. Graduates can also take a gap year before…

Student loan refinancing rates continue to drop. Based on an analysis of 23 lenders’ advertised rates, the average minimum fixed interest rate on refinanced student loans was 3.51% on July 1. That’s a 12% decrease compared with the rate when NerdWallet began collecting…

Your credit card issuer can lower your credit limit at any time, regardless of how well you manage your account. Issuers might cut credit limits to minimize risk in an uncertain economy, as many cardholders have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Or they may…

Note: As you plan travel during the coronavirus pandemic, please check the CDC and State Department websites for current guidance and travel restrictions. As the U.S. economy begins to slowly reopen, Americans are wondering if it’s safe to take a vacation. Whether you…

Fund: Definition A fund is cash saved or collected for a specified purpose, often professionally managed with the goal of growing the value of the fund over time. In investing, the most common example is a mutual fund, which pools money from shareholders to invest in a…

Investing is a fantastic way to build wealth and security, but it’s also a fantastic way to create a hefty bill if you don’t understand how and when the IRS imposes taxes on investments. Here are five common types of taxes on investments and what you can do to minimize…

Now that big-name colleges are announcing plans to go remote in the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic, others are expected to follow. How does that change the financial math? The answer can differ from school to school and depending on whether you are an undergrad, grad…

Graduate students who work as teaching assistants earn an average of $36,390 annually, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But how much you get paid as a grad student can vary greatly. Grad school compensation depends on your school’s…

For many, college is a door to a prosperous future, and it elevates feelings of excitement and brings a taste of freedom. It’s a younger student’s chance to become an adult, learning both life and book smarts. It’s an older student’s opportunity to broaden their…

A routing number is a unique number that identifies a specific banking institution. Each routing number is made up of nine digits. Routing numbers are sometimes referred to as an American Bankers Association routing transit number or an ABA RTN. Large multinational banks can…