Education Articles

What To Know About ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’

They’re so easy to use, they almost seem too good to be true. Is there a catch? With Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services, you can walk away with that expensive exercise bike, entertainment system, sectional sofa, or anything else that catches your eye, even if you can’t cover the costs in the moment. And in return, retailers can make more sales b...

Looking to Consolidate Debt? Try a HELOC.

What would you rather have—several hundred dollars in monthly payments spread across all your credit cards or one smaller payment over a set number of years? If you’re a homeowner, a home equity line of credit (HELOC) may be what you need to reel in that pesky debt. Aside from being fun to say, a HELOC (hee-lock) can be more than just a means of...

Crypto May Be Hot, But These Investment Options Are Safer

If you haven’t heard, cryptocurrency is the flavor of the month in the investment world. More than 20 million Americans own some form of  cryptocurrency . With Bitcoin leading the way, the  global market capitalization  of crypto is hovering around $2 trillion. El Salvador became the first country to  adopt Bitcoin as legal tender . Crypto was...

5 Misconceptions About CDs

A certificate of deposit (CD), similar to a certificate at credit unions, is a safe way to invest money for a fixed period of time at a specified interest rate. There’s a lot CDs have to offer (and not only for those with money to burn). Interest rates have been on the rise as of late, so there’s no time like now to consider this investment...

Start Saving Now for Your Child’s Education

It should come as no surprise that college tuition costs are rising, but the extent to which these costs are outpacing inflation can be alarming. In the past 30 years, the  average cost of tuition  at public four-year institutions has more than tripled. And this doesn’t even account for costs of housing, books, meals, etc. If the trend continues...

Time to Rethink Your Savings Strategy

If you’re like many Americans, chances are in recent years you have put saving on your back burner. The personal savings rate across the nation dipped to 2.4 percent of disposable income earlier this year, the lowest rate since 2005, and that trend is certainly alive and well in Oregon. The low savings rate sounds alarming. In context, though, i...

Wants vs. Needs: Finding the Perfect Balance

The end of the year (or beginning of a new year) is a great time to take a look at your household’s budget and start planning for the new year. Whether you’re creating a new budget from scratch or reviewing previous months’ expenses, it’s helpful to consider if those expenses fall into the category of a  want  or a  need . What’s the difference?...

Organizing Your Household Finances

Stop for a moment and think about all the bills, receipts, paystubs, account statements, and other essential financial paperwork that comes your way on a monthly basis. It’s enough to make your head spin. Thankfully, an organizing system for your financials that you’re comfortable with can make all the difference. File it all away Whether it’s i...

The Financial Mistakes of Our 20s and 30s

Early in our careers, we tend to focus on the here and now. It's an understandable impulse. Why worry about the unknown? And how would you prepare for something so far off? But the thing about the future is, it has a habit of sneaking up on us. We may not have a crystal ball, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for what’s to come—and the soon...

How Students Can Keep Money in their Pockets

“It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a college student in possession of a budget, must be in want of tips for saving money.” -Jane Austen (kind of) For most of us, going to college and living on a budget go hand in hand. Who couldn’t use a few ways to save money here and there? Whether you’re looking to fund your fancy coffee fix or to s...