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Apache is functioning normally

September 30, 2023 by Brett Tams
Apache is functioning normally

Inside: Are you looking for an affordable budgeting app that offers a range of features? YNAB may be the perfect choice for you! This guide will compare YNAB vs Mint, highlight their key features, and help you decide which is best for your needs.

Are you trying to make a choice between Mint and YNAB for managing your financials?

Here’s a comprehensive overview that would definitely point you in the right direction.

Both Mint and YNAB have proven to be efficient and reliable online budgeting tools, but their offering varies in some aspects.

While Mint shines with its free budgeting tools and comprehensive credit score and report management capabilities, YNAB stands distinguished with its robust features and specialist credit management options, making it worth its fee for some users.

Herein, we dive into the similarities, differences, and unique functionalities of both platforms to help you decide which one best aligns with your financial management needs and lifestyle.

As a finance expert, I’ve seen both YNAB and Mint apps work wonders for different people.

In my opinion, both have unique value. Novices may find Mint’s overview helpful, while more determined budgeters might prefer YNAB.

Remember, it’s perfectly fine to use both if it aids your long-term money management.

This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.

What is YNAB?

YNAB is a budgeting software I’ve utilized that provides detailed financial tracking and education for effective money management. Also, known as you need a budget app.

Adhering to its unique Four Simple Rules for Successful Budgeting, every dollar is assigned a specific task. YNAB operates via an online account or a mobile app, involving color codes and features like ‘The Inspector’ for efficient budget overview. However, it’s important to note that YNAB caters only to the zero budgeting style and charges a monthly subscription fee.

This is a great budgeting method as it gives you a cash flow budget plan for your money.

Overall, YNAB helped me gain control over my finances by setting realistic goals, getting one month ahead on bills, and focusing on each dollar’s purpose.

What is Mint?

Mint is a free, all-in-one finance platform owned by Intuit that can be used to easily manage my money.

It links all accounts in one place for easy tracking and includes features such as budgeting, credit score monitoring, and bill tracking.

For instance, Mint categorizes transactions, monitors changes in my credit score, and sets up budgetary limits.

With over 30 million users, Mint is a leading free tool in personal finance management.

A step up from Mint would be Intuit’s Quicken platform or Simplifi budget app.

Comparison of YNAB and Mint Apps

Mint is a comprehensive, free budgeting app, that provides an overall view of your finances. It links to your accounts, tracking and categorizing spending, while also offering savings tips. Conversely, YNAB, a paid app, focuses on giving users control over budgeting. It will link to your accounts and encourage a proactive role in handling finances.

These are two of the budget apps available on the market.

In my opinion, if you’re seeking an easy-to-use app offering a holistic view of your spending and savings, Mint is a perfect choice. However, if you’re looking for a stringent budget management system with more control, YNAB is worth the investment.

Kristy @ Money BLiss

1. YNAB vs Mint: Features

YNAB and Mint are both renowned budgeting apps, but they possess some notable differences.

  • While both support account linking, goal setting, and spending tracking, Mint pulls ahead with its investment and credit score tracking features.
  • YNAB distinguishes itself with a forward-thinking, zero-based budgeting strategy and benefits like manually adding transactions. Think budget by paycheck style.
  • From the ease of use standpoint, both are equally user-friendly.

2. YNAB vs Mint: Budgeting Snapshot

YNAB offers a rigorous, manually updated budgeting snapshot that employs a zero-based budgeting philosophy. This feature provides a detailed outlook, encouraging users to assign every dollar a job.

On the other hand, Mint has an automated tracking system that offers an all-in-one snapshot of all financial accounts and spending categories.

Mint integrates your accounts, offering useful tips and an overview of your finances. Conversely, YNAB requires a manual categorization of income and expenses but affords more budgeting control. Similar to using the ideal household budget percentages.

The budgeting snapshot in Mint is best suitable for individuals seeking a hands-off approach, while YNAB is ideal for those who prefer an in-depth, hands-on budget strategy.

A great way to move digital from your budget binder with envelopes.

3. YNAB vs Mint: Goal Setting

The Goal Tracking feature in YNAB allows users to set various budgeting goals such as saving targeted amounts of money or conversely working towards getting out of credit card debt. This in-built functionality provides a structured pathway for users to stick to and pursue their financial objectives effectively.

Your interaction with your YNAB account through the goal-tracking tool ties back to YNAB’s four Simple Rules for Successful Budgeting, aiding in fiscal responsibility.

This innovative feature assists individuals in staying focused on their planned budgets, ensuring they are empowered to make strides toward their unique financial goals.

Mint however doesn’t offer this feature.

4. YNAB vs Mint: Interface

While YNAB is ideal for meticulous budgeters prioritizing forward planning, Mint is perfect for those seeking an easy-to-use, comprehensive glimpse of their financial standing.

  • YNAB’s interface is focused on budgeting, featuring tools for expense tracking, goal setting, and manual transaction input.
  • In contrast, Mint offers a comprehensive overview of your financial health, automatically categorizing expenses, tracking investments, and offering set-up alerts.

5. YNAB vs Mint: Categorization

Mint offers automated categorization of transactions, which eases the process of budgeting for the user. However, it doesn’t allow the removal of default categories, and the addition of new ones might take time due to server communication.

On the other hand, YNAB allows a deeper level of categorization, with an option to visually nest categories, and more effortless editing of these categories.

In my opinion, Mint’s categorization feature suits a casual budgeter looking for automation, while YNAB would be ideal for those desiring granular control over their personal budget categories.

6. YNAB vs Mint: Mobile App & Cross Platforms

Both YNAB and Mint offer comprehensive personal finance management via mobile apps, compatible with iOS, Android, and desktops.

YNAB stands out with its Apple Watch integrations and a slightly better syncing experience based on user reviews on Trustpilot1.

YNAB also syncs across a desktop app as well.

7. YNAB vs Mint: Alerts

Mint provides a wide selection of alerts, including low balances, upcoming bill payments, over-budget warnings, ATM fees, and unusual expenditure notifications.

These comprehensive alerts from Mint give a more thorough financial pulse check but can be overwhelming for some.

On the other hand, YNAB recently added live push notifications based on your preferences.

8. YNAB vs Mint: Syncing

YNAB leads the game when it comes to synchronization, outshining Mint. While Mint supports numerous banks, issues with synchronization often lead to grievances among its users. YNAB, on the other hand, offers smoother syncing and fewer complaints, proving its superiority.

Many users find YNAB’s syncing consistent and reliable.

  • Personally, I believe that if you prioritize seamless syncing and don’t mind spending $14.99 a month, YNAB becomes a clear choice.
  • However, if you’re okay with potential sync issues and prefer free usage, Mint could be more suitable.

It’s crucial to pick according to your priorities and needs.

9. YNAB vs Mint: Savings Accounts

Mint offers automatic expenditure tracking and classifies my spending into categories, providing a comprehensive view of where my money is going.

YNAB, on the other hand, empowers me to manually budget my net income each month, ensuring I don’t overspend and promoting a proactive approach to saving.

10. YNAB vs Mint: Investment Tracker

Mint offers investment tracking features, allowing users to view their investment portfolio and monitor performance.

In contrast, YNAB lacks this feature, not providing any investment tracking at all.

As a user, if you highly prioritize tracking investments in one place, you may lean towards using Mint. Conversely, if investment tracking is less important to you than budgeting, YNAB’s strong budgeting emphasis, despite its lack of investment tracking, makes it a considerable option.

11. YNAB vs Mint: Learning Curve with your Finances

YNAB has a steeper learning curve, necessitating a proactive approach to money management by assigning every dollar a purpose. Thus, YNAB gives you a free 34-day free trial to understand how to use the app.

Mint, however, requires minimal user input post-account linkage and auto-categorizes your spending. For sheer ease of use, Mint might appeal to novices looking for automated budget tracking.

On the other hand, users wishing to take charge of their finances might appreciate YNAB’s proactive, behavior-altering approach. Despite having a steeper learning curve, YNAB offers an abundance of online tutorials and customer support, making the learning process manageable and rewarding.

The same is true when you are learning to use the biweekly budget template.

12. YNAB vs. Mint: Data Security

Data security is a paramount concern when utilizing online budgeting apps as they deal with sensitive financial information.

Apps like YNAB and Mint incorporate stringent security measures to protect user data.

  • For instance, YNAB uses a one-way salted and hashed password system and data encryption.
  • Mint, on the other hand, employs two-factor authentication and a Touch ID sensor for iOS for enhanced security.

Nonetheless, it’s important to note that while these apps provide bank-level security, Mint does anonymize and sell user data to advertisers.

13. YNAB vs Mint: Advertising

YNAB derives income primarily from subscription fees offering an ad-free experience, holding a straightforward revenue model. In contrast, Mint generates income through affiliate commissions by advertising financial products to users and selling anonymized user data!

Mint, contrastingly, is a free app reliant on ads and sells anonymized user data for third-party advertisements.

From my perspective, if avoiding ads and preserving data privacy matters to you, YNAB’s approach might be more appealing. However, if you prefer a free service and don’t mind the ads, Mint would be suitable.

14. YNAB vs Mint: Customer Support

When evaluating the customer support of Mint and YNAB, it’s evident that YNAB takes a more well-rounded approach.

With a commitment to respond to email queries within 24 hours, YNAB also provides educational resources such as the “get started” class, their blog, and user forums. This is in contrast to Mint, which, despite offering live chat support, has had reports of slow response times.

Both platforms offer online training materials, but YNAB seems more comprehensive and responsive in its support-providing role. Overall, YNAB appears to be the preferred choice when customer support is a primary consideration.

15. YNAB vs Mint: Cost

Mint is a free, ad-supported budgeting app while YNAB is a subscription-based model of $14.99 monthly or $99 annually.

  • However, for individuals seeking in-depth surgical budgeting capabilities without concerns for associated costs, YNAB’s price might represent a great investment.
  • Given the claimed average user saves $600 in two months and $6,000 in the first year.2

For those budgeting with minimal funds, the free price tag of Mint might be more attractive, but you are giving away your privacy.

Pros and Cons of YNAB vs Mint

Our Favorite


Key Features:
  • YNAB offers a comprehensive approach to budgeting, helping you plan monthly budgets based on your income. It also offers expert advice, making it suitable for those who require an in-depth, forward-thinking budgeting strategy.
  • YNAB’s superior synchronization skills make it the winner in this area. YNAB has extra features like goal setting for budgeting, shared budgeting tools for partners
  • YNAB provides an option to manually add and upload transactions from accounts each month, a feature that Mint does not offer.
  • YNAB prioritizes user privacy, requires an opt-in to access budgeting data, and doesn’t sell user data.


Key Features:
  • Mint offers a centralized platform for monitoring all your financial accounts, including credit cards and bank accounts.
  • It provides a complete financial overview at a glance through the auto-population of data from linked accounts.
  • Mint’s features include detailed reporting in multiple categories, free credit score access, and exceptional compatibility with financial institutions.
  • The service is free, funded by ads and offers, and it best serves those who wish to categorize spending, budget their monthly expenses, and access all financial details from one place.

  • Lack of investment tracking feature
  • Customer service is only accessible via email, which might not be ideal for urgent queries
  • Steep learning curve which requires time and effort to navigate through.

  • Mint, which belongs to Intuit, automatically accesses all data and sells the data. Thus, an intrusion of privacy.
  • Budgeting feature doesn’t enable effective planning of future expenses.
  • Mint suffers from more technical glitches and synchronization issues.
  • Ads included in the free version of Mint can be obtrusive and may deter users.

$14.99 monthly or $99 annually

Free to Use, But Served Ads and They Sell your Data.

  • Offers a 100% money-back guarantee at any point of use.
  • Does not require credit card information to signup, a departure from the usual free trial model)

Our Favorite


Key Features:
  • YNAB offers a comprehensive approach to budgeting, helping you plan monthly budgets based on your income. It also offers expert advice, making it suitable for those who require an in-depth, forward-thinking budgeting strategy.
  • YNAB’s superior synchronization skills make it the winner in this area. YNAB has extra features like goal setting for budgeting, shared budgeting tools for partners
  • YNAB provides an option to manually add and upload transactions from accounts each month, a feature that Mint does not offer.
  • YNAB prioritizes user privacy, requires an opt-in to access budgeting data, and doesn’t sell user data.

  • Lack of investment tracking feature
  • Customer service is only accessible via email, which might not be ideal for urgent queries
  • Steep learning curve which requires time and effort to navigate through.

$14.99 monthly or $99 annually

  • Offers a 100% money-back guarantee at any point of use.
  • Does not require credit card information to signup, a departure from the usual free trial model)


Key Features:
  • Mint offers a centralized platform for monitoring all your financial accounts, including credit cards and bank accounts.
  • It provides a complete financial overview at a glance through the auto-population of data from linked accounts.
  • Mint’s features include detailed reporting in multiple categories, free credit score access, and exceptional compatibility with financial institutions.
  • The service is free, funded by ads and offers, and it best serves those who wish to categorize spending, budget their monthly expenses, and access all financial details from one place.

  • Mint, which belongs to Intuit, automatically accesses all data and sells the data. Thus, an intrusion of privacy.
  • Budgeting feature doesn’t enable effective planning of future expenses.
  • Mint suffers from more technical glitches and synchronization issues.
  • Ads included in the free version of Mint can be obtrusive and may deter users.

Free to Use, But Served Ads and They Sell your Data.

Who should use YNAB?

From my experience, YNAB works best for those who are ready to seriously manage their money and spend some time learning a new budgeting approach. Its use of the zero-based budgeting system not only makes you more intentional with your money but also demands active participation in decision-making.

YNAB’s ability to link to your accounts and its multitude of educational resources available are admirable features I’ve used.

YNAB offers detailed financial tracking and built-in education, but its monthly subscription fee and suitability for a specific budgeting style may be limiting for some.

However, it comes with a monthly or annual cost – a worthy investment for those searching for a robust, hands-on, and future-focused budgeting tool. Most YNAB budgets agree they save multiples of the subscription cost.

However, it can be less suitable for those not ready for a hands-on approach or those sensitive to subscription pricing.

Who should use Mint?

On the other hand, Mint is an all-in-one app that automatically tracks and categorizes your spending.

Based on my experience, Mint is an excellent tool for novice-level budgeters seeking to track their expenses, set budgets, and manage their finances with ease. This budgeting app allows a comprehensive view of all your financial accounts, which differentiates it from YNAB.

If you’re comfortable seeing ads and not needing investing features, Mint could be a perfect fit. However, if you require the ability to assign multiple savings goals to one account or a bill pay feature, YNAB may be more suitable for you.

Therefore, Mint is most applicable for beginners seeking a free and user-friendly budgeting platform.

YNAB vs. Mint: Which is better for you?

As a content writer and budgeting app user, I find Mint and YNAB are unique in their offerings.

Mint automatically tracks and categorizes your spending, providing an intuitive picture of where your money goes, ideal for beginners in budgeting.

In contrast, YNAB promotes a proactive approach, helping to set and monitor budgets, hence perfect for those with specific financial goals. To sum up, Mint offers a simplified, passive overview, while YNAB is excellent for a detailed, forward-thinking approach to managing finances.

Personal preferences and needs really influence the choice here. Do you need intricate control and don’t mind paying a fee? YNAB might be your fit. Prefer automation and want a free option? Mint could work for you.

YNAB vs Mint: Verdict

As an expert in personal finance tools, I’ve explored both YNAB and Mint.

In my experience, there are distinct differences between YNAB and Mint. For my readers, I recommend YNAB.

YNAB, with its laser-focused approach towards budgeting, is a boon for individuals needing extensive assistance in the budgeting arena. You learn to assign every dollar with intention, thereby gaining a higher degree of control over your finances.

This proactive approach will help you to be financially independent faster.

To sum up, if detailed budgeting is your priority, choose YNAB.

YNAB

Enjoy guilt-free spending and effortless saving with a friendly, flexible method for managing your finances. 

Pros:

  • Comprehensive approach to budgeting, helping you plan monthly budgets based on your income.
  • Offers expert advice, making it suitable for those who require an in-depth, forward-thinking budgeting strategy.
  • Superior synchronization skills make it the winner in this area.
  • YNAB has extra features like goal setting for budgeting, shared budgeting tools for partners.
  • Option to manually add and upload transactions from accounts each month.
  • YNAB prioritizes user privacy.

Start 34 Day Free Trial

However, for a more holistic financial insight with less emphasis on budgeting, Mint might be the better choice.

Now, make sure to check out our Quicken Review.

Source

  1. TrustPilot. “YNAB Review.” https://www.trustpilot.com/review/ynab.com. Accessed on September 27, 2023.
  2. YNAB. “YNAB Pricing.” https://www.ynab.com/pricing/. Accessed on September 27, 2023.

Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!

Source: moneybliss.org

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Apache is functioning normally

September 25, 2023 by Brett Tams
Apache is functioning normally

Cyber-attacks are on the rise as hackers and criminals learn about and adapt to methods put in place by government agencies to prevent scams. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported monetary losses totaling more than $1.4 billion in 2017. [1]

While anyone, regardless of age, can be a target of common money scams, many hackers specifically target seniors. Nearly 17% of reported cyber crimes in 2017 came from victims over the age of 60. And with losses of over $342 million, seniors are losing more money to scams than any other age group. [1] Considering the average age of retirement in the U.S. is 60, this trends is a serious threat to the financial security of many Americans as they enter retirement.

With an empty nest and retirement on the horizon, your senior years should be the time to pursue your passions—not get scammed out of your hard-earned savings.

This guide covers the basics of recognizing and preventing common online money scams, plus provides tips to help seniors navigate the online world safely.

Table of Contents:

Why Scammers Target Seniors

Pew Research shows that seniors are adopting technology, such as the Internet and smartphones, more than ever before. [2] If you’re among the technology adopters, you know how great technology is for connecting with your children and grandchildren who live far away and with friends you haven’t seen in years.

Con artists and scammers exploit seniors online believing that they aren’t Internet-savvy, despite many proving otherwise. Here are a few of the reasons seniors are a frequent target of scams online:

  • You generally have larger savings accounts and valuable assets.
  • You’re perceived as more trusting and polite.
  • You may not recognize and report the scam right away.
  • As you age, cognitive function and physical ability declines.

How to Recognize a Money Scam

As online scammers get increasingly sophisticated, certain types of fraud can be hard to spot even for the most adept Internet user. To keep from falling victim to scammers’ tactics, make yourself aware of common warning signs and stay vigilant. A gut feeling is always a good place to start. For example, if something feels too good to be true, it probably is. Also, if a request from someone you know feels out of character, trust your instincts and do your research before taking action.

An easy way to know if something is a likely con is to use the three U’s for identifying money scams.

  • Unexpected: If you receive an email from someone you trust making an unexpected or unusual request for money or personal information, contact them personally to confirm.
  • Urgent: If the tone of the message is threatening or asks you to act immediately, take time to think it over or tell a friend before acting. If you’re still unsure, check the IC3’s Alert Archive to see if there have been other incidents of the same scam.
  • Unsecure: Make sure the address bar reads “https://” and not “http://” when entering personal or financial information online. If a URL begins with “https://” that tells you the site is secure and protects information that’s transmitted. If you provide sensitive information to an unsecure site, it can easily be stolen.

Top 10 Online Scams That Affect Seniors

Scammers see senior citizens as easy victims, but you can prove them wrong by educating yourself on some of their common schemes. They often use things like healthcare, retirement savings and online dating to lure unsuspecting seniors into giving over their personal information. Here are 10 of the most common online schemes that target seniors.

1. Medicare Scams

If you’re 65 or older, you might rely on Medicare for your health coverage. Scammers know this and whenever Medicare sends out new cards or makes changes to its policies, they capitalize on opportunities to steal personal information. This can be done over the phone or by email. The scammer claims to be a Medicare representative and insists there’s a fee associated with getting you a new card or that your card has been compromised—neither of which is true.

According to Medicare.gov, “Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will never contact you for your Medicare Number or other personal information unless you’ve given them permission in advance.”

How to protect yourself: Don’t respond to the email and mark it as junk or spam. If you need to speak with Medicare, call them directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

2. Health Insurance Scams

In order to make a profit, criminals may try to offer you health insurance plans that have little to no real value. In some cases, they may be selling discount cards or limited-benefit plans, but rarely explain how limited the coverage really is.

How to protect yourself: Never purchase insurance on the spot. Do your research on the company and thoroughly read the details of the coverage offered.

2. Counterfeit Medications

This scam is especially dangerous because it can cost you not only your money but your health. Prescription drugs aren’t cheap, and most seniors are dependent on a medication or two to maintain their health. Scammers exploit this by offering fake prescription medications for purchase online at a low cost. The number of counterfeit medication scams under investigation by the FDA is up four times since the 1990s. [3]

How to protect yourself: Always go through licensed medical professionals to get any prescriptions and pick up your medications at a local pharmacy. If you enjoy the convenience of ordering online, many reputable pharmacies allow you to refill your prescription online or have your medications delivered.

3. Phishing

Scammers often capitalize on your trust in people and institutions by posing as them in emails, on calls or in text messages. For example, the Social Security Scam is a form of phishing where scammers pose as government officials who need your social security information. Once they’ve gained your trust, they use that to gather personal, sensitive information like your Social Security number, bank/credit card information and/or passwords.

How to protect yourself: Always check the sender’s email address or phone number before clicking any links in emails or messages that request personal information.

4. Dating and Romance Scams

Online dating can be great for people of all ages—seniors included. But it’s important to practice the same kind of cautions online as you do in real-world dating. Online dating scams are one of the biggest and most costly scams, and scammers can break your heart and bank account if you’re not careful. It’s a red flag if someone builds a rapport with you only to turn around and ask for money. Even if the request seems heartfelt, like wanting to come see you, it could still be a play solely for money.

How to protect yourself: Take things slow, do your research and never send money to someone you don’t know personally. Even if you’ve met them, run the other way if they ask for money after you’ve known them only for a little while.

5. Investment Scams

In these cons, scammers take advantage of your need to build or maintain retirement savings. A lot of seniors are concerned about making their money last, which makes them vulnerable to ads or requests that promise high-profit, no-risk investments.

How to protect yourself: Stop and think, “Is this too good to be true?” Never accept an offer on the spot. If you’re not sure, talk it over with a trusted friend or check the IC3’s Alert Archive along with other online sources, such as the Scams and Frauds page on USA.gov.

6. Homeowner Scams

Seniors are at a point in life where they’re more likely to own their homes. While some may want to stay right where they are, others have grand dreams of moving to a new location—maybe somewhere warmer. In this scenario scammers work to identify the value of your property and then offer you a reassessment—for a fee, of course.

How to protect yourself: If you want to move, only work with a reputable realtor or go the for sale by owner route.

7. Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams

These scams use a surprise factor to trick you into thinking you need to click something to “claim a prize.” It can come as an email, a web pop up or even within a web page you’re reading.

How to protect yourself: If you receive an email that claims you’re a winner, it’s almost guaranteed to be a scam. On the off chance that you actually signed up for a sweepstakes, check your email inbox to see if you have a confirmation of your signup from the same email address. Better, yet, pick up the phone and call the company before you click on a link in an email or on a website.

8. Fake Charities

Seniors may feel more compelled to donate to those in need or contribute to disaster aid, but unfortunately fake charities often try and get donations after a natural disaster.

How to protect yourself: Do your research. Call a number to speak with someone from that charity or search the charity name and a phrase like “scam” or “fraud” in Google. You can also use the organizations listed by the FTC to research reputable charities.

9. Malware Scams

Using antivirus software is a great way to protect yourself from fraud. Unfortunately, scammers often pose as antivirus providers and instead install malware on your computer. These advertisements are often pop ups or web page ads.

How to protect yourself: Make sure anything you download to your computer is from a reputable source and never give anyone you don’t trust remote access to your computer.

10. Threats and Extortion

These types of scams utilize fear to get the desired outcome. Typically the scammer tells you that something terrible is going to happen if you don’t give them money or personal information.

How to protect yourself: Never act impulsively. Consider whether the scenario seems realistic. If you’re unsure or scared, talk to a friend. If the caller acts like a relative, hang up and call them back to ensure it is, in fact, your relative and not a stranger pretending to be your relative.

How to Protect Yourself Online

It’s good to know the basics about scams and the accompanying warning signs, but there are steps you can take to further protect your computer and online identity from fraud including. settings, tools and government resources.

Keep your firewall turned on. A firewall monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic to prevent unauthorized access to and from a private network. It protects your computer from hackers attempting to crash it or gain sensitive information.

Keep your computer’s operating system up-to-date. Make sure your computer software is up-to-date. You can usually subscribe to automatic updates online. If you keep your system updated, your computer will continue running smoothly and you’re sure to have the latest fixes for any security holes.

Turn on two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication requires both a password and an additional piece of information to access your account. The second piece of information is typically a message sent to your phone or a code generated by an app or token.

Look out for unsecure networks and websites. If you get a warning message saying “Unsecure Wi-Fi Detected,” don’t visit any banking websites or store any passwords while on that network.Also, most browsers will warn you when you visit an unsecure site. The feature should already be enabled on most computers, but if not, make sure you enable this setting.

Install or update antivirus software. Antivirus software prevents malicious software programs from installing on your computer. Malware programs allow others to see your computer activity. Be wary of any ads on the Internet for these types of software as they are often not real solutions and instead are fraudulent.

Use a password manager. A password manager, like LastPass or Dashlane, lets you have a unique, strong password for every secure website—in other words, not your grandchild’s birth date. You won’t have to remember them all, because the password manager stores and encrypts your passwords for your protection.

Check your credit often. Major changes toyour credit can indicate potential fraud. Consider signing up for a free credit score and checking it every few weeks as a way to watch for changes.

Find Information About Active Scams

What To Do If You’re the Victim of a Scam

The best thing to do if you suspect you’ve been the victim of a scam is to report it. IC3 chief Donna Gregory says, “We want to encourage everyone who suspects they have been victimized by online fraudsters to report it to us.” IC3 receives over 800 complaints a day on average, so don’t let embarrassment keep you from reporting something.1 Reporting a scam helps law enforcement investigate similar scams and take action to bring the scammers to justice.

Steps to Take After Fraud

  1. To report a scam, file a claim online at www.ic3.gov. You’ll be asked to provide complete information about the crime as well as any additional relevant information.
  2. Once you’ve reported the scam to authorities, you also want to take action against any other loss. IC3 recommends that victims take actions, such as contacting banks, credit card companies and/or the credit bureaus to block accounts, freeze accounts, dispute charges or attempt to recover lost funds.
  3. Keep a close watch on your credit reports and consider using credit monitoring tools.

In February 2018, the Justice Department made a coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases that resulted in several initiatives to reduce the number of annual cases. [4] This included building local, state and federal capacity to fight elder abuse, supporting research to improve elder abuse policy and practice, and helping older victims and their families.

Each year the number of Internet crimes increases and scammers become more sophisticated, but spreading knowledge and awareness is one of the best ways to combat the issue. Arming yourself with a basic understanding of the dangers online can help you protect yoursel
f from fraud.

Additional Resources

Sources:

1 Federal Trade Commission Latest Internet Crime Report Released

2 Pew Research Center Tech Adoption Climbs Among Older Adults

3 National Council on Aging Top 10 Financial Scams Targeting Seniors

4 United States Department of Justice Justice Department Coordinates Nationwide Elder Fraud Sweep of More Than 250 Defendants

Source: credit.com

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Apache is functioning normally

September 21, 2023 by Brett Tams
Apache is functioning normally

PEORIA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Nest Home & Co. is your cozy spot in the heart of the Upper West Side for all things home décor and furnishings. Owners Tyler and Travy Williams are absolutely crazy about holiday decorating, and it shows in everything they do!

Since 2017, the Williams’ have been curating a unique mix of furnishings, lighting, art, and décor that you’ll love. They believe home decorating isn’t just about sprucing up your space – it’s about spreading warmth and building a sense of togetherness. Tyler and Travy say it’s their mission to make the world a better place and support those who do good.

Nest Home & Co. in Peoria is the perfect spot for all things home décor and furnishings!

Nest Home & Co. | Phone: 623-572-0740 | 24650 N Lake Pleasant Pkwy Ste.103, Peoria, AZ 85383 | nesthomeco.com | Instagram: @nesthome.co | Facebook: Nest Home & Co.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.

Source: azfamily.com

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Apache is functioning normally

September 15, 2023 by Brett Tams

If you’re shopping around for your first home, congratulations! Few things in life are more exhilarating than strolling through houses and imagining yourself living in a new neighborhood as a bona fide homeowner.

To prepare for serious real estate hunting, though, you should be armed with a firm price range in mind. How much house can your really afford? Most experts recommend that your monthly mortgage payment not exceed 28 percent of your monthly pre-tax income.

For example, if you bring home $3,600 per month in wages, your mortgage payment should be no more than $1,008 per month. Any more than that, and you’re likely to have trouble making your payments at some point.

Can You Really Afford the Payment?

The 28 percent figure sounds great on paper, but will it work in your life? The best way to find out is by conducting a financial experiment while you shop for a house and get pre-approved for a loan. Follow these steps to see if you’re ready to take on a mortgage payment.

1. Choose a Fantasy House to Buy

No, you’re not (necessarily) going to buy this house, but go online to a real estate site like Zillow or Redfin and find one you like for a price you think you can afford. Make note of the total price as well as the yearly property taxes.

2. Research Mortgage and Insurance Rates

If you’ve already started the pre-approval process for a home loan, you may already have an idea of the interest rates available to you. If not, go online to find your local bank’s current mortgage rates.

If you have good credit, use the rate you see advertised. If your credit is shaky, add a percentage point to the rate to be more realistic about the type of mortgage you’ll be able to get.

You also can go online for an insurance quote for your fantasy house. Just type in the address and answer the questions about the property based on the information you found on Zillow or Redfin.

Most new home buyers pay for their insurance through their lender’s escrow accounts, so this is important in calculating an accurate monthly mortgage payment.

3. Use an Online Mortgage Calculator to Find Your Monthly Payment

Using your research about the home price, taxes, mortgage rates and insurance costs, type the values into an online mortgage calculator to find out your monthly payment.

If the calculator doesn’t ask for insurance or taxes, you’ll need to add those values together yourself, divided by 12, and add that number to the monthly mortgage payment to be sure you’re covering everything.

4. Live With Your Fantasy Mortgage for at Least Three Months

Test out life with a mortgage by paying yourself each month. To do this, subtract your rent payment from the total of your fantasy mortgage payment. This amount is the money you’ll be transferring into a savings account each time you pay the rent.

After three months of living with your fantasy mortgage, assess how well you did. Were you able to make payments easily, or did you have to bail on the experiment? Did life go on as planned, or were you stuck with ramen noodles for dinner? If an emergency came up, could you handle it?

If you could live comfortably with your fantasy mortgage, you can afford the house you “bought” and should feel comfortable shopping for a real house in that price range. If not, you can try again with a lower mortgage amount.

Either way, the beauty of this experiment is that you are able to build up an additional nest egg of savings by paying yourself, and that’s something that will only help you with your eventual down payment on your dream house.

Source: totalmortgage.com

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Apache is functioning normally

September 15, 2023 by Brett Tams

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper’s BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

For Fashion Insiders

Ann Demeulemeester x Serax Set of Two High Plates

For Fashion Insiders

Ann Demeulemeester x Serax Set of Two High Plates

Fashion girlies know Ann Demeulemeester is one of the most important “if you know, you know” brands on the market. To convey that your loved one runs a haute couture home, invest in this must-have home collaboration with Serax.

For Outgoing Friends

Edie Parker Checkers in Rose Quartz

For Outgoing Friends

Edie Parker Checkers in Rose Quartz

A chess set on the coffee table? Classic. A rose quartz checkers set created by the one and only Edie Parker? Practically too cool to exist. Your loved one’s home decor should be a reflection of their personality, and this gift tells the world they’re confident and chic.

For Adult Homes

Schoolhouse Brass Coaster Set

For Adult Homes

Schoolhouse Brass Coaster Set

Don’t let houseguests leave water marks behind on your loved one’s beautiful wooden furniture. This set of brass coasters not only protects their peace of mind, but also looks avant-garde on any surface.

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For Gwyneth Paltrow Fans

Neon MFG LED Sign Handwritten by Gwyneth Paltrow

For Gwyneth Paltrow Fans

Neon MFG LED Sign Handwritten by Gwyneth Paltrow

We were all inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow fashion moments this year, and now we can be inspired by her words as well. The biggest Paltrow fans can own her handwriting in neon-sign form, alongside a beautiful message.

For Wine Lovers

Estelle Colored Glass Set of 6 Stem Wineglasses

For Wine Lovers

Estelle Colored Glass Set of 6 Stem Wineglasses

Do they prefer red or white? When wine is poured into these blue glasses, it could be anyone’s guess. These stem wineglasses are not only pretty to look at, but also affordable for a set of six.

For Edgy Homes

Dakota Fields Wood Chain-Link Decor Sculpture

For Edgy Homes

Dakota Fields Wood Chain-Link Decor Sculpture

What is the purpose of this wooden chain, you ask? The point is that it looks dramatic and edgy perched on top of your loved one’s fashion coffee-table books.

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For Fashion Historians

J.Crew Forty Years of American Style

Forty Years of American Style” data-href=”https://www.jcrew.com/pdp/BS816″ data-product-url=”https://www.jcrew.com/pdp/BS816″ data-affiliate=”true” data-affiliate-url=”https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100543834-13270430?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcrew.com%2Fpdp%2FBS816&sid=har-xid-xid” data-affiliate-network=”"id":"79d4201c-d5fc-4f23-9e20-d70b270503b1","site_id":"229d0812-d901-44db-87b0-24674345b9e5","is_active":true,"details":"","metadata":"trackonomics":"merchant_id":"760779","merchant_name":"J.Crew US","network_name":"CJ","network_id":"2","product_id":"459","product_name":"Harper’s BAZAAR US","product_external_id":"459","product_url":null,"network":"id":"a332915a-6423-480f-9153-e3973f438607","name":"Trackonomics","is_active":true,"business_unit_id":"ad046b46-538b-42cb-aa54-c3d158875ed6","details":"","metadata":,"created_at":"2021-11-04T18:15:18.481570+00:00","last_updated_at":"2021-11-04T18:15:18.481594+00:00","product_metadata":"115eff3b-95a0-4668-832c-9d02ea92500d":"link":"https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100543828-13270430?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcrew.com%2Fpdp%2FBS816&sid=subid","network_name":"cj","appended_link":"https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100543828-13270430?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcrew.com%2Fpdp%2FBS816&sid=subid-xid-xid","last_updated_at":"2023-09-07 15:15:25.577758","229d0812-d901-44db-87b0-24674345b9e5":"link":"https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100543834-13270430?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcrew.com%2Fpdp%2FBS816&sid=subid","network_name":"cj","appended_link":"https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100543834-13270430?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcrew.com%2Fpdp%2FBS816&sid=subid-xid-xid","last_updated_at":"2023-09-08 13:45:33.699253"” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”$125 at J Crew” data-vars-ga-media-role=”1″ data-vars-ga-media-type=”Slide” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.jcrew.com/pdp/BS816″ data-vars-ga-product-brand=”J.Crew” data-vars-ga-product-id=”0d6cd9d8-e1e1-4159-b079-ff9e02a09972″ data-vars-ga-product-price=”$125.00″ data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id=”edeba6df-d70a-406e-909a-438f6780c1bf” data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand=”J.Crew” data-vars-ga-link-treatment=”(not set) | (not set)” class=”product-image-link eyaokey0 en6kra60 css-xyxck0 e1c1bym14″>

For Fashion Historians

J.Crew Forty Years of American Style

Credit: J.Crew

Speaking of fashion coffee-table books, this tome from J.Crew and Assouline is a charming retrospective covering the apparel brand’s best campaigns and most recognizable designs.

For Incense Users

Aesop Bronze Incense Holder

For Incense Users

Aesop Bronze Incense Holder

No more balancing incense on top of a stack of plates and hoping for the best. This bronze incense holder is a sturdy piece that doubles as artwork whenever it’s not lit.

For Martini Fans

Maison Balzac Martini Cocktail Glass

For Martini Fans

Maison Balzac Martini Cocktail Glass

If your loved one is anything like me, feel free to fill this glass with a dirty vodka martini, or invite them to just look at it while sipping something sweeter.

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For Vintage Romantics

Anthropologie Gleaming Primrose Mirror

For Vintage Romantics

Anthropologie Gleaming Primrose Mirror

The molding on this floor mirror is enough to set the internet aflame. With a variety of sizes to choose from, your loved one’s outfit will look its best when it’s reflected back in this looking glass.

For Dramatic Homes

Diptyque Black Bronze Candle Holder for Classic Candles

For Dramatic Homes

Diptyque Black Bronze Candle Holder for Classic Candles

At first glance, this looks like a melted candle. But it’s actually a luxury bronze candleholder. Just place your loved one’s favorite classic Diptyque scent inside, and enjoy how gothic and cool this makes their home look.

For Summer Lovers

Jonathan Adler Sunbathing in Capri Photograph by Slim Aarons

Sunbathing in Capri Photograph by Slim Aarons” data-href=”https://jonathanadler.com/products/slim-aarons-sunbathing-in-capri-photograph?variant_id=41086708088866″ data-product-url=”https://jonathanadler.com/products/slim-aarons-sunbathing-in-capri-photograph?variant_id=41086708088866″ data-affiliate=”true” data-affiliate-url=”https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525079&url=https%3A%2F%2Fjonathanadler.com%2Fproducts%2Fslim-aarons-sunbathing-in-capri-photograph%3Fvariant_id%3D41086708088866″ data-affiliate-network=”” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”$1,595 at Jonathan Adler” data-vars-ga-media-role=”1″ data-vars-ga-media-type=”Slide” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://jonathanadler.com/products/slim-aarons-sunbathing-in-capri-photograph?variant_id=41086708088866″ data-vars-ga-product-brand=”Jonathan Adler” data-vars-ga-product-id=”2df18697-98cc-4be5-b7f7-3cae95d51737″ data-vars-ga-product-price=”$1,595.00″ data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id=”e037f2e3-9f05-4bf4-9585-1bc046709e05″ data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand=”Jonathan Adler” data-vars-ga-link-treatment=”(not set) | (not set)” class=”product-image-link eyaokey0 en6kra60 css-xyxck0 e1c1bym14″>

For Summer Lovers

Jonathan Adler Sunbathing in Capri Photograph by Slim Aarons

While they may not be sunbathing in Capri anytime soon, your loved one can manifest a future trip with this beautiful photograph, taken by Slim Aarons. Owning this piece of art will remind them to look forward to sunnier days.

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For Dinner Parties

Sur La Table Taper Candle Holder

For Dinner Parties

Sur La Table Taper Candle Holder

No dinner party is complete without long-tapered candles adorning the table. With these elegant pink holders, your loved one can upgrade an ordinary meal into something truly special.

For Low-Battery Friends

Courant The Catch 2 Wireless Charger

For Low-Battery Friends

Courant The Catch 2 Wireless Charger

That rat’s nest of cables hiding besides your loved one’s bed is doing nothing for the decor. Swap it out for this minimalist, modern-looking leather wireless charger. They simply place their iPhone on top of it when it’s time to recharge.

For Romantics

Venus et Fleur Ela Marble Vase

For Romantics

Venus et Fleur Ela Marble Vase

Not only will this marble vase stand the test of time, the included anthuriums won’t die, either. Created by Venus et Fleur, known for their eternity roses, this floral arrangement lasts for a year without water.

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For Whiskey Drinkers

The Food52 Vintage French-Cut Glass Whiskey Decanter

For Whiskey Drinkers

The Food52 Vintage French-Cut Glass Whiskey Decanter

Your loved one’s bottle of half-finished whiskey could use an upgrade. Whether they’re a bourbon drinker or simply love the look of these vintage decanters, glass bottles look beautiful on a bar cart or simply perched on a nearby table.

For Cat Moms

Tuft + Paw Stellar Cat Bed

For Cat Moms

Tuft + Paw Stellar Cat Bed

Finding luxury cat furniture that meshes with a home’s aesthetic is surprisingly difficult. Swap out a musty cat bed for this version, which both your loved one and their kitty will love.

For Flower Lovers

Seletti Love in Bloom Heart Vase

For Flower Lovers

Seletti Love in Bloom Heart Vase

If the way to your loved one’s heart is through flowers, they need this hyper-realistic vase in their life. Add stems through the “vessels” for a bold decor item. (Bonus points if they’re a cardiologist.)

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For Simple Improvements

Terrain River Stone Tray

For Simple Improvements

Terrain River Stone Tray

Rather than let them spill their purse’s contents onto an entryway table, give your loved one a decorative tray for their everyday lipstick and keys instead.

For Smokers

Houseplant Black Side Table Ashtray

For Smokers

Houseplant Black Side Table Ashtray

If there’s a smoker in your home, you know there’s nothing worse than watching the leavings pile up in your favorite mug. Give your loved one a designated zone with this ashtray coffee table created by Seth Rogen.

Fashion & Luxury Commerce Editor

Tatjana Freund is Hearst’s Fashion & Luxury Commerce Editor, covering beauty, fashion and more across multiple brands. Previously, she worked at ELLE.com and Marie Claire. She’s a fan of whiskey neat, podcasts that give her nightmares, and one time Zoë Kravitz laughed at a joke she made. 

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Source: harpersbazaar.com

Posted in: Bank Accounts Tagged: 2, 2021, 2023, action, affordable, All, art, ask, bar, bar cart, Beauty, bed, best, black, blue, bold, bonus, Books, Buy, Campaigns, chess, coffee, coffee table, collaboration, commission, cut, data, Decor, dinner party, display, entryway, Fashion, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, first, floor, flowers, Free, furniture, future, ga, gift, gifts, glasses, home, Home Decor, id, in, internet, Invest, iPhone, items, LA, Life, low, Luxury, marble, market, me, Media, Minimalist, modern, More, neat, Nest, or, party, peace, personality, pink, place, Podcasts, points, pretty, price, products, reading, river, rose, seth, Side, simple, Style, summer, time, upgrade, US, vintage, white, will, wireless, wood

Apache is functioning normally

September 14, 2023 by Brett Tams

An emergency fund is more than a nest egg, it’s a lifeline. Unfortunately, we can’t predict every cost associated with buying a home, new or old. When it comes to unforeseen but necessary replacements and renovations, the price tags can pile up.

The main point here is control. With an emergency fund, you have the ability to maintain a normal life if something goes wrong. Say your boiler must be replaced earlier than expected, or perhaps you’ve found termites in the walls. Instead of going into disaster mode, you can simply dip into the fund you’ve made for just this reason. An emergency fund is about giving you the room to breathe.

How Much Money Do I Save?

The amount you should save is proportional to your lifestyle. For example, if you are planning to build a house or do any renovations, you should definitely have a little contingency money around. If you have recently bought a home and there are no foreseeable issues with the structure, you should still build an emergency fund, just in case.

Financial guru Suze Orman (of Oprah fame) recommends saving enough money to live off of comfortably for eight months. Yes, really. Eight. Whole. Months.

And How Do I Save All That Money?

While it may seem like a lofty goal to build an eight-month emergency fund, it’s actually very doable with some slight cost-shaving. The best way to save is putting a little money away each month. Try creating sustainable goals, earmarking a certain amount you want to put away in a savings account each month.

Additionally, some people find success in cutting costs. Monthly subscriptions and bills weighing you down? Find ways to trim savings! Keep track of your expenses by going through all your checks, credit card charges and ATM withdrawals. Make a note whenever you spend: rent, mortgage, utilities, transportation, healthcare, groceries, meals, entertainment, clothes, etc. Is there anywhere you can cut back? Instead of going out to dinner 4 times a week, try 1 or 2. Ultimately, you should be shooting to save around $100 dollars by trimming extra expenses.

In more extreme cases for an immediate emergency fund, there are quicker solutions. Some people have taken on second jobs or side jobs. It can be as simple as babysitting or dog walking to bartending on the weekends. And, of course, one of the most obvious ways to earn some immediate cash is to sell things. If you can really do without the extra sofa, put it up on Craigslist for some quick cash!

Where Does This Money Go?

One of the most important lessons about an emergency fund is where to put it and where not to put it. Emergency fund money should preferably go in a savings account where it can stay as liquid cash. The worst place to put this money is somewhere that it is not easily accessible. That is to say, don’t invest an emergency fund; resist the urge to put that money back into the market or into stocks.

Once you have a nice stockpile of money, it’s a lot easier to go about your home owning business. Whether it is replacing some plumbing or getting a better energy and cooling system, you will be able to make improvements to your home without breaking a sweat or breaking the bank.

Carter Wessman

Carter Wessman is originally from the charming town of Norfolk, Massachusetts. When he isn’t busy writing about mortgage related topics, you can find him playing table tennis, or jamming on his bass guitar.

Source: totalmortgage.com

Posted in: Refinance, Renting Tagged: 2, About, All, art, ATM, Bank, best, bills, build, build a house, business, Buying, Buying a Home, cash, Clothes, contingency, cooling, cost, costs, craigslist, Credit, credit card, cut, cutting costs, disaster, Emergency, Emergency Fund, energy, Entertainment, expenses, financial, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, first, foreseeable, fund, Giving, goal, goals, groceries, healthcare, home, house, improvements, in, Invest, jobs, lessons, Life, Lifestyle, Live, Main, Make, market, Massachusetts, money, More, Mortgage, mortgage monday, Nest, new, or, place, Planning, plumbing, price, renovations, Rent, room, save, Saving, savings, Savings Account, second, Sell, Side, side jobs, simple, sofa, stocks, structure, subscriptions, sustainable, termites, town, Transportation, utilities, walking, weighing, will, wrong

Apache is functioning normally

September 1, 2023 by Brett Tams

You have probably heard (multiple times) that saving money for your future is important, but do you know how much you are actually socking away? There’s a formula to calculate your own specific personal savings rate (aka the percentage of your after-tax dollars that you’re putting away).

It’s not too complex and can be a helpful tool to see how your money management is tracking. Find out how to calculate your savings rate here.

What Information is Included in the Savings Rate Formula?

The basic formula to calculate savings rate is:

Your savings / your after-tax income = your savings rate

Once you’ve calculated your savings rate, you can use it to:

• Review how you’re doing from month to month or year to year.

• See how your current spending habits are affecting your future goals and financial independence.

• Motivate yourself to do better with your savings.

• Compare your efforts to others.

You can gather up the numbers you need to determine your savings rate (which is sometimes referred to as a savings ratio) in just a few steps:

Step 1: Add Up Your Income for the Month

Your income streams might include, after taxes: your monthly salary, the money you earned from any side gigs or from selling homemade items online, or rental income if you’re renting out a room of your home to get extra funds. Don’t forget to include money you earned that’s automatically deducted from your pay and added to a retirement account, such as a 401(k) or a traditional or Roth IRA. And add in your employer’s matching retirement plan contributions, as well.

Recommended: 39 Ways to Earn Passive Income Streams

Step 2: Add Up the Money You Put into Savings Each Month

This is about what you’re saving for the long-term, not next week. So it would include the money that’s automatically coming out of your check for retirement savings, plus your employer’s matching contributions, along with any funds you’re putting into separate savings or brokerage accounts.

💡 Quick Tip: Want to save more, spend smarter? Let your bank manage the basics. It’s surprisingly easy, and secure, when you open an online bank account.

Step 3: Do the Math

Divide the total amount of your long-term savings (Step 2) by the total amount of your after-tax income (Step 1). Turn the number you get into a percentage (.10 is 10%, for example), and that’s your savings rate.

You may hear or see a few variations on what’s included in the calculation. Some people don’t include their employer’s 401(k) contributions in their calculations, for instance, and some might add in extra payments they’re putting toward the principal on a student loan or other debt. The point is to be consistent with what you do or don’t include from month to month.

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How About an Example?

Let’s use Jane, whose hypothetical after-tax Income every month is $4,500. She brings in another $500, after taxes, by renting the extra bedroom in her apartment to her cousin, for a total of $5,000 a month.

Jane’s employer doesn’t offer a 401(k) plan, but on her own, Jane puts $500 a month into a Roth IRA. And she always puts another $100 a month in an online savings account she has earmarked for long-term goals. Jane’s savings amount totals $600 a month.

Using the savings rate formula, that’s $600 / $5,000 = .12, which makes Jane’s personal monthly savings rate 12%.

Of course, everyone’s numbers may not be quite so straightforward. Couples, for instance, may have to consider two or more paychecks and, possibly, two or more retirement accounts. Some individuals work more than one job or earn income from multiple sources. Some might count their emergency fund as savings, and others don’t. But the idea is the same: An individual’s or a household’s savings rate measures how much disposable income (defined by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) as after-tax income) is being set aside for long-term savings and retirement.

Why Is Knowing Your Personal Savings Rate Important?

The BEA tracks the nation’s personal savings rate from month to month to monitor Americans’ financial health and better predict consumer behavior. And you can do much the same thing with your own savings rate.

By tracking your rate on a regular basis, you can assess how you’re doing in real-time. If you’re consistently falling short of the savings goals you’ve set for yourself, you can look at what behaviors might need changing or if you need to rework your budget. You also can use the information as an incentive to do better. And you might even find it’s a fun way to compete with others close to you, with the nation’s average personal savings rate, or just against yourself.

If you saved 8% in 2023, for example, could you bump that amount to 9% or 10% in 2024? What if you got an unexpected raise or bonus: Would you have the discipline to put that amount into your savings to keep your rate the same or improve it?

Knowing your savings rate can help you make those kinds of financial decisions.

💡 Quick Tip: Most savings accounts only earn a fraction of a percentage in interest. Not at SoFi. Our high-yield savings account can help you make meaningful progress towards your financial goals.

What’s a Good Savings Rate?

The average personal savings rate in the U.S. was about 4.03% in mid 2023, according to the Fed. But financial experts generally advise savers to stash away at least 10% of their income every month ($500 of a $5,000 monthly salary, for example). The popular 50/30/20 budget rule created by Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggests saving 20% of after-tax income.

If that seems extreme, it’s probably more useful to simply target a number you’re sure you can stick to monthly or annually. Just having a positive savings rate — anything above zero — can be a good starting point for building good fiscal habits and a nest egg. You can always make adjustments as you accomplish other financial goals, such as paying off student loans or credit card debt.

Isn’t Having a Good Budget Enough?

A personal budget can be a useful guide when it comes to reaching financial goals. And tracking your spending with a spreadsheet or an app can help you see where your dollars (and dimes) are actually going, as opposed to where you think they’re going—those two places might be very different.

Many people who make a budget include the amount they plan to put toward savings in their budget as a monthly expense. But that’s different from knowing your savings rate.

A savings rate provides a separate, wide-angle view of how much of what you make is going into savings. And that can help you further evaluate how you’re doing.

How Can Someone Improve Their Savings Rate?

The answer is simple: Spend less and save more.

Here are some steps that could help improve an individual’s or household’s savings rate.

Opening or Contributing More to a Retirement Account

One of the easiest ways to save more money can be to open a 401(k) or IRA, or to boost the amount that’s automatically deposited to an account you already have. After all, if you never see the money, you likely won’t be as tempted to spend it. And if you’re a long way from retirement, the money you invest should have lots of time to grow with compound interest. If your employer offers a 401(k) with a matching contribution, a goal might be to save as much as possible to maximize those funds.

Recommended: How an Employer 401(k) Match Works

Opening an Online Savings Account

If you’ve been saving s-l-o-w-l-y with a traditional type of savings account, it might be time to consider other options. Many online financial institutions, for example, offer higher interest rates for deposit accounts because they have lower overhead costs than brick-and-mortar banks, and they pass those savings on to their customers. Online accounts also may offer lower fees than traditional banks—or, in some cases, no fees.

Cut Back on Discretionary Spending

The thought of squeezing out additional dollars for savings each month might be daunting if you’re already on a tight budget. But even a little spending cut can go a long way toward nudging up your savings rate.

Let’s go back to our hypothetical saver, Jane, for an example. If Jane could manage to save just $50 more every month (or about $12 a week), she could increase her savings rate by a full percentage point — from 12% to 13%. That might mean getting takeout one less time every week. Or one less night out with the girls every month. Or maybe cutting back on streaming services she seldom uses.

Lowering Fixed Expenses

Lowering the bills that have to be paid every month can increase the amount of money that’s available for savings. That could include:

• Shopping for cheaper car insurance or a less expensive cell phone carrier

• Keeping your paid-off car for an extra year or two instead of jumping right back into another auto loan

• Refinancing to a lower interest rate on a mortgage or student loans

• Cutting the cord on cable

• Doing your own landscaping.

Ditching the Credit Card Debt

Yes, credit cards are convenient, and using your cards wisely can have a positive effect on your credit score. But the interest on credit cards is typically higher than for other types of borrowing, and it compounds, which means you could be paying interest on the interest charged on previous purchases.

If you’re carrying a balance from month to month and paying interest, you’re giving money to the credit card company that could be going into your savings account. Using a debt payoff strategy or consolidating your credit card debt with a personal loan could help you dump those credit card bills and get your savings back on track.

Putting Pay Raises Toward Savings, Not Spending

No one is suggesting that you should live ultra frugally like when you were scraping by in college or starting your career, but it might not hurt to hold on to some of those money-saving habits you had then. Otherwise, if your pay goes up and your savings stay static, your savings ratio is doomed to drop.

One last example using our hypothetical friend, Jane: If Jane got a $100-a-month raise (after taxes), but she continued putting $600 a month into savings, her savings rate would fall from 12% to just below 10%.

The Takeaway

Saving money might not be considered exciting by everyone, but the thought of being financially secure is pretty appealing. Think of your savings rate as a mirror you can hold up every month to see how you’re doing.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.

Better banking is here with up to 4.50% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

Photo credit: iStock/fizkes


SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2023 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.50% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a deposit to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate.

SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.50% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.50% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 8/9/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet..

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOBK0823005

Source: sofi.com

Posted in: Financial Advisor, Money Tagged: 2, 2023, 401(k) plan, 50/30/20 budget, About, ACH, All, Amount Of Money, analysis, apartment, app, Auto, auto loan, Automated Clearing House, average, balance, Bank, bank account, Banking, banks, basic, basics, bedroom, before, Behavior, Benefits, bills, bonus, bonuses, borrowing, brick, brokerage, Budget, Budgeting & Goals, building, Cable, car, Car Insurance, Career, cash, Checking Account, College, company, Compound, Compound Interest, contributions, costs, couples, Credit, credit card, credit card company, Credit Card Debt, credit cards, credit score, credits, cut, cutting the cord, Debit Card, Debt, debt payoff, decisions, deposit, Deposits, design, Direct Deposit, earning, Elizabeth Warren, Emergency, Emergency Fund, employer, expense, expenses, expensive, experience, experts, Fall, FDIC, fed, Fees, financial, Financial Goals, financial health, financial independence, financial tips, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, first, fixed, formula, Forth, Fraction, Free, fun, fund, funding, funds, future, General, Giving, goal, goals, good, government, grace period, Grow, guide, habits, health, helpful, hold, home, house, household, Housing, How To, in, Income, income streams, Insurance, interest, interest rate, interest rates, international, Invest, IRA, items, job, landscaping, Legal, lender, Live, loan, Loans, long-term goals, Long-term Savings, LOWER, Make, manage, mastercard, math, member, mobile, Mobile App, money, Money Management, MoneyGen, MoneyLL, MoneyUn, More, more money, Mortgage, needs, Nest, offer, offers, Online Savings Account, or, Other, passive, passive income, paycheck, payments, paypal, pension, Personal, personal budget, personal loan, plan, Popular, pretty, principal, Raise, rate, Rates, ready, refinancing, rental, renting, renting out, retirement, retirement account, retirement accounts, retirement plan, retirement savings, Review, rewards, right, room, roth, Roth IRA, Salary, save, saver, Saving, saving money, savings, Savings Account, Savings Accounts, Savings Goals, savings rate, score, security, selling, shopping, short, Side, Side Gigs, simple, social, social security, sofi, Spending, spending habits, spreadsheet, square, Strategies, streaming, student, student loan, Student Loans, takeout, target, tax, taxes, the fed, time, tips, tracking, traditional, traditional banks, v, variable, venmo, warren, Ways to Save, will, wire transfers, work

Apache is functioning normally

September 1, 2023 by Brett Tams

You have probably heard (multiple times) that saving money for your future is important, but do you know how much you are actually socking away? There’s a formula to calculate your own specific personal savings rate (aka the percentage of your after-tax dollars that you’re putting away).

It’s not too complex and can be a helpful tool to see how your money management is tracking. Find out how to calculate your savings rate here.

What Information is Included in the Savings Rate Formula?

The basic formula to calculate savings rate is:

Your savings / your after-tax income = your savings rate

Once you’ve calculated your savings rate, you can use it to:

• Review how you’re doing from month to month or year to year.

• See how your current spending habits are affecting your future goals and financial independence.

• Motivate yourself to do better with your savings.

• Compare your efforts to others.

You can gather up the numbers you need to determine your savings rate (which is sometimes referred to as a savings ratio) in just a few steps:

Step 1: Add Up Your Income for the Month

Your income streams might include, after taxes: your monthly salary, the money you earned from any side gigs or from selling homemade items online, or rental income if you’re renting out a room of your home to get extra funds. Don’t forget to include money you earned that’s automatically deducted from your pay and added to a retirement account, such as a 401(k) or a traditional or Roth IRA. And add in your employer’s matching retirement plan contributions, as well.

Recommended: 39 Ways to Earn Passive Income Streams

Step 2: Add Up the Money You Put into Savings Each Month

This is about what you’re saving for the long-term, not next week. So it would include the money that’s automatically coming out of your check for retirement savings, plus your employer’s matching contributions, along with any funds you’re putting into separate savings or brokerage accounts.

💡 Quick Tip: Want to save more, spend smarter? Let your bank manage the basics. It’s surprisingly easy, and secure, when you open an online bank account.

Step 3: Do the Math

Divide the total amount of your long-term savings (Step 2) by the total amount of your after-tax income (Step 1). Turn the number you get into a percentage (.10 is 10%, for example), and that’s your savings rate.

You may hear or see a few variations on what’s included in the calculation. Some people don’t include their employer’s 401(k) contributions in their calculations, for instance, and some might add in extra payments they’re putting toward the principal on a student loan or other debt. The point is to be consistent with what you do or don’t include from month to month.

Ready for a Better Banking Experience?

Open a SoFi Checking and Savings Account and start earning up to 4.50% APY on your cash!

How About an Example?

Let’s use Jane, whose hypothetical after-tax Income every month is $4,500. She brings in another $500, after taxes, by renting the extra bedroom in her apartment to her cousin, for a total of $5,000 a month.

Jane’s employer doesn’t offer a 401(k) plan, but on her own, Jane puts $500 a month into a Roth IRA. And she always puts another $100 a month in an online savings account she has earmarked for long-term goals. Jane’s savings amount totals $600 a month.

Using the savings rate formula, that’s $600 / $5,000 = .12, which makes Jane’s personal monthly savings rate 12%.

Of course, everyone’s numbers may not be quite so straightforward. Couples, for instance, may have to consider two or more paychecks and, possibly, two or more retirement accounts. Some individuals work more than one job or earn income from multiple sources. Some might count their emergency fund as savings, and others don’t. But the idea is the same: An individual’s or a household’s savings rate measures how much disposable income (defined by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) as after-tax income) is being set aside for long-term savings and retirement.

Why Is Knowing Your Personal Savings Rate Important?

The BEA tracks the nation’s personal savings rate from month to month to monitor Americans’ financial health and better predict consumer behavior. And you can do much the same thing with your own savings rate.

By tracking your rate on a regular basis, you can assess how you’re doing in real-time. If you’re consistently falling short of the savings goals you’ve set for yourself, you can look at what behaviors might need changing or if you need to rework your budget. You also can use the information as an incentive to do better. And you might even find it’s a fun way to compete with others close to you, with the nation’s average personal savings rate, or just against yourself.

If you saved 8% in 2023, for example, could you bump that amount to 9% or 10% in 2024? What if you got an unexpected raise or bonus: Would you have the discipline to put that amount into your savings to keep your rate the same or improve it?

Knowing your savings rate can help you make those kinds of financial decisions.

💡 Quick Tip: Most savings accounts only earn a fraction of a percentage in interest. Not at SoFi. Our high-yield savings account can help you make meaningful progress towards your financial goals.

What’s a Good Savings Rate?

The average personal savings rate in the U.S. was about 4.03% in mid 2023, according to the Fed. But financial experts generally advise savers to stash away at least 10% of their income every month ($500 of a $5,000 monthly salary, for example). The popular 50/30/20 budget rule created by Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggests saving 20% of after-tax income.

If that seems extreme, it’s probably more useful to simply target a number you’re sure you can stick to monthly or annually. Just having a positive savings rate — anything above zero — can be a good starting point for building good fiscal habits and a nest egg. You can always make adjustments as you accomplish other financial goals, such as paying off student loans or credit card debt.

Isn’t Having a Good Budget Enough?

A personal budget can be a useful guide when it comes to reaching financial goals. And tracking your spending with a spreadsheet or an app can help you see where your dollars (and dimes) are actually going, as opposed to where you think they’re going—those two places might be very different.

Many people who make a budget include the amount they plan to put toward savings in their budget as a monthly expense. But that’s different from knowing your savings rate.

A savings rate provides a separate, wide-angle view of how much of what you make is going into savings. And that can help you further evaluate how you’re doing.

How Can Someone Improve Their Savings Rate?

The answer is simple: Spend less and save more.

Here are some steps that could help improve an individual’s or household’s savings rate.

Opening or Contributing More to a Retirement Account

One of the easiest ways to save more money can be to open a 401(k) or IRA, or to boost the amount that’s automatically deposited to an account you already have. After all, if you never see the money, you likely won’t be as tempted to spend it. And if you’re a long way from retirement, the money you invest should have lots of time to grow with compound interest. If your employer offers a 401(k) with a matching contribution, a goal might be to save as much as possible to maximize those funds.

Recommended: How an Employer 401(k) Match Works

Opening an Online Savings Account

If you’ve been saving s-l-o-w-l-y with a traditional type of savings account, it might be time to consider other options. Many online financial institutions, for example, offer higher interest rates for deposit accounts because they have lower overhead costs than brick-and-mortar banks, and they pass those savings on to their customers. Online accounts also may offer lower fees than traditional banks—or, in some cases, no fees.

Cut Back on Discretionary Spending

The thought of squeezing out additional dollars for savings each month might be daunting if you’re already on a tight budget. But even a little spending cut can go a long way toward nudging up your savings rate.

Let’s go back to our hypothetical saver, Jane, for an example. If Jane could manage to save just $50 more every month (or about $12 a week), she could increase her savings rate by a full percentage point — from 12% to 13%. That might mean getting takeout one less time every week. Or one less night out with the girls every month. Or maybe cutting back on streaming services she seldom uses.

Lowering Fixed Expenses

Lowering the bills that have to be paid every month can increase the amount of money that’s available for savings. That could include:

• Shopping for cheaper car insurance or a less expensive cell phone carrier

• Keeping your paid-off car for an extra year or two instead of jumping right back into another auto loan

• Refinancing to a lower interest rate on a mortgage or student loans

• Cutting the cord on cable

• Doing your own landscaping.

Ditching the Credit Card Debt

Yes, credit cards are convenient, and using your cards wisely can have a positive effect on your credit score. But the interest on credit cards is typically higher than for other types of borrowing, and it compounds, which means you could be paying interest on the interest charged on previous purchases.

If you’re carrying a balance from month to month and paying interest, you’re giving money to the credit card company that could be going into your savings account. Using a debt payoff strategy or consolidating your credit card debt with a personal loan could help you dump those credit card bills and get your savings back on track.

Putting Pay Raises Toward Savings, Not Spending

No one is suggesting that you should live ultra frugally like when you were scraping by in college or starting your career, but it might not hurt to hold on to some of those money-saving habits you had then. Otherwise, if your pay goes up and your savings stay static, your savings ratio is doomed to drop.

One last example using our hypothetical friend, Jane: If Jane got a $100-a-month raise (after taxes), but she continued putting $600 a month into savings, her savings rate would fall from 12% to just below 10%.

The Takeaway

Saving money might not be considered exciting by everyone, but the thought of being financially secure is pretty appealing. Think of your savings rate as a mirror you can hold up every month to see how you’re doing.

Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.

Better banking is here with up to 4.50% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

Photo credit: iStock/fizkes


SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2023 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.50% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a deposit to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate.

SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.50% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.50% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 8/9/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet..

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOBK0823005

Source: sofi.com

Posted in: Financial Advisor, Money Tagged: 2, 2023, 401(k) plan, 50/30/20 budget, About, ACH, All, Amount Of Money, analysis, apartment, app, Auto, auto loan, Automated Clearing House, average, balance, Bank, bank account, Banking, banks, basic, basics, bedroom, before, Behavior, Benefits, bills, bonus, bonuses, borrowing, brick, brokerage, Budget, Budgeting & Goals, building, Cable, car, Car Insurance, Career, cash, Checking Account, College, company, Compound, Compound Interest, contributions, costs, couples, Credit, credit card, credit card company, Credit Card Debt, credit cards, credit score, credits, cut, cutting the cord, Debit Card, Debt, debt payoff, decisions, deposit, Deposits, design, Direct Deposit, earning, Elizabeth Warren, Emergency, Emergency Fund, employer, expense, expenses, expensive, experience, experts, Fall, FDIC, fed, Fees, financial, Financial Goals, financial health, financial independence, financial tips, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, first, fixed, formula, Forth, Fraction, Free, fun, fund, funding, funds, future, General, Giving, goal, goals, good, government, grace period, Grow, guide, habits, health, helpful, hold, home, house, household, Housing, How To, in, Income, income streams, Insurance, interest, interest rate, interest rates, international, Invest, IRA, items, job, landscaping, Legal, lender, Live, loan, Loans, long-term goals, Long-term Savings, LOWER, Make, manage, mastercard, math, member, mobile, Mobile App, money, Money Management, MoneyGen, MoneyLL, MoneyUn, More, more money, Mortgage, needs, Nest, offer, offers, Online Savings Account, or, Other, passive, passive income, paycheck, payments, paypal, pension, Personal, personal budget, personal loan, plan, Popular, pretty, principal, Raise, rate, Rates, ready, refinancing, rental, renting, renting out, retirement, retirement account, retirement accounts, retirement plan, retirement savings, Review, rewards, right, room, roth, Roth IRA, Salary, save, saver, Saving, saving money, savings, Savings Account, Savings Accounts, Savings Goals, savings rate, score, security, selling, shopping, short, Side, Side Gigs, simple, social, social security, sofi, Spending, spending habits, spreadsheet, square, Strategies, streaming, student, student loan, Student Loans, takeout, target, tax, taxes, the fed, time, tips, tracking, traditional, traditional banks, v, variable, venmo, warren, Ways to Save, will, wire transfers, work

Apache is functioning normally

August 31, 2023 by Brett Tams

It’s a strange time in the world. People are looking for new companionship, especially if they have become permanent remote workers. And everyone is also looking to save a little money. Those are two of the reasons for a recent boom in pet chicken ownership. The “urban chickening” trend has reached all corners. This has left many wondering if a pet chicken is right for me?

The fact is, chickens make wonderful pets and feathery friends. And you might even get to enjoy a trove of fresh eggs along with it. But they’re certainly a far cry from dogs and cats. Pet chickens aren’t for everyone, but if you like the idea, the rewards are many. “They’re cute. They’re fun to watch run around. They’re excited when we come home,” reports pet chicken owners Robert McMinn and Jules Corkery of Queens, NY. What makes this Astoria couple interesting is that they are raising their three hens inside their one-bedroom apartment.

So, can you have a chicken in an apartment? The answer is a wholehearted, yes. But to do so takes time, patience, expense, space and permission, as well as the ability to do so in your location and climate. It’s obviously easier to raise a chicken in an apartment if you have a dedicated outdoor space to house them full time. But what about indoors? Indoor chickens are known as “house chickens,” and this is what it takes to own one.

Are you allowed to keep a chicken in your apartment?

Before you even consider purchasing or otherwise acquiring a chicken, you need to find out if you can even have a chicken in your apartment. There are two forces at work to find out — from your landlord and from the government.

Ask your landlord

First, you’ll need to find out from your landlord if they allow chickens, or birds in general, in your lease. If you aren’t allowed pets at all, the answer is probably no. If your apartment is pet-friendly, read your lease to see if it spells out what kind of pets or what size.

If you’re still unsure, contact the landlord or property manager directly to ask. If it’s not expressly forbidden in your lease, you can make the argument to allow them. Additionally, if you rent a unit that’s part of a homeowner’s association, make sure it’s allowed by that entity, too.

Ask your local officials

If your landlord permits chickens, you also need to find out if it’s actually legal where you live. Unfortunately, rules about chicken-keeping vary from municipality to municipality. The first step is to research rules for raising chickens indoors online. This is a good source to begin with.

For more information or to confirm, contact your local county, township or city hall. Ask for the best person with whom to speak to find the legal answer. Before you make your purchase, make sure every entity — your state, your county, your town, township or city — agrees on the legality. It may also require a call to a zoning board or local health department. Be sure you’re researching indoor rules, specifically. If there’s no ordinance prohibiting it, then you’re allowed as long as you follow other regulations like noise and sanitation.

And be aware. Even if keeping chickens is legal, some ordinances require you to get your neighbors’ approval.

Should you have a chicken in your apartment?

Even if you can raise a chicken in your apartment, there’s a question if you should raise a chicken in your apartment. There are many people, from veterinarians to enthusiasts, who believe it’s not good for the chicken to be indoors in an apartment. In the end, only you can decide if you feel it’s humane in your particular situation.

Pros of urban chickening

If you plan on keeping a chicken as a pet (as opposed to as an egg-laying machine), they make wonderful companions. Chickens easily adapt to your lifestyle, especially if you acquire them as chicks. Indoor chickens get used to being around you and will bond with you. Like any pet, they can learn to interact with you. Many chickens will be quite comfortable curling up with you on the couch and watching TV.

But like any pet, the more they get used to their indoor pet lifestyle, the harder it will be to change. Once you raise a chicken as an indoor pet, it would be unkind to send it away to live outdoors. A typical chicken lives an average of 10 years. Be ready to make that decade-long commitment.

Even if you aren’t raising chickens to save money on eggs, it’s still going to happen if yours is a hen. A hen, if that’s your choice, will lay around 300 eggs a year when properly cared for. And yes, the eggs are perfectly fine to eat. And may even save you some money. As an added bonus, hens lay eggs with a hint of the taste of whatever they themselves eat. Giving your chicken table scraps to eat will make your eggs taste like that.

Cons of urban chickening

But remember, chickens, by their nature, are outdoor creatures. Of course, they can adapt to living indoors, but they can often treat your indoors like the outdoors. They’re dirty, smelly and cause messes. They can eat indoor plants and peck holes in your furniture or floor. And, even with precautions, they can and will poop almost anywhere. They require a lot of time and effort. It’s up to you to discern the ROI.

Many enthusiasts turn to chickens as an alternative to traditional pets. But if allergies are a consideration, it isn’t any better luck. While no, chickens don’t have fur, many people are allergic to feathers, dust and dander. Be sure no one in the apartment is allergic before pulling the trigger.

As well, if you already have a cat or dog in the house, consider not adding a chicken. Most house pets aren’t used to being around fowl. They may scare or even harm your indoor pet chicken. And just because chickens aren’t flying birds doesn’t mean they can’t fly. Be aware that many chickens can fly or jump up to 15 feet or so.

What breed is best for an apartment and how many?

There is, of course, no standard “chicken.” Like any pet, you have a variety of breeds to choose from. The friendliest breeds are often the most adaptive to living indoors. Many are known as “lap chickens” because they’ll get used to sitting right in your lap. Some of the best breeds for house chickens include:

  • Silkie
  • Barbu D’Uccle
  • Sultan
  • Cochin
  • Bantam
  • Buff Orpington
  • Salmon Faverolle
  • Cochin
  • Easter Egger
  • Polish

Silkies are docile, very friendly and act quite quirky. Barbus are fairly small, easy to carry around and can learn to sit on your shoulder. Sultans enjoy the indoors and are often described as sweet and warm.

But chickens are social creatures. They’re born to run in flocks. Keeping fellow chickens as social company is crucial. Experts and breeders suggest never raising a lone chicken. In fact, it’s generally recommended to keep three chickens from the chick stage. That’s often how they’re sold, as well. This is to ensure that if one passes, the other chickens will still have each other.

What do you need to keep a chicken indoors?

While chickens are naturally outdoor creatures, you can still raise a chicken in your apartment like a traditional pet. Indoor chickens are as fun and cuddly as having a dog or cat. They can eat and sleep indoors, and interact with you as you go about your day. But keeping a house chicken is expensive, messy and difficult.

And chickens will bond with you just like cats and dogs. Many feel chickens are aloof or even unintelligent, but they are loyal pets. Your best bet for this is to buy chicks very young. The more you imprint on them from a young age, the stronger the bond. And to keep them happy, give them the best living and feeding situation you can.

Your house chicken’s living area

It’s vital to give your indoor chicken an environment for them to thrive. And that starts with a living area similar to an outdoor coop.

You can buy a specialty cage for your chickens, or even repurpose an old doghouse. Your setup should have a coop, a run and a nest box. The coop should also have a roost, raised a foot to a foot-and-a-half off the ground, high enough to jump to and low enough if they fall. The run should have sawdust and straw as that will also be your chicken’s litter box.

Your chickens should never be confined to or denied access from the coop, but rather given free access to it unsupervised. Their home should have four or five square feet per chicken. If they’re too crowded, chickens have been known to cannibalize.

The entire setup should be in an area least disturbing to both you and them. Chickens enjoy taking “dust baths,” covering themselves in detritus from the run. So, it’s advisable to keep it away from kitchens and bedrooms. You must also decide if the chickens have access to your entire space, or only to certain areas.

And lastly, artificial sunlight is also key, just as it would be to incubate an egg. There are many appropriate indoor avian lamps available. This helps keep their vision sharp and allows their bodies to create proper hormones. Keep these where your chick can sunbathe in the light.

Keep your indoor chicken’s living space clean

Clean the living area between one and three times a week. Your chickens will learn this routine and keep away while you’re cleaning. When you clean, remove the feces, replace the litter (compostable is an excellent option) and wash the floors and sides of each surface as well as the feeders and waterers. Use non-toxic soap and hot water. Wash your hands thoroughly immediately after cleaning or touching any areas. Minimizing salmonella germ spread is an important concern.

And if you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor space like a yard, patio or porch, you can set up their living space outside. But again, the chickens must have free access to it at all times.

What to do with your chicken’s poop

For the most part, your chicken will do their business in the litter area of the coop and run you have set up. Chickens are not cats, and won’t naturally seek out the litter. You can potty train chickens to do so, but it’s not simple. How tame and smart enough your chicken is to do so will make a difference, and you’ll have had to build trust.

Litter box training takes time and patience. And in the meantime, there is a lot of poop to clean around the house. And even after training, accidents will occur, so be prepared.

Additionally, yes, chicken diapers do exist. But experts say diapers are not a permanent option, but only for timely convenience. And keep in mind, that hens lay eggs from the general area from which they poop, which means poopy eggs in poopy diapers. And that’s no fun for anyone.

Feeding your apartment chicken

Your chicken’s primary dietary item is fresh pellets as chicken feed. The makeup of pellets will change with your chicken’s age and life stage. Additionally, you’ll need to add “grit” to the chicken’s feed. Broken oyster shells and small stones in their food help them to digest.

As well, your chickens need 24-hour access to fresh drinking water. You may provide this in a retail chicken waterer. It’s also recommended to add commercial poultry vitamins to the water.

Like any animal and any pet, chickens also love treats. Some favorites include dried mealworms, peeled and cored apples, alfalfa and plain yogurt. But every chicken’s favorite is corn. This is the recommended reward for chicken training. And chickens also love table scraps. Suggestions include pasta, green vegetables, dry cereals, raisins and bananas.

But be judicious with treats, especially ones high in fat. An overweight chicken can become sick very quickly. They will also produce low-quality eggs.

Getting your chicken outdoor time

So, you have decided having a house chicken indoors is the right choice for you. But to make sure it’s the right choice for them, too, your chicken must have significant outdoor time. Chickens, as mentioned, are outdoor creatures, and they won’t thrive stuck indoors.

Chickens thrive when given time to forage in a yard or in a park. If they start trying to eat bits of carpet or other non-food items around your house, that’s a sign they need more outside time. “They need to give themselves dust baths, which kills any body parasites and keeps them clean. It’s important for chickens to be able to scratch in the Earth for bugs, grubs, worms, etc.,” says Owen Taylor, city farms manager at Just Food.

Make time in your schedule for you and your chicken to take a walk outside every day. Possibly several times a day. Chickens need access to the outdoors, sunshine and grass as often as possible. It’s not required they run free in an enclosed area. You can even take them for a walk like a dog. Just be sure to purchase a chicken harness and avoid traffic areas.

Welcome to urban chickening

The answer to the question “Can you have a chicken in an apartment?” full-time indoors is yes. But the more important question is “should you?” That’s a decision you have to make dependent on your budget, time, patience, space, situation and permissions.

You’ll need to do significant prep and research before you jump into the world of indoor urban chickening. Read every website you can. Talk to breeders and fellow enthusiasts. And read up in books like “The Chicken Health Handbook.”

And if every light seems green, proceed cautiously, and enjoy getting to know and bond with your new house chickens. If you’re looking for a pet-friendly apartment in your city, be sure to peruse the listings at Rent..

Source: rent.com

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Apache is functioning normally

August 28, 2023 by Brett Tams

A growing number of aspiring homeowners are turning to crowdfunding platforms as a way of raising funds to cover their down payments.

Crowdfunding platforms such as HomeFundMe and Feather the Nest have recently emerged, catering specifically for the home down payment market, Realtor.com reports. The idea is that wannabe homeowners can use the platforms to raise the funds they need to cover the down payment needed to purchase a home. Some platforms, including one called HoneyFund, also allow down payment contributions to be awarded as a “gift”.

“The number one challenge that we hear from millennials in terms of their ability to buy a home is the down payment,” Jonathan Lawless, vice president of customer solutions for Fannie Mae, told realtor.com. “Crowdsourcing is an interesting new way that a person can generate a down payment, one made possible by technology. … We think there is a great future for it.”

Aspiring homeowners who’re already prequalified for a mortgage can use crowdfunding sites to create a personal page, or plea, asking for funds towards their down payment.

“[Many] people find they can afford [mortgage] payments, but not the down payment to own a home,” Christopher George, CEO of CMG Financial, a mortgage banking firm that launched HomeFundMe, told realtor.com.

The idea is proving to be a big hit with government too, as HomeFundMe is already being backed by mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Lenders do have restrictions in place on how down payment assistance is handled. In most cases, lenders will want to see a letter from whoever is providing financial assistance stating that the money is a gift and not a loan. However, one crowdfunding platform called HoneyFund is helping borrowers to bypass that by allowing its users to contribute money as a “gift”, with no paperwork needed.

HomeFundMe does something similar, allowing up to $7,500 to be gifted towards a single campaign without any documentation needed. The site also encourages responsible lending too, offering to award buyers $2 for every $1 they raise up to a total of $1,000, or one percent of their home’s purchase price, on the condition that the buyer undergoes counseling first. In addition, the buyer must agree to obtain their mortgage through CMG Financial, which is the parent company of HomeFundMe.

Not everyone is so keen on the idea of crowdfunding however, as some experts warn there is often a very good reason why some buyers cannot save for a down payment.

“If somebody is not able to save for their own down payment, it might be because they are stretched financially,” Lawless said. “But it [also] might be that they are bad at saving. The ability to generate savings is a critical aspect of being a responsible homeowner.”

Mike Wheatley is the senior editor at Realty Biz News. Got a real estate related news article you wish to share, contact Mike at [email protected].
Latest posts by Mike Wheatley (see all)

Source: realtybiznews.com

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