Greatvest Tools

The net neutrality repeal has the potential to affect the way we use the internet - and not necessarily in a good way. Here's what you need to know about the FCC's decision to repeal Obama-care net neutrality laws. You may or may not have heard that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently repealed the Obama-era net neutrality regulations. On the surface, this doesn't sound very interesting. But this repeal might seriously affect how you use the internet. Interested now? You should be. Simply put, net neutrality regulations: Require internet service providers, commonly called ISPs, to treat all online content equally, no matter its source, type or destination. This prevents them from making it faster and easier to access their own content - or content from companies that pay them a fee. Without these regulations, broadband companies could charge more for their services. Or they could create a tiered system in which those who pay more have access to...

With spring break just around the corner, it's never too late to start planning your adventure. Quickly save up with these excellent tips! As winter gives ways to warmer weather, most people have stopped thinking about cold and started looking forward to their big adventure of the year - spring break. However, even on a budget, paying for food, lodging, and rentals can quickly turn your holiday ambitions into a pipe dream. For many college students, preparing for spring break means cutting expenses with the exception of maintaining the absolute necessities. The question is, does it have to be this way? Saving is important, but planning your spring break doesn't mean you must put your life on hold and pinch every penny. You can still build up your vacation fund without becoming a hermit. Here are five tips to help you save for spring break. 1. Cut unnecessary purchases and expenses One thing most financial advisors will recommend it to closely examine your everyday spending....

For the past 11 months I ran a self-experiment where I went from using only cash whenever possible, to always using credit cards (and paying them off in full). Here are the results. Note from the Editor I'm a long-time lurker on reddit, especially the Personal Finance sub. Not long ago I came across The Turtlemilk's post on cash vs. credit, and I thought our readers might be interested in the results. The author agreed to elaborate, so below you can read his original post as well as his expanded exposition written specifically for our site. At Greatvest Tools, we're generally pretty supportive of credit cards and the benefits they can bring the user in terms of loan eligibility, rewards, points, and more. As outlined in this article, we believe that responsible use of credit cards can be increbibly beneficial. That said, I thought u/The Turtlemilk's experiment was valuable in its own right, and sheds light on some often over-looked drawbacks of unmindful credit card...

Career education is for those looking to change careers or advance in their current field. Luckily, there are plenty ways to finance certificate or training programs. Here's where to look. It seems that student loans are available just about everywhere if you're planning to attend college. But what about personal loans for career education. That's the type of schooling that generally doesn't involve earning a recognized degree. It can be a training program, certificate program, or a technical or vocational school. Are there financing options for that type of education? There are actually several, including two available from the federal government, and several from private sources. Federal loan programs Surprise! You can get assistance in taking personal loans for career education through the federal government. You can do this using Federal Direct Subsidized Loans or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. These loans are sometimes referred to as Stafford Loans or Dire...

Are you putting money into your 401k but have questions about how it's being invested? Blooom is new 401k optimization tool that can automatically optimize and manage your 401k. Opening a 401k is your first step to financial safety when you reach retirement age. But did you know that healthy contributions, along with 401k optimization, can also make you a millionaire? While there are many ways to grow a million-dollar 401k, it won't happen automatically. Obviously, you need to contribute aggressively and consistently over many years. (Look to see if you're contributing enough!) But, also you'll need to spend time on 401k optimization to ensure your funds are in low-free investments and optimized correctly. Fail to do so, and your investments won't grow nearly as much as they could. When you sign for you 401k, you'll get a worksheet or a website to visit so you can choose how to invest your money. Unfortunately, most people just guess. It's a mistake that ...

While Bitcoin is still king in the cryptocurrency world, there are a number of others on the rise that smaller-scale investors may want to consider. Here are just 5 alternatives to Bitcoin. We've written quite a bit about Bitcoin - and so has everyone else - so today we'll take a different approach and talk about some other cryptocurrencies. If you just follow the media, you might assume that Bitcoin is the only cryptocurrency worth investing in. It's not. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies that exist - and some may be safer to invest in than Bitcoin (others, definitely not). Before we dive in, we want to clearly note: cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and we don't recommend them over other forms of investments. That said, we do want you to be as informed as possible, in case you do have the appetite for this kind of high-risk investment. Let's take a look at some alternatives to Bitcoin. Ether Perhaps the second most famous form of cryptoc...

There are plenty of credit cards out there with amazing perks and benefits that don't require you to spend a lot. We give you a list of our top 4 to let you get the most bang for your buck. Some of the best credit cards offer massive sign-up bonuses, but they typically require that you spend thousands of dollars in just a few months to qualify. For small spenders or folks who don't like to use credit often, that can be a major hurdle. The good news is that there are a handful of credit cards out there that offer impressive benefits without requiring you to be a big spender. Top four credit cards with the lowest minimum spend Minimum spend is a term credit card issuers use to determine how much you have to spend before you qualify for a card's sign-up bonus. Typically, the higher the sign-up bonus, the higher the minimum spend. But these cards have low minimum spend requirements and solid enough benefits that it's still worth it to sign-up. Discover it Cashback Matc...

Check out some of the most bizarre, startling, and amusing money facts that you never knew about the US presidents of then and now. We all understand that it takes money to run a country. But did all of our presidents use their funds wisely? And how much did these revered men earn? How much were they worth? And how much does all the STUFF surrounding the presidency actually cost? 1) The Pauper President President George Washington, ever the picture of honor, didn't want to accept payment for holding office. Eventually he was convinced to take a salary. His paycheck? The equivalent of $25,000/year. Today, presidents earn $400,000 a year plus bonuses. 2) Presidential Penchants We all have our penchants, and when you're president, those can certainly be catered to. Some of the strangest items purchased by US presidents include: A pet billy goat by William Henry Harrison. The first running water bathtub by Millard Fillmore (or by his wife at any rate). 80+ pairs ...

The Chase 5/24 rule doesn’t allow you to get approved for a new credit card account if you have opened more than five new cards within the last 24 months. But there are ways around this rule. As of only a few years ago, you could sign up for a new credit card as often as you wanted to, just to receive the sign-up bonuses. People who make a hobby out of earning points and miles call this trick credit card churning. But, the banks got wise to it and (obviously) do not like it.  Now, most major banks have some type of restrictions in place to prevent customers from signing up for new cards to perpetually earn the sign-up bonuses. Chase, one of the largest issuers of reward credit cards, has imposed an unwritten restriction that has become known as 5/24 or the Chase 5/24 rule. What is the Chase 5/24 rule? Chase will not approve new credit card accounts to applicants who have opened more than five new credit card within the last 24 months. It doesn’t matter if these acc...

Sending flowers can get expensive fast, but these insider tips can help you save money on sending flowers. The first time I ordered flowers (the occasion was my mom's birthday), it felt like such a grown-up thing to do. It was also an expensive thing to do. I only splurged because I was living in another state at the time. This year I was able to deliver my mom's birthday flowers in person, but even saving on the delivery fee, I still felt like I'd overpaid for what was a lovely but nonetheless small arrangement of tulips. If you've had a similar experience, or have never tried to send flowers because it seems too expensive, these insider tips can make flower buying more accessible. I talked to the owner of a local florist shop (who wished to remain anonymous) for a behind-the-scenes look at what makes flower expensive and how you can cut the price without sacrificing quality. What you need to know about the middlemen If you decide to send flowers to a friend or lo...

If you work in an injury-prone profession, getting disability insurance is a good decision. But what about everyone else? Here's how to know if you should get disability insurance. People often take for granted just how dependent they are on a steady income. Even if you're not living paycheck to paycheck, it wouldn't take long for anyone's finances to dry up in the absence of a salary. Because of lifestyle inflation, most people just don't have the luxury of avoiding bills and other expenses for more than a week or two - and in many cases not even that long. So what happens if you're suddenly rendered unable to work? When you're young and healthy imagining a situation where you can't physically work is difficult. That's why so many people eventually find themselves in a situation where their income vanishes with nothing to replace it. That can lead to a downward spiral of debt, desperation and depression. That's the situation disabili...

These 3 extreme ways to pay off student loans take a lot of consideration and time, but you can pay off your loans in just a few years! It's up to you to decide how extreme you're willing to go. When I paid off $28,000 of student loan debt in three years, I devoted myself entirely to that cause. Every spare cent, career choice, and personal decision was influenced by my desire to be debt free. It was a difficult period - and at times I questioned whether I was making the right choice. But nothing has ever felt so satisfying as making that last payment. Still, sometimes I wish I had gotten a little more creative. While I kept my nose to the grindstone, I could have been looking for inventive ways to make an extra buck. It's great to buckle down and pay off your debt with frugal choices and self-restraint, but there's something even more impressive about finding a way to accelerate the repayment process using unorthodox methods. Here are a few examples of people who d...

If you haven't already heard, on February 5th, the stock market experienced the largest drop it has in years, with the Dow plunging almost 1,600 points. The drop amounted to 4.6 percent, which is the biggest decline since the European debt crisis in 2011. For investors, such stock market drops are scary. They are also predictable. While nobody can predict when the market will tank (or by how much), we all know that markets ebb and flow. Sometimes, they do so dramatically (especially when unexpected events occur). But a stock market crash like we witnessed this week is only bad news if you need your money soon. This is why you shouldn't buy stocks with money you'll need in the next couple of years. For all other investors, a stock market crash should be a non-issue. In the past few years, however, the value of the S&P 500 has more than doubled. That's the good news, and also the bad. The fact that the S&P 500 has done so well over the last seve...

Just when you think Amazon can't come up with anything else, they do. You can now get your credit score through Alexa. Here's what your Alexa credit score can tell you. If you've heard of Alexa (Amazon's electronic personal assistant), or if you have the device already, you're probably aware of the growing list of magical devices that it provides. Now you can make room for one more. You will have access to the Alexa credit score. So, should you get your Alexa credit score? Technically speaking, it's actually not your Alexa credit score, since Alexa isn't a credit bureau. But Experian is, and that's actually where the credit score comes from. But it's not just a credit score, it's just about everything connected with your credit report. Alexa credit score has the potential to give you access to your official credit information to a degree that was impossible up until this point. What is Alexa? Amazon Alexa is a digital assistant that is built...

The Federal Reserve has a new chair - Jerome Powell. We dig deep into the Fed's policies and what they mean for your wallet. In a highly anticipated announcement, President Trump named Jerome Powell as the new chair of the Federal Reserve starting February 2018. The move puts an end to speculation swirling around who would replace Janet Yellen. Though Powell is no rock-star economist, he has a strong business background and comes from years working in corporate America. Trump is presiding over a projected 60-year low unemployment rate, a strong economic growth rate, and a record high stock market. After protracted and public feuds with Yellen, Trump decided against extending her term as chair, but replaced her with a man who shares her economic outlook and has backed her monetary policies. Today, we're going to assess the implications of this decision -- not only on the economy in general, but also on how it'll affect your wallet. Wait, what exactly is the Fed? ...

Credit card companies really want you to use their cards. So if you know how to beat the credit card companies at their own game you can earn rewards, get fees waived, and more. Like most casinos, credit card issuers are always very profitable. But unlike visitors to a casino, it's always possible to "beat the house" when you use your credit card the right way. Some of the tricks are fairly simple, or obvious, while others take a certain amount of clever planning. Here are seven ways you can beat the credit card companies at their own game. 1 . Avoid interest charges by paying your statement balances in full One of the big ways that credit card issuers make money is through interest payments. Furthermore, about half of all American credit card users report carrying a balance on their credit cards all or part of the year. But, when you pay your statement balance in full each month, you can always avoid interest charges. There's even a credit card industry term...