Throughout your working career, you pay employment taxes that help fund Social Security, which provides income when you retire. In 2023, nearly 67 million people will receive Social Security benefits, collectively totaling more than $1 trillion.
There are strict rules about when you can claim Social Security benefits. You can start collecting retirement benefits as early as age 62, but if you can delay claiming your benefits, your monthly benefit amount can continue growing until you reach age 70.
Learn more about Social Security benefits, early retirement age, and the advantages and disadvantages of filing for your benefits early and late.
Key Points
• Social Security benefits provide income for retirees, with the amount depending on their earnings and the age at which benefits are claimed.
• The full retirement age (FRA) for Social Security benefits varies based on the year of birth.
• Benefits can be claimed as early as age 62, but the monthly amount is reduced compared to claiming at FRA.
• Delaying benefits past FRA can increase the monthly amount through delayed retirement credits, up to a certain point.
• It’s important to consider shortand long-term financial needs before deciding when to claim Social Security benefits.
What Are Social Security Benefits?
Social Security is a social insurance program created in 1935 to pay workers an income once they retired at age 65 or older. When people talk about Social Security benefits, they’re referring to a monthly payment that replaces a portion of a worker’s pre-retirement income.
The amount you receive depends on how much you earned and paid in Social Security taxes during the 35 highest-earning years of your career. Generally speaking, the higher your income, the bigger your monthly check will be — up to a point. Also important is the age at which you claim benefits. Typically, the later you receive benefits, the higher your monthly check will be.
Note that retirees aren’t the only ones who are eligible for Social Security benefits. People with qualifying disabilities, surviving spouses of workers who have died, and dependent beneficiaries may also qualify for benefits.
Recommended: When Will Social Security Run Out?
At What Age Can You Collect Social Security?
When the Social Security program began, the full retirement age (FRA) was 65, and that’s still what many in the U.S. think of as the average retirement age. However, as life expectancy in the U.S. has increased, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has adjusted the FRA accordingly.
The chart below illustrates FRA by year of birth.
If You Were Born In
Your Full Retirement Age Is
1943-1954
66
1955
66 and 2 months
1956
66 and 4 months
1957
66 and 6 months
1958
66 and 8 months
1959
66 and 10 months
1960 or later
67
Recommended: At What Age Should You File for Social Security?
What Is the Early Retirement Age for Social Security?
You can choose to claim retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, SSA will reduce your benefit by about 0.5% for every month you receive benefits before your FRA. For example, if your full retirement age is 67 and you file for Social Security benefits when you’re 62, you’d receive around 70% of your benefit.
On the other hand, if you wait to claim benefits after your FRA, you’ll accrue delayed retirement credits. This increases your benefit a certain percentage for every month you delay after your FRA. For example, if your full retirement age is 67 and you delay receiving benefits until age 70, you’ll get 124% of your monthly benefits. Note that the benefit increase stops when you turn 70.
Recommended: When Can I Retire? This Formula Will Help You Know
Can You Claim Social Security While You’re Still Working?
When you claim your Social Security benefits, the SSA considers you retired. However, you can continue working after retirement and receiving benefits at the same time, though they may be limited.
If you’re younger than FRA for the entire year, the SSA will deduct $1 from your payment for every $2 you earn above an annual limit. In 2023, that limit is $21,240. In the year you reach full retirement age, the SSA will begin deducting $1 for every $3 you make above a different earnings limit — $56,520 in 2023.
No matter their work history, your spouse has the option to claim Social Security benefits based on your work record. That benefit can be up to 50% of your primary insurance amount, which is the benefit you’d receive at FRA. Your spouse can begin receiving spousal benefits at age 62, but they will receive a reduced benefit.
Pros and Cons of Claiming Social Security Early
The main advantage of filing for Social Security early is that you’ll have access to retirement funds sooner. This can be a boon to individuals who need extra money to get by each month. To help you maximize every last dollar, consider using a spending app to create budgets, track spending, and monitor bills.
The main disadvantage of filing early is that you may permanently reduce your monthly benefit amount. This could be a factor to keep in mind as you determine whether you’re on track for retirement.
So how do you decide when to file for your benefits? Consider your “break-even point.” This is the age at which receiving a delayed higher benefit outweighs claiming benefits earlier.
Here’s an example of how that works. Let’s say your FRA is 67 and your annual benefit is $24,000. If you claim your benefit at age 62, your benefit drops to $16,800 a year. If you delay until age 70, your benefit would be $29,760 a year.
By adding up each year’s worth of benefits and comparing them across different potential retirement ages, you find your break-even point. So in that last example, claiming your benefit at FRA breaks even with early filing at age 78. If you expect to live until this age or longer, you may consider filing for Social Security at full retirement age. Delaying until age 70 breaks even with claiming at FRA at age 82. So if you expect to live until 82 or longer, you may consider delaying your benefits.
Recommended: How Can I Retire Early?
The Takeaway
Social Security is an important source of guaranteed income during retirement and can help ensure you can cover recurring expenses like housing payments and utilities. Your monthly payment amount is determined by how much you’ve earned during your working career and the age at which you claim Social Security benefits. You’re eligible to receive your full benefits when you reach full retirement age (FRA). If you file before then, the monthly payment will be reduced. If you file later, your monthly payment can increase, up to a point. Consider your short- and long-term financial needs carefully before deciding when to claim Social Security.
Whether you’re planning to continue working past your FRA or are preparing for retirement, using a money tracker app can help you manage your overall spending and saving. The SoFi Insights app connects all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see all of your balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score monitoring, plus you can get other valuable financial insights.
Stay up to date on your finances by seeing exactly how your money comes and goes.
FAQ
Can I take Social Security at age 55?
You cannot claim Social Security benefits at age 55. The earliest you can file for benefits is age 62.
What happens to my Social Security if I retire at 55?
If you retire at 55, you will have to wait seven years, until age 62, before you are eligible to claim early Social Security benefits. Retiring early may also affect the size of your benefit if you are leaving work in your top-earning years.
What is the average Social Security benefit at age 62?
The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit in 2023 is about $1,827 for those filing at full retirement age. Filing early at age 62 would reduce that benefit by 30% to $1,278.90.
Photo credit: iStock/svetikd
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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.
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Who doesn’t like a little something extra? While there are some benefits your employer is required to provide you, they may also give you additional perks in the form of what are known as “fringe benefits.”
Here’s a look at some examples of fringe benefits, how they work, and whether they’re taxable.
What Are Fringe Benefits?
Typically, employers compensate their employees with a traditional paycheck and some additional benefits that they must provide, such as workers’ compensation coverage or unemployment.
But in an effort to keep workers happy, loyal, and motivated — attract new talent — many organizations also offer fringe benefits such as health insurance, childcare assistance, and employee stock options. These extras are above and beyond a regular paycheck and are often included in a hiring package. 💡 Quick Tip: We love a good spreadsheet, but not everyone feels the same. An online budget planner can give you the same insight into your budgeting and spending at a glance, without the extra effort.
Common Fringe Benefits
Here’s a look at some common fringe benefits:
• Accident and health benefits: Provides help with health-related costs not covered by your traditional insurance plan.
• Athletic facilities: Provides access to on- and off-site athletic and gym facilities.
• Dependent care assistance: Helps you pay for some care-related expenses for qualifying dependents, including children, a disabled spouse or legally dependent parents.
• Adoption assistance: Provides payment and reimbursement for expenses related to adopting a child.
• Employee stock options: Gives employees the chance to buy a certain amount of company stock at a specified price and by a certain time.
• Group-term life insurance coverage: Allows employers to provide their employees with up to $50,000 in tax-free insurance. Coverage is traditionally 1-2x salary, where the first $50,000 is received tax-free, then any additional coverage is taxed.
• Health savings accounts (HSAs): Provides tax-advantaged savings accounts for employees enrolled in high-deductible health plans. These accounts may receive contributions by the employer or simply be funded on a pre-tax basis by the employee to help them pay for dental and health care costs.
• Transportation and commuting benefits: Helps employees get to and from work, such as through the use of a company vehicle. Employees may also be able to have qualified transportation costs taken from their pre-tax pay, which reduces their taxable income.
• Tuition reduction: Allows employers to chip in for the cost of tuition to educate an employee and sometimes their spouse or children.
• Meals: Provides employees with free on-site food and snacks.
For a more complete list of fringe benefits, check out IRS Publication 15-B .
Are Fringe Benefits Taxable?
Generally speaking, most fringe benefits are subject to employment taxes. The taxes are taken out of your paycheck and reported on your annual tax return. (If you’re a contractor, you’ll typically report fringe benefits on a Form 1099-MISC. If you’re a non-employee, fringe benefits are not subject to employment tax.)
That said, the IRS does consider some fringe benefits nontaxable. This means they’re not subject to federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, or federal unemployment tax, nor must they be reported on your tax return. Often, in order for a fringe benefit to avoid being taxed, certain qualifications must be met.
Here are some extra perks that are considered nontaxable (the full list is available on the IRS’ site:
• Retirement planning services
• Adoption assistance
• Meals and snacks (If certain conditions are met)
• Health insurance (up to a certain dollar amount)
• Group-term life insurance (up to a certain amount of coverage)
• Commuting or transportation benefits
• Dependent care assistance (up to a certain amount)
• Awards given for achievements
Tax-Advantaged Fringe Benefits
Some fringe benefits allow employees to direct a certain amount of funds pretax toward qualified accounts and expenses, which can lower their taxable income.
These tax-advantaged benefits are (somewhat oddly) known as “cafeteria plans,” because they allow employees to select the benefits they want. You must be permitted to choose from at least one taxable benefit, like cash, and one qualified benefit. Examples of qualified benefits include:
• 401(k) plans
• Accident and health benefits, excluding Archer medical savings accounts and long-term care insurance.
• Adoption assistance
• Dependent care assistance
• Group-term life insurance coverage
• HSAs (distributions from HSAs can be used to purchase long-term care coverage.)
There are, predictably, a few more nuanced rules about cafeteria plans and employee tax treatment. While most regular employees receive normal tax treatment, other employees or contractors may not be treated as such for cafeteria plans.
If you have tax-related questions about fringe benefits, it might be a good idea to consult your attorney or preferred tax specialist. 💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.
Planning Around Fringe Benefits
Employers typically offer fringe benefits to make the work environment better for the people who currently work there and more desirable for prospective employees.
Some benefits may hold a lot of appeal. For example, 401(k)s are a powerful tool for saving for your retirement. But others may be less appealing. For instance, you may decide you don’t want to use FSAs, which often restrict how much you can contribute and when you have to spend the funds.
It’s common to choose which fringe benefits you want when you’re starting a new job and filling out your initial paperwork. However, many companies will allow you to go back and make changes if you decide later that some choices aren’t right for you.
The Takeaway
Fringe benefits can run the gamut from use of the company car to adoption assistance to employee stock options (to name just a few examples). These extra perks are in addition to your paycheck and can be a powerful way to keep workers happy and loyal while also attracting new talent.
Generally speaking, most fringe benefits are taxable, though some — like retirement planning assistance, athletic facilities, and on-site meals and snacks — are not. Some fringe benefits will even allow you to direct a portion of funds pretax toward qualified accounts and expenses, which can help lower your taxable income.
Take control of your finances with the SoFi Insights money tracker app. Connect all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.
See exactly how your money comes and goes at a glance.
SoFi Relay offers users the ability to connect both SoFi accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc.’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. Based on your consent SoFi will also automatically provide some financial data received from the credit bureau for your visibility, without the need of you connecting additional accounts. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score is a VantageScore® based on TransUnion® (the “Processing Agent”) data.
Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.
External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.
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.
Whether you’re purchasing a new pair of eyeglasses, stocking up on over-the-counter medications, or paying for your child’s daycare, there may be certain expenses your health insurance plan doesn’t cover.
In those cases, having a flexible spending account, or FSA, could help you save money. This special savings account lets you set aside pretax dollars to pay for eligible out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, which in turn can lower your taxable income.
Let’s take a look at how these accounts work.
What Is an FSA?
An FSA is an employer-sponsored savings account you can use to pay for certain health care and dependent costs. It’s commonly included as part of a benefits package, so if you purchased a plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace, or have Medicaid or Medicare, you may no longer qualify for a FSA. There are three types of FSA accounts:
• Health care FSAs, which can be used to pay for eligible medical and dental expenses.
• Dependent care FSAs, which can be used to pay for eligible child and adult care expenses, such as preschool, summer camp, and home health care.
• Limited expense health care FSA, which can be used to pay for dental and vision expenses. This type of account is available to those who have a high-deductible health plan with a health savings account.
How Do You Fund an FSA?
If you opt into an FSA, you’ll need to decide on how much to regularly contribute throughout the year. Those contribution amounts will be automatically deducted from your paychecks and placed into the account. Whatever money you put into an FSA isn’t taxed, which means you can keep more of what you earn.
Your employer may also throw some money into your FSA account, but they are under no legal obligation to do so.
You can use your FSA throughout the year to either reimburse yourself or to help pay for eligible expenses for you, your spouse, and your dependents (more on that in a minute). Typically, you’ll be required to submit a claim through your employer and include proof of the expense (usually a receipt), along with a statement that says that your regular health insurance does not cover that cost.
Some employers offer an FSA debit card or checkbook, which you can use to pay for qualifying medical purchases without having to file a reimbursement claim through your employer. 💡 Quick Tip: When you have questions about what you can and can’t afford, a spending tracker app can show you the answer. With no guilt trip or hourly fee.
What Items Qualify for FSA Reimbursement?
The IRS decides which expenses qualify for FSA reimbursement, and the list is extensive. Here’s a look at some of what’s included — you can see the full list on the IRS’ website.
• Health plan co-payments and deductibles (but not insurance premiums)
• Prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses
• Dental and vision expenses
• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter medicines
• First aid supplies
• Menstrual care items
• Birth control
• Sunscreen
• Home health care items, like thermometers, crutches, and medical alert devices
• Medical diagnostic products, like cholesterol monitors, home EKG devices, and home blood pressure monitors
• Home health care
• Day care
• Summer camp
Are There Any FSA Limits?
For 2023, health care FSA and limited health care FSA contributions are limited to $3,050 per year, per employer. Your spouse can also contribute $3,050 to their FSA account as well.
Meanwhile, dependent care FSA contributions are limited to $5,000 per household, or $2,500 if you’re married and filing separately.
Does an FSA Roll Over Each Year?
In general, you’ll need to use the money in an FSA within a plan year. Any unspent money will be lost. However, the IRS has changed the use-it-or-lose-it rule to allow a little more flexibility.
Now, your employer may be able to offer you a couple of options to use up any unspent money in an FSA:
• A “grace period” of no more than 2½ extra months to spend whatever is left in your account
• Rolling over up to $610 to use in the following plan year. (In 2024, that amount increases to $640.)
Note that your employer may be able to offer one of these options, but not both.
One way to avoid scrambling to spend down your FSA before the end of the year or the grace period is to plan ahead. Calculate all deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, prescription drugs, and other possible costs for the coming year, and only contribute what you think you’ll actually need.
Recommended: Flexible Spending Accounts: Rules, Regulations, and Uses
How Can You Use Up Your FSA?
You can consider some of these strategies to get the most out of your FSA:
• Buy non-prescription items. Certain items are FSA-eligible without needing a prescription (but save your receipt for the paperwork!). These items may include first-aid kits, bandages, thermometers, blood pressure monitors, ice packs, and heating pads. Check out the FSA Store to find out which items may be covered.
• Get your glasses (or contacts). You may be able to use your FSA to cover the cost of prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses as well as reading glasses. Contact lens solution and eye drops may also be covered.
• Keep family planning in mind. FSA-eligible items can include condoms, pregnancy tests, baby monitors, fertility kits. If you have a prescription for them, female contraceptives may also be covered.
• Don’t forget your dentist. Unfortunately, toothpaste and cosmetic procedures are not covered by your FSA, but dental checkups and associated costs might be. These could include copays, deductibles, cleanings, fillings, X-rays, and even braces. Mouthguards and cleaning solutions for your retainers and dentures may be FSA-eligible as well. 💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.
Flexible Savings Account (FSA) vs. Health Savings Account (HSA)
You may have heard of a health savings account (HSA). It’s easy to confuse it with an FSA, as they share some similarities.
Both types of accounts:
• Offer some tax advantages
• Can be used to pay for co-payments, deductibles, and eligible medical expenses
• Can be funded through employee-payroll deductions, employer contributions, or individual deductions
• Have a maximum contribution amount. In 2023, people with individual coverage can contribute up to $3,850 per year, while those with family coverage can cset aside up to $7,750 per year.
That said, there are some key differences between HSAs and FSAs:
• You must be enrolled in a high deductible health plan in order to qualify for an HSA.
• HSAs do not have a use-it-or-lose-it rule. Once you put money in the account, it’s yours.
• If you quit or are fired from your job, your HSA can go with you. This happens even if your employer contributed money to the account.
• If you’re 55 or older, you can contribute an additional $1,000 to your HSA as a catch-up contribution — similar to the catch-up contributions allowed with an IRA.
• If you withdraw money from your HSA for a non-qualified expense before the age of 65, you’ll pay taxes on it plus a 20% penalty.
• If you withdraw money from your HSA for any type of expense after age 65, you don’t pay a penalty. However, the withdrawal will be taxed like regular income.
Recommended: Benefits of Health Savings Accounts
The Takeaway
Flexible spending accounts are offered by employers and can be a useful tool for paying for health care- or dependent-related expenses. Notably, you fund the account with pretax dollars taken from your paycheck, which can lower your taxable income and help you save money.
You typically need to spend your FSA money within a plan year, though your employer may give you the option to either roll over a portion of the balance into the next year or use it during a grace period. There are also guidelines around what you can spend the FSA funds on and how much you can contribute to your account.
Take control of your finances with the SoFi Insights money tracker app. Connect all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.
SoFi helps you stay on top of your finances.
SoFi Relay offers users the ability to connect both SoFi accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc.’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. Based on your consent SoFi will also automatically provide some financial data received from the credit bureau for your visibility, without the need of you connecting additional accounts. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score is a VantageScore® based on TransUnion® (the “Processing Agent”) data.
External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.
Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.
Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.
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.
When you carry large amounts of debt across different credit cards and loans, it’s easy to feel snowed under. Making the minimum payment on each leaves you paying a lot in interest and doesn’t make it easy to eliminate all that debt.
One debt repayment strategy you might want to consider is the debt snowball. Many find it to be an effective method of paying off outstanding debt, and it may help you get back to healthy financial practices faster.
Let’s look at what a debt snowball strategy looks like, including how to use a debt snowball calculator.
Debt Terms Defined
Before we go into creating a debt reduction plan, let’s make sure you’re up to speed on certain debt terms.
Interest Rate: The interest rate is the percent of the amount you borrow that you pay to the lender in addition to the principal.
Annual Percentage Rate: This is the interest rate charged per year for purchases you make with a credit card, and may include other fees.
Minimum Payment: Loans and credit cards have a minimum amount you must pay each month on the balance, though you certainly can pay more.
Bankruptcy: If you’re unable to pay off your debts, filing bankruptcy may be a last-ditch solution to consider. Essentially, it reduces or eliminates your debts. Know that it will negatively impact your credit for many years. That’s why it’s worth it to come up with a plan for the ultimate debt payoff strategy. 💡 Quick Tip: We love a good spreadsheet, but not everyone feels the same. An online budget planner can give you the same insight into your budgeting and spending at a glance, without the extra effort.
What Is the Debt Snowball?
Just like an actual snowball, the debt snowball method starts out small. You first tackle the smallest debt balances you have. Once those are paid off, you apply what you were paying on those to the next smallest debts. You continue to pay at least the minimum due on all your debts.
However, by focusing your attention on one debt at a time, you then free up more money to make larger payments on other debts until it’s all gone. Your snowball of debt repayment, so to speak, grows over time.
Benefits of the Snowball Method
The snowball method is one of the fastest ways to pay off debt. And over time, this method will help you have fewer payments as you pay off credit cards and loans and put more money to the remaining debt.
Drawbacks of the Snowball Method
The smallest debts you have may not be the ones with the highest interest. So while you’re paying off the little loans, the debts with higher interest continue to accumulate interest, which adds to your debt.
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Debt Snowball vs. Debt Avalanche
If you have larger loans with higher interest, the debt snowball method may not be your best option. You might also explore another popular way to pay off debt: debt payoff strategy, the debt avalanche method.
With the debt avalanche method, you start paying down the loans and credit cards with the highest interest first. By doing so, you reduce the amount of debt you have at those higher interest rates, which slows down the amount of interest that accumulates over time.
Just like with the snowball, you pay off one debt and then put the money you were paying on that debt toward the loan or card with the next highest interest rate until it’s all paid off. 💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.
How Is Debt Snowball Payoff Calculated?
To use the debt snowball payoff method, you’ll need to gather information about all the debt you have. Let’s use the following example:
• Personal loan 1 balance: $3,000
◦ 12% interest
◦ Minimum payment: $100 per month
• Credit card A balance: $2,000
◦ 17% interest
◦ Minimum payment: $25 per month
• Credit card B balance: $1,000
◦ 22% interest
◦ Minimum payment: $30 per month
• Personal loan 2 balance: $750
◦ 8% interest
◦ Minimum payment: $20 per month
Even without a snowball debt payoff calculator, you can reorder these debts so that you focus on the one with the lowest balance first:
• Personal loan 2: $750
• Credit card B: $1,000
• Credit card A: $2,000
• Personal loan 1: $3,000
Now that you’ve ordered your debts from least to greatest, you can see how, once you pay off the $750 loan, that money can go toward the credit card with the $1,000 balance. Once that’s paid off, you put all that money toward paying off the $2,000 credit card balance, and then finally, to pay off the $3,000 loan.
Debt Snowball Payoff Examples
Let’s look at what the monthly payments for these reordered debts would look like, if you were able to set aside $400 a month toward paying them off.
# Payments
Personal Loan 2 ($750)
Credit Card B ($1,000)
Credit Card A ($2,000)
Personal Loan 1 ($3,000)
1
$245
$30
$25
$100
2
$245
$30
$25
$100
3
$245
$30
$25
$100
4
$25.19
$249.81
$25
$100
5
–
$275
$25
$100
6
–
$275
$25
$100
7
–
–
$300
$100
8
–
–
$300
$100
9
–
–
$300
$100
10
–
–
$300
$100
11
–
–
$300
$100
12
–
–
$300
$100
13
–
–
$300
$100
14
$260.72
$139.28
15
–
–
–
$400
16
–
–
–
$400
17
–
–
–
$400
18
–
–
–
$400
19
–
–
–
$400
20
–
–
–
$400
Total principal & interest
$7,568
Total interest
$829
As the chart shows, what might have taken you years to pay off can be paid off in under two years with the debt snowball method.
One way to keep your finances on track while you’re paying off debt is to create a budget. A money tracker app can help you come up with a spending and saving plan that works for you.
Is a Debt Snowball for You?
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to debt payoff strategies. But to determine whether the debt snowball method is right for you, consider how many different debts you have as well as their interest rates. If your larger debts have higher interest rates, you might consider the avalanche method.
But if your interest rates vary, or the smaller debts have higher interest, you might benefit from paying off those lower amounts first before snowballing those payments into the larger debts.
The Takeaway
If you’re trying to pay off outstanding debt, you have options. The debt snowball method has been proven effective for many people. If nothing else, it’s a way for you to focus your attention on whittling down debt and minimizing how much you pay in interest.
Take control of your finances with the SoFi Insights money tracker app. Connect all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.
See exactly how your money comes and goes at a glance.
FAQ
How long to pay off debt using snowball?
The amount of time it takes to pay off your debt with the snowball method will depend on how much debt you have and how much you can budget to pay it down. However, you may be able to pay off your debt faster with this method.
What is the best way to pay off debt using the snowball method?
The debt snowball method pays off your smallest balances first, then rolls those payments up toward the larger debts until they are all paid off.
What are the 3 biggest strategies for paying down debt?
To pay down or pay off debt, you can consider the debt snowball method (which pays off the smallest balances first), the debt avalanche method (which pays off the balances with the highest interest first), or debt consolidation (which provides a new loan with a single payment and single interest rate).
Photo credit: iStock/Abu Hanifah
SoFi’s Insights tool offers users the ability to connect both SoFi accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc.’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. Based on your consent SoFi will also automatically provide some financial data received from the credit bureau for your visibility, without the need of you connecting additional accounts. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score is a VantageScore® based on TransUnion® (the “Processing Agent”) data.
*Terms and conditions apply. (Must click on the link to be eligible.) This offer is only available to new SoFi users without existing SoFi accounts. It is non-transferable. One offer per person. To receive the Rewards points offer, you must successfully complete setting up Credit Score Monitoring. Rewards points may only be redeemed into SoFi accounts such as cash in SoFi Checking and Savings, SoFi credit cards or loan balances, and fractional shares subject to program terms that may be found here: SoFi Member Rewards Terms and Conditions. SoFi reserves the right to modify or discontinue this offer at any time without notice.
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.
Flexibility can be a real asset in a career. Maybe you’re young and figuring out your post-graduation path. Or you’re busy balancing the demands of running a home and caring for a family. Or you’re an athlete who needs plenty of time for training and recovery.
There are lots of flexible-schedule jobs out there, if you know where to look. Let’s check out some part-time jobs with flexible schedules.
What It Means for a Job to Have a Flexible Schedule
Whether you’re in college or caring for children or pursuing an unpaid passion, there are many reasons why someone would want some flexibility in their career.
But what does a flexible schedule mean exactly? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a flexible schedule is one that allows people to work outside traditional 9 to 5 office hours. Aside from that, situations vary depending on the role and employer.
Workers may be able to choose the time they arrive at and depart work, for instance. With certain flexible work policies, employees still have to work a set number of hours per pay period or be available during a daily “core time.” So while the employee may not have to show up at 9am on the dot and leave at exactly 5pm, they may need to at least show up by 11am and stay until after 3pm. However, this type of shortened schedule could work for many people, including parents who are self-employed. 💡 Quick Tip: We love a good spreadsheet, but not everyone feels the same. An online budget planner can give you the same insight into your budgeting and spending at a glance, without the extra effort.
Tips for Finding a Flexible Part-time Job in 2023
Flexible part-time jobs can be logistical, analytical, creative, or involve a skilled trade. When it comes time to search for flexible-schedule jobs, keep in mind these tips.
• Stay focused. Job applicants who know what they’re looking for and what they can offer an employer can plan a more effective job search. If someone knows they have to have a flexible part-time schedule in order to accept a job, they can save a lot of time and energy by only applying for jobs that offer that. Trying to convince an employer to change their staffing plans is an uphill battle.
• Prepare to hear No. Know that it will take a while to find the right fit, and that rejection is a normal part of any job search. Psychologically preparing yourself can help you persevere until the right job comes along.
• Don’t be a square peg. If a flexible part-time schedule is what matters most, you may need to be flexible yourself in other areas. For example, accept that you may need to compromise on title, salary, or industry. Giving up the highest-paying job for one with a more relaxed schedule can be worth it.
• Go remote. Work-from-home jobs with flexible schedules can often be easier to find than on-site jobs that have flexible schedules. When reviewing online job boards, look for flexible schedule remote jobs.
Recommended: Does Net Worth Include Home Equity?
Why It Can Be Difficult to Find Part-time Jobs With Flexible Schedules
It can be difficult to find flexible-schedule part-time jobs because many jobs require being in a certain location at a certain time. For example, a hairstylist has to show up for work when they have appointments scheduled. A restaurant has to know they have enough servers on hand during operating hours. Even a corporate job where some work can be done remotely and independently can require being online during set times so that it’s easy to communicate with coworkers.
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Great Part-Time Jobs With Flexible Schedules
Perhaps someone wants to take on a second job to help them pay down their debt or save for a dream vacation. Whatever the reason, it’s easy to see the appeal of a part-time job with a flexible schedule.
While there are countless part-time jobs on the market that can suit a variety of workers’ desired schedules, these are some of the best flexible schedule jobs for Gen Zers and Millennials. And if you’re in college, don’t miss our list of the best on-campus jobs.
1. Landscaper and Groundskeeper
Average hourly wage: $17.39
Job description: Landscapers and groundskeepers typically set their own schedules and plan which days they’ll tend to a client’s yard, but they don’t have to tell them exactly what hour they’ll show up to do their work.
Requirements: In some areas a license may be required to use pesticides and fertilizers.
Schedule flexibility: 4
Duties:
• Mowing lawns
• Removing weeds
• Planting and maintaining flowers, bushes, and trees
2. Recreation and Fitness Worker
Average hourly wage: $22
Job description: Running a fitness or recreation class can be fun and rewarding work that is often performed on a part-time basis. Many instructors can choose when they host their classes (like when their young child is in school), but they do have to stick to those times.
Requirements: Licensing or background checks may be required.
Schedule flexibility: 4
Duties:
• Plan programming
• Run classes
• Clean up post-class
3. Freelance Software Developer
Average hourly wage: $37
Job description: Many businesses hire freelance software developers to create computer programs and applications for business or consumer use. Some meetings during business hours may be required.
Requirements: Knowledge of select programming languages.
Schedule flexibility: 4
Duties:
• Write code
• Test code
• Meet with project stakeholders
4. Virtual Assistant
Average hourly wage: $34
Job description: Plenty of professionals can’t afford or don’t need a full-time assistant. Instead, they hire virtual assistants who can tackle administrative work for a few hours a week. Virtual assistance can be a rewarding job for introverts who are conscientious and organized.
Requirements: Office skills
Schedule flexibility: 4
Duties:
• Scheduling meetings
• Managing clients’ inbox
• Helping with administrative work
5. Freelance Copywriter
Average hourly wage: $28
Job description: A writer can work with many different brands as a freelance copywriter and can choose when they want to take on new projects and what hours of the week they work on them. Working as a freelance copywriter is also a great side hustle.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree and industry experience
Schedule flexibility: 5
Duties:
• Research
• Writing copy
• Editing copy
6. Freelance Web Designer
Average hourly wage: $35
Job description: Freelance web designers work independently designing websites for a variety of clients, instead of a full-time job. Work-from-home web design can be a well-paying and fulfilling job for antisocial people.
Requirements: Knowledge of design programs, and HTML and CSS programing languages.
Schedule flexibility: 3
Duties:
• Design web pages and sites
• Code designs
• Present to clients and incorporate feedback
7. Freelance Editor
Average hourly wage: $31
Job description: Similar to copywriters, editors can work freelance for multiple clients.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree and industry experience
Schedule flexibility: 4
Duties:
• Nurturing writers
• Editing copy
• Publishing content
8. Business Consultant
Average hourly wage: $37
Job description: A business consultant can offer services to multiple businesses who need support as a whole or who are looking to improve a certain area of their business, such as their marketing efforts, operations, or HR.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree (more advantageous), or a certification from a business consultant association.
Schedule flexibility: 3
Duties:
• Assess potential areas of improvement
• Create improvement plans
• Find ways to cut costs
💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.
The Takeaway
There are plenty of great flexible-schedule jobs that millennials and Gen Zers can pursue to give them the time they need to attend school, start a business, or take care of young children. Some remote freelance roles can be entirely flexible — such as web designers, writers and editors — while other jobs require your presence during certain core hours.
Choose whether you prefer a more physically demanding job — such as landscaper or fitness worker — or an office job that requires a laptop (like virtual assistant). It may take time to find the right position, so be patient. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on how your money comes and goes to ensure you’re sticking to your savings goals.
Take control of your finances with the SoFi Insights money tracker app. Connect all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.
SoFi helps you stay on top of your finances.
FAQ
What part-time job has the most flexible hours?
There is no single part-time job that has the most flexible hours. That said, jobs where work can be done independently and remotely usually have the most flexibility. Jobs like working as a freelance writer or graphic designer are good examples of jobs someone can usually do during times that work well for them.
What job gives you the most free time?
Flexible-schedule work-from-home jobs can give workers the most free time because they don’t have to worry about a commute. It’s also usually easier to control your work schedule when you work from home. As a bonus, you can use your breaks to be productive — by tackling household chores or working out — or enjoy down time.
What jobs can I make my own hours?
Some jobs with flexible schedules allow workers to set their own hours. The key is to look for a job where the hours someone works doesn’t matter as much as the type of work they produce.
Photo credit: iStock/Eva-Katalin
SoFi’s Insights tool offers users the ability to connect both in-house accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score provided to you is a Vantage Score® based on TransUnion™ (the “Processing Agent”) data.
Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.
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.
Working as a paramedic is a rewarding career path for many. Though the job is often about more than just the money, it is possible for paramedics to earn a living. The median annual wage for paramedics is $46,770, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Keep reading for insights into a paramedic’s salary.
What Is a Paramedic?
A paramedic provides emergency medical services to individuals when they’re injured or sick. They may also be responsible for transporting people to the hospital, where they can receive further medical treatment. Because medical emergencies can happen any time of day, paramedics often work nights, holidays, and weekends. Many work 40 hours a week, if not more.
To become a paramedic, you usually must meet certain postsecondary educational requirements, which can vary by state.
How Much Is a Paramedic’s Starting Salary?
How much does a paramedic make a year? While the median annual salary for paramedics is $46,770, entry-level salaries may be lower. As with most jobs, a paramedic’s pay rate should become more competitive as they progress in their career. 💡 Quick Tip: When you have questions about what you can and can’t afford, a spending tracker app can show you the answer. With no guilt trip or hourly fee.
Recommended: Is a $100,000 Salary Good?
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What Is the Average Salary for a Paramedic?
If you’re considering going into emergency medical services — and thinking about the long shifts that are often involved — you may be wondering how much a paramedic makes an hour.
According to BLS data, paramedics earn a median hourly rate of $17.76. But how much they actually earn depends on how many hours they work, how experienced they are, and where they live.
In fact, salaries can differ greatly by state. For example, the annual mean wage of a paramedic in California is $71,470. In Alabama, it’s $37,820.
It’s understandable that some paramedics earn more based on where they live, as the cost of living can vary a lot by state. At the very least, paramedics can expect to earn the minimum wage.
The following table breaks down the mean annual wage for paramedics by state.
Median Paramedic Salary by State for 2022
State
Annual Mean Wage
Alabama
$37,820
Alaska
$53,930
Arizona
$48,610
Arkansas
$45,100
California
$71,470
Colorado
$55,410
Connecticut
$64,590
Delaware
$62,040
District of Columbia
$64,260
Florida
$51,520
Georgia
$46,350
Hawaii
N/A
Idaho
$61,880
Illinois
$57,420
Indiana
$49,610
Iowa
$48,470
Kansas
$45,780
Kentucky
$42,850
Louisiana
$49,120
Maine
$50,130
Maryland
$62,310
Massachusetts
$63,320
Michigan
$46,630
Minnesota
$63,090
Mississippi
$43,670
Missouri
$46,670
Montana
$53,800
Nebraska
$48,950
Nevada
$57,770
New Hampshire
$58,620
New Jersey
$76,500
New Mexico
$49,340
New York
$61,530
North Carolina
$44,550
North Dakota
$49,860
Ohio
$46,790
Oklahoma
$45,740
Oregon
$60,930
Pennsylvania
$52,850
Rhode Island
$46,440
South Carolina
$47,280
South Dakota
$45,870
Tennessee
$49,610
Texas
$50,730
Utah
$54,660
Vermont
$48,910
Virginia
$51,300
Washington
$90,980
West Virginia
$44,290
Wisconsin
$50,030
Wyoming
$50,570
Source: BLS
Recommended: Salary vs. Hourly Pay: How Their Pros and Cons Compare
Paramedic Benefits & Job Considerations
Alongside earning a paycheck, paramedics may also receive valuable benefits such as:
• Healthcare, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Sick leave
• Retirement plans
Pros and Cons of a Paramedic Salary
If someone is debating whether or not to pursue a career path as a paramedic, they’ll want to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of the job.
Pros
• Potential career growth. It is anticipated paramedic jobs will grow by 7 percent by 2031, and there will be around 20,000 new openings for paramedics and EMTs every year over the next decade.
• Fulfillment. Helping people for a living and saving lives can be very fulfilling ways to spend a career.
Cons
• Physically demanding. Working as a paramedic can require a lot of lifting, bending, and kneeling, which can take a physical toll.
• Dangerous. Working with the sick can expose you to diseases and viruses and potentially increase your risk of injuries.
• Hectic work schedule. Not only are paramedics expected to work odd hours, their time on the job can be very busy and stressful, with life-or-death stakes. Shifts can also be long and last up to 24 hours. This may also not be a great job for introverts, as working as a paramedic requires interacting a lot with patients and teammates.
💡 Quick Tip: Income, expenses, and life circumstances can change. Consider reviewing your budget a few times a year and making any adjustments if needed.
The Takeaway
Pursuing a career as a paramedic requires a secondary education, a lot of hard work, and the ability to work odd hours. The role can be very stressful, as the stakes are quite high when delivering emergency medical services. However, with a median annual salary of $46,770, working as a paramedic can also be a reliable and rewarding way to earn a living. What’s more, you may find that as your career progresses, your earning potential will grow as well.
Take control of your finances with the SoFi Insights money tracker app. Connect all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.
SoFi helps you stay on top of your finances.
FAQ
What are the highest-paid paramedics?
Exactly how much money does a paramedic make? That depends on how much experience the paramedic has, among other factors. The highest 10 percent of top-earning paramedics earn more than $47,580.
Can a paramedic make six figures?
It is unlikely a paramedic will earn a salary of $100,000 or more, but is not impossible. Typically, the highest-paid paramedics work in general medical and surgical hospitals, and they earn a median annual salary of $47,000.
What is the lowest-paid paramedic?
On the low end, paramedics can earn less than $23,620. However, they can expect their salary to rise as they gain years of working experience.
Photo credit: iStock/sturti
SoFi’s Insights tool offers users the ability to connect both in-house accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score provided to you is a Vantage Score® based on TransUnion™ (the “Processing Agent”) data.
*Terms and conditions apply. (Must click on the link to be eligible.) This offer is only available to new SoFi users without existing SoFi accounts. It is non-transferable. One offer per person. To receive the Rewards points offer, you must successfully complete setting up Credit Score Monitoring. Rewards points may only be redeemed into SoFi accounts such as cash in SoFi Checking and Savings, SoFi credit cards or loan balances, and fractional shares subject to program terms that may be found here: SoFi Member Rewards Terms and Conditions. SoFi reserves the right to modify or discontinue this offer at any time without notice.
Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.
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.
This article is part of a series put together by the Total Mortgage marketing team that provides loan officers and other sales professionals with a crash course in marketing and self-promotion. To read other articles in this series, click here.
When we talk about on-page optimization, we’re talking about factors that can influence how a page on your site will perform in a search result.
Everyone wants their site to come up at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), so there’s some serious competition. To increase your chances of claiming the coveted first position, you’ll want to make sure your page is optimized.
Fortunately for you, this blog will give you the ins and outs of on-page optimization.
Structuring Your Content
When a user comes to your site, you want your content to be structured in a way that makes it easy to understand. That means using a variety of headers and other organizational tools.
Title Tags
Tittle tags help search engines figure out what your page is about. They consist of the text that is placed in between the title tags in your HTML document. To anyone who isn’t a developer, you’ll think of title tags as what the results that up in blue in search engines.
Title tag = Title Tags: How to Improve CTR by 20%+ – Siege Media
Here are some quick tips for title tags:
Include your keywords: The first place someone will look is at your title tag. Make sure your targeted keywords are in the title tag, preferably at the beginning. Don’t go overboard trying to jam as many keywords as you can in your title tag. Not only will “keyword stuffing” get you penalized by search engines, but it doesn’t read well.
Optimize the length: You want your title tag to be between 50-60 characters.
Descriptive: For obvious reasons, you want your title tag to clearly reflect what your post is about.
Headers
After your title, the headers will be the next thing that a user sees. It’s important that the headers guide them to the information that they’re seeking. Internet users don’t have a lot of patience and aren’t interested in reading unnecessary words.
Often times, they’ll get to a site and scroll down, only reading the headers. If they don’t find what they’re looking for, they quickly bounce back to the SERP. Just like your title tag, it’s crucial for you to include keywords in your headers. We’ll talk later on about the different options you have with keyword use.
Sub-Headers
You might think that a simple header would do, but you’d be wrong. Dialing down into sub-headers makes it that much easier for users to follow the flow of your content. It’s not always necessary, but you have to think about what will funnel the readers attention down to the granular sections of your page.
Anything that helps the reader navigate your page will help on-site optimization. It might take a few posts to get a good grasp of when to include a sub-header, but stick with it. Feedback from friends or colleagues is invaluable.
Bullets vs. Paragraphs
Bullet points are nice and neat and are therefore easier to read than wordy paragraphs. That doesn’t mean you should go overboard, but if the time comes, don’t feel like it’s poor taste to use them. Readability is key when it comes to getting likes and shares, and will help keep your readers coming back for more.
One way to make intimidating paragraphs more approachable is to break them up. Since most readers scan through blogs, as opposed to reading them start to finish, you’re better off with smaller paragraphs.
Think about it. If you have a large block of text, the reader certainly isn’t going to jump in at the middle of the paragraph and start reading, and it’s entirely possible that they’ll skip over the whole thing. But if you break that paragraph into three smaller paragraphs, the chances greatly increase that they will read any one of them.
Images/Multimedia
If you’re trying to craft masterful blogs, you’re going to want to include images and videos. There is a lot of data that shows users are more likely to stick around and engage with your site if you have images and videos.
With text, bots can crawl your site and easily figure out what your post is about, but bots rely on your help in order to figure out what images and videos are about. That’s where the file name and alt-text come in.
File name
Search engines love when you feed them clues about your page. Often times, the file name of an image will be some random combination of numbers and letters. That’s not a very good clue. If you help search engines out by using descriptive file names, it will have a positive effect on your on-page optimization.
Alt-text
Alternative text (alt-text) is another place for you to drop a hint to search engines. As the name suggest, they are a text alternative for browsers in the event that they can’t be properly rendered. The same guidelines that apply to file name apply here. You want a clear description of your image.
Meta-Description
The meta-description is the text that appears underneath the title tag in the SERP. Its main goal is to get users to click the link and enter their site. The best way to do that is by combining informative text with a strong call to action. The user won’t know if they want to enter your site until they have an idea of what’s on that page.
One way to help them out is by using keywords. If you have the keyword they searched for in your title tag and meta-description, the odds are good that your page is relevant to their query. Also, when you type a keyword into Google, it appears in bold text if it’s in a meta-description. In the example below you can see the keyword I typed into google—quesadillas—is in bold. It makes it stand out more and draws the user into reading your meta-description, which makes it more likely that they will click through to your page.
Ideal Word Count
Search Engines Prefer Long Posts
Studies show that longer content outperforms shorter content by a substantial amount. What’s the magic number? Well, that depends on who you ask. Different studies have shown that the average word count of top ranked searches is 2,416, 1,890, 2,250-2,500, 2,000+.
They might disagree on the exact number, but they all share one thing in common: long-form content usually outperforms short content.
Why is this the case?
It’s a simple concept. You know a lot, so you write a lot. If there are two blogs on FHA Loans and one of them has 1,000 more words than the other, odds are, that blog is more informative. People think this way, and from what the data says, search engines do to.
Every Post is Different
The content of your page will also play a large factor in determining the ideal word count. Not every topic needs a 2,000+ word post about it. After all, the purpose of a post is to relay information to a curious reader, and if you can satisfy that need in under 1,000 words, then so be it. You want your posts to be readable and shareable, and excessive wording will most likely detract from both of those efforts.
Taking a look at some of the blog posts here at Total Mortgage, these findings ring true. For our mortgage rates blog, there is definitely a correlation between the length of the post and the number of views. There is always some degree of variation depending on market conditions and current events, but overall, longer content does better.
We’ve also noticed that nothing beats a good topic. It’s not something you can always count on, but if you strike gold, you might not have to write a novel to reel in a high amount of traffic. One of our top performing evergreen blogs is under 600 words, but that’s enough for it to rank #1 in google for our targeted keyword.
Which brings us to…
Keyword Density
Keywords are words used to classify or organize digital content, or to facilitate an online search for information. They are what people type into search engines, and they’re incredibly important.
The general theory used to be that the more you mention a keyword in a post, the more likely it is that your article will rank for that keyword. Now, it’s true that the more you use a keyword the easier it is for search engines like Google to figure out what your page is about, but it’s hardly true that there is a direct correlation between the times used and search ranking.
Rand Fishkin, Founder of the highly respected inbound marketing company Moz, says that you should definitely include the keyword in your headlines and a couple times in the body of your post, but other than that, you really don’t have to stress repetition.
Readers want to be reassured that the page they’re on has the information they’re looking for, and seeing keywords in the headers will not only keep them from leaving, but get them to read the copy below it.
As for keyword density metrics, Rand says, stay away.
The long and short of it is that there is no ideal keyword density. You should strive to write posts that naturally have the keyword in it. After all, no one wants to read a clunky keyword stuffed post.
Semantically related keywords
Search engines are always refining and expanding their methods. One of the most important advancements they’ve made in recent years is the ability to recognize semantically related keywords. The best way to explain this is with an example. Say your keyword is “how to buy a house.” If you type that into google and scroll down to related searches, you’ll find semantically related keywords.
Google knows that someone searching for “how to buy a house” could very likely wind up wondering about any of these keywords. As stated earlier, you don’t want to keyword stuff. However, if you use various semantically related keywords throughout your post, the copy doesn’t get clunky and you’ve made it much clearer to Google what your post is about, which will help you rank in the SERP.
Selecting the right topics
No matter how well your page is optimized, if your topic selection is terrible, you’re not going to get viewers to read any of your posts. Fortunately, we created a blog post entirely devoted to Creating and Curating Content.
Experience Matters
On-page optimization sets you up for success. If your posts aren’t fully optimized, you’re missing out on users, conversions, and new clients. It’s not unusual for someone who is new to all of these concepts to feel a little overwhelmed. One benefit that loan officers at Total Mortgage have is the ability to engage with a seasoned marketing department. We’ve been blogging for almost a decade, and know all the ins and outs of on-page SEO.
Whether you don’t want to deal with on-page optimization, or you would want us to show you the ropes—we’ve got you covered.
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.
Credit scores are a measure of your overall financial health and how responsibly you manage debt. If you’re curious about which entries on a credit report will decrease your credit score, the biggest culprits are late payments, missed payments, collection accounts, foreclosure proceedings, and bankruptcy filings.
Are those the only things that can negatively impact your credit scores? Not necessarily. Can you do anything about entries on your credit that decrease your score? Perhaps, if you’re able to dispute them. Filing a credit report dispute may help to add points back to your score.
Credit Report Basics
A credit report dispute allows you to challenge information that you believe is inaccurate. If you’d like to initiate a dispute, you’ll first need to know how to read a credit report.
Credit reports include four categories of information:
• Personal information. This section of your credit report includes your name and any other names that you’re known by, your date of birth, Social Security number, addresses you’ve lived at, and employment history. Your personal information does not affect your credit scores in any way.
• Credit accounts. Information about your credit accounts is used to calculate your credit scores. Here, the most relevant details include what types of credit you’re using, when your accounts were opened, your available credit limit and current balance, the monthly minimum payment, and your payment history.
• Credit inquiries. A credit inquiry can show up on your credit reports when you apply for a loan or line of credit if it’s a “hard” credit pull. The difference between a soft credit inquiry vs. hard credit inquiry is that hard inquiries can affect your credit scores, while soft inquiries do not.
• Public records. Information that’s included in the public record about your credit accounts goes here. The types of things that can be listed include collection accounts, judgments from creditor lawsuits, and bankruptcy filings.
There are three major credit bureaus that compile credit reports: Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion®. Thus, you can have multiple credit reports. A tri-merge credit report compiles information from all three bureaus into a single report. As far as which credit bureau is used most, there’s no single answer as it depends on the lender. 💡 Quick Tip: Check your credit report at least once a year to ensure there are no errors that can damage your credit score.
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When Can I Dispute Credit Report Information?
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to dispute inaccuracies on your credit reports with the credit bureau that’s reporting the information. You can file a dispute at any time.
Examples of errors you can dispute include:
• Credit accounts listed that don’t belong to you
• Inaccurate payment history or balances
• Current accounts that are erroneously reported as past due
• Duplicated entries for the same account
Why would someone want to dispute a credit report? In short, doing so can help your credit score if you’re able to get inaccurate information corrected or removed.
Information from your credit reports is used to calculate your credit scores. FICO® scores are the most widely used credit scoring model. Simply put, it’s a three-digit credit score ranging from 300 to 850 that reflects your credit health. The higher your score, the less risky you appear to lenders.
A middling or “fair” credit score is anything between 580 and 669. Fair credit can get you approved for loans, but you’ll need a good to excellent score to qualify for the lowest interest rates.
Does Filing a Dispute Hurt Your Credit?
Disputing credit reporting errors won’t hurt your credit. Depending on the outcome of the dispute, it could even help your score. During the dispute process, the credit bureau is legally required to investigate your claim to determine if your reason for the dispute is valid.
Keep in mind that disputing credit report errors isn’t necessarily an instant fix for bad credit. If you have multiple negative items on your report, then getting just one of them corrected or removed may do little to improve your score. Disputing information could hurt your credit if a correction negatively affects your credit file.
It’s also important to know that disputing credit report information doesn’t guarantee its removal or correction. If there’s negative information on your credit reports but it’s accurate, you can’t dispute it. The upside is that most negative information falls off your reports after seven years, though it can take up to 10 years for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing to disappear. 💡 Quick Tip: An easy way to build your credit score? Pay your bills on time. Setting up autopay can help you keep your account in good standing.
Possible Outcomes of Disputes
When you file a credit report dispute, the credit bureau has 30 days to investigate it. That involves reaching out to the business that reported the information initially to confirm whether it’s correct. The business must review your account history and report back to the credit bureau that’s handling the dispute.
There are several ways your dispute might be resolved.
• Scenario #1: Your dispute is deemed to be frivolous by the credit bureau. The investigation will stop and you’ll be notified as to why. You may be given an opportunity to provide additional information to support your claim.
• Scenario #2: The business that reported the information acknowledges an error. It must send written notice to all three credit bureaus to have the information corrected. The credit bureau must send a correction notice to anyone who received your credit report in the previous six months. Notices must also be sent to anyone who ran a credit check for employment for you in the past two years.
• Scenario #3: The business verifies that the information is accurate. No change is made to your credit report.
When your dispute is upheld, the credit bureau must correct or remove the inaccurate information. If a dispute is not resolved in your favor, you can ask the credit bureau to include a statement of the claim in your credit file. You can also ask the credit bureau to send a copy of the dispute statement to anyone who’s received your credit report but you might pay a fee for that.
Note that you can also add or update personal information to your credit file. For instance, you might choose to add a recent address or a job to your employment history. Changes to personal information won’t affect your credit scores.
Disputes Related to Accounts, Inquiries, and Bankruptcy
Disputes involving credit accounts, inquiries for credit, and bankruptcy cases can have the same outcomes as described above. Depending on what the investigation finds, your account may be:
• Updated to reflect accurate information
• Deleted entirely from your credit report
• Unchanged, if the information is deemed correct
The outcome can determine what changes you might expect, if any, to your credit score. Having negative information corrected or removed can help your score, though the extent of the improvement depends on whether you have other negative items on your report.
If you’re interested in how to find out your credit score free, there are a few ways to do it. First, you might be able to get your credit score for free from one of your credit card companies. Many issuers offer free FICO scores as a cardmember benefit.
Signing up for free credit score monitoring is another option. In terms of what qualifies as credit monitoring, it generally refers to any service that automatically tracks changes to your credit reports that affect your credit scores. For example, that might include opening or closing credit accounts, late or missed payments, or paid-off accounts.
Recommended: Do Banks Run a Credit Check for Checking Accounts?
How Long Will Information Stay on My Credit Report?
Generally, negative information can stay on your credit report for seven years. That includes things like:
• Late payments
• Missed payments
• Charge-offs
• Collection accounts
• Creditor judgments
• Foreclosure proceedings
As mentioned, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing can stay on your credit report for up to 10 years. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy can linger for up to seven years. As long as information on your report is accurate, it can’t be removed prematurely, even if that information is negative. Once the time is up for reporting of a negative item, it will fall off naturally; you shouldn’t have to request its removal.
Credit inquiries can stick around for 24 months, while positive information about your credit accounts can remain indefinitely. If you close any credit accounts in good standing, they can stay on your credit reports for up to 10 years.
What Are Some Ways to Avoid a Credit Score Drop?
Practicing good financial habits is the easiest way to avoid a credit score drop. You can do that by:
• Paying credit accounts on time
• Keeping credit card balances low relative to your credit limits
• Limiting how often you apply for new credit
• Using a mix of credit types, including loans and credit cards
• Keeping older accounts open
Reviewing your credit reports regularly for errors or inaccuracies is another way to prevent credit score hits. You can dispute those errors to have them removed or corrected, which can help your score recover if it’s dropped temporarily.
How to Dispute Accurate Information in Your Credit Report
Accurate information on a credit report usually isn’t up for dispute, unless the same account is being reported multiple times. In that case, you dispute the “extra” entries on your report to have them removed.
If there’s negative but accurate information on your credit report, then you might try writing a goodwill letter to the creditor asking them to remove it. However, they have no obligation to honor your request. If the account is past due and they’ve been trying to collect what’s owed, they may also ask you to pay before they delete the item.
Credit repair companies charge you to remove negative items from your report. However, the tactics they use are ones that are already available to you, including disputing negative information, goodwill letters, and paying for deletion. It’s important to weigh whether paying a fee to repair credit is worth it, especially if the company’s promises seem too good to be true.
The Takeaway
Keeping up with credit scores is important if you plan to borrow money. The better your score, the easier it is to get approved for loans and qualify for the lowest rates.
Take control of your finances with the SoFi Insights money tracker app. Connect all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.
SoFi Insights helps you get your money right.
FAQ
What factor causes your credit score to decrease the most?
Negative payment history has the biggest impact on credit scoring under the FICO model. Late payments, missed payments, charge-offs, collections, foreclosure proceedings, and bankruptcies can all hurt your credit score more so than things like new credit inquiries or closing credit accounts.
What are negative entries on a credit report?
A negative entry on a credit report is anything that’s harmful to your credit score. That can include late payments, missed payments, collection accounts, and judgments. A high credit utilization ratio can also negatively affect your credit scores.
What are 3 ways to decrease your credit score?
Three things that can hurt your credit score are paying late, not paying at all, and running up high balances on credit cards relative to your credit limits. Letting accounts slip into collections, being sued by creditors for debt, and filing bankruptcy can also cost you major credit score points.
Photo credit: iStock/Daniel de la Hoz
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Bitcoin has practically become synonymous with cryptocurrency, but it’s hardly the only coin option out there. If you’re thinking about investing in crypto (or are already doing it), there are several others worth considering.
Let’s look at eight alternatives to Bitcoin for those seeking out the best cryptocurrencies.
But a note before we dive in: cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and not recommended over other forms of investments like stocks and bonds. But if you do have the appetite for this kind of high-risk investment, let’s first look at what’s happening in the cryptocurrency space at the moment, before we get into the best cryptocurrencies.
What’s Ahead:
What’s Happening in the World of Cryptocurrency?
As you may have noticed, the prices of cryptocurrency tokens have drastically decreased in recent months — with many investors calling it a crypto crash. Even those coins that are considered the “best” cryptocurrencies have dropped in value.
With recent moves by the U.S Federal Reserve to combat high inflation by raising interest rates, on top of global instability, there has been a knock-on effect that’s played out as decreased valuations and even bankruptcies in crypto. More than a few collapses have shaken the crypto market in the past year.
In May 2022, the collapse of TerraUSD (a stable coin) along with its sister token, Luna, wiped out billions in the cryptocurrency market — about $40 billion, to be exact. As a result, some people lost their life savings and othersbit debated exiting the cryptocurrency space altogether.
Later, with the collapse of massive crypto exchange FTX in November 2022 and a number of firms filing for bankruptcy soon after (including BlockFi and Genesis), the losses continued to pile on.
Even Bitcoin has dropped in value, from its peak at $69,044.77 to hovering around $28,000 (specifically $28,349.25 on March 31st, 2023). And some smaller coins have had even sharper declines.
So, what does this mean for you if you’re considering investing in cryptocurrency?
Even a stable coin isn’t stable.
There’s volatility in the cryptocurrency space.
You shouldn’t risk money in cryptocurrency that you can’t afford to lose.
Read more: 5 Things You Should Know Before Investing in Crypto
8 Alternatives to Bitcoin
With that warning out of the way, let’s look at some alternatives to Bitcoin.
You’ve probably heard plenty of buzz over the years about “meme coins” and random success stories of ordinary folks becoming millionaires through cryptocurrency investing, just by seeking out Bitcoin alternatives.
If that’s your goal, this article isn’t for you. We’re not going to promise you any get-rich-quick coins. Rather, these are coins that have people talking and that may be worth considering if you’re looking to expand your crypto portfolio beyond Bitcoin.
Read more: How To Invest in Cryptocurrency: A Beginner’s Guide
Ethereum (ETH)
Source: leksiv/Shutterstock.com
The second most popular form of cryptocurrency, Ethereum is an open-source network managed by users, much like Bitcoin.
However, there are also some significant differences. The network operates through “smart contracts” written in computer code that is uploaded to the blockchain which other cryptocurrencies operate through.
Ethereum currently doesn’t sell as high as Bitcoin, with its price (as of March 2023) at $1,641.82.
Why Invest in Ethereum (Or Not)?
Ethereum is one of the safer options to invest in, ranked in the top 10 regarding price and stability.
You can also use it at more places than you may think — and within the next few years, the number of places that accept cryptocurrencies is expected to grow. Ethereum has a large existing network, a wide array of functions, and there’s constant innovation.
It may also be the best alternative to Bitcoin, particularly if you want to diversify away from an all-Bitcoin cryptocurrency portfolio. Ethereum is second only to Bitcoin in market capitalization, at $220.2 billion, compared to $548.4 billion for Bitcoin.
Ripple (XRP)
Many people like the idea of cryptocurrencies but fear their money isn’t safe in an unregulated, online world. Ripple aims to offer some of that safety.
Ripple is a money transfer and currency exchange network that processes transactions globally. And unlike most other cryptocurrencies, Ripple doesn’t need to be “mined.”
Read more: How To Mine Cryptocurrency: An Interview With a Crypto Miner
Ripple also offers fast settlement and low fees and is being used by large financial institutions (unlike other Bitcoin alternatives).
Why Invest in Ripple (Or Not)?
Ripple has been involved in a lawsuit for over a year with the SEC and the price has dropped significantly. Ripple argues it shouldn’t be treated as a security in order to avoid much stricter regulatory scrutiny. The company plans on exploring an initial public offering when the lawsuit is settled at some point in 2023.
That said, Ripple is still one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies (currently at no. 6 based on market cap). But for investment purposes, Ripple should be thought of as a cryptocurrency equivalent to penny stock — which is exactly where it’s trading.
XRP is trading at $0.535524 (as of April 2023) with a drop of over 84% from the all-time high.
But if you believe that Ripple will be a successful payment system, then its low price right now could be a key benefit.
Litecoin (LTC)
Source: Wit Olszewski/Shutterstock.com
Litecoin is often thought of as a close sibling of Bitcoin. Bitcoin and Litecoin work in the same way, but there are a few key features that make them different:
Founder Charlie Lee — The founder of Litecoin is well known, unlike the anonymous creator of Bitcoin.
Speed of transactions — Lee, an engineer, designed the Litecoin system to operate about four times faster than that of Bitcoin. This means that Litecoin can confirm the legitimacy of transactions much more quickly.
Number of coins — Bitcoin has a limit of 21 million coins once all are found, but Litecoin will have 84 million.
Why Invest in Litecoin (Or Not)?
Litecoin is nearly identical to Bitcoin, but transactions are faster — which is one of its biggest draws. However, there has been discussion as to whether this speed makes Litecoin less secure.
Litecoin’s current price is $89.26 (as of April 2023), which is down over 78% from its all-time high.
The potential upside of investing in LTC is that the coin has been around since 2015 and is seen as stable.
Cardano (ADA)
Source: Dennis Diatel/Shutterstock.com
Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain platform. It’s intended to be the next generation of the Ethereum network with a flexible blockchain and scalable platform for running smart contracts.
Cardano was introduced as an “Ethereum killer” and a valuable alternative to Bitcoin.
Charles Hoskinson, one of the co-founders of Ethereum, founded Cardano with the intent of being energy-efficient and supporting fast transactions with minimal transaction fees.
Why Invest in Cardano (Or Not)?
It may not be the best time to get into Cardano as the token has seen better days. It’s trading at $0.406295 (as of April 2023), down over 86% from the all-time high.
The upside in investing in Cardano is that it’s more energy-efficient and superior when it comes to smart contracts.
Binance Coin (BNB)
Binance is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges and the Binance Coin is the medium of exchange for the entire network. You can use your Binance Coin to trade and pay fees on the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. You can also use BNB on the BNB Chain ecosystem.
Binance Coin is one of the bigger players in the space (top five), with a total market capitalization of about $50 billion — although it’s primarily used to pay fees on the Binance exchange itself.
Read more: Binance.US Review
Why Invest in Binance Coin (Or Not)?
There are two factors that make Binance Coin worth considering. The first is its market capitalization. At over $42 billion and growing, it’s one of the bigger cryptocurrencies available. That’s also an indication it’s gaining acceptance in the marketplace, especially when you consider that it has been around since 2017.
The second factor is that this is a medium of exchange on the largest cryptocurrency exchange (Binance). You can use your Binance Coin to invest in the Binance Smart Chain network through Metamask if you want to get into the decentralized space.
BNB is currently trading at $316.82 (as of April 2023), down over 53% from its all-time high.
Polkadot (DOT)
Polkadot is a protocol that connects different blockchains with each other (like Ethereum and Bitcoin, for example) with the goal of weaving blockchains together. Polkadot is often referred to as a multi-chain network because it can join networks together (unlike Bitcoin).
However, Polkadot is similar to Bitcoin in the sense that it functions as both a token (DOT) and a decentralized exchange.
Polkadot wants to create an even playing field to improve innovation through the different blockchain networks. Polkadot operates by using two blockchains — a main “relay” network for permanent transactions and “para chains” for user-created blockchains.
Why Invest in Polkadot (Or Not)?
Polkadot aims to offer scalability improvements (the number of transactions per second a network can handle) and governance for protocol upgrades or changes.
What makes Polkadot a good investment is that it’s different in the sense that the network can interact with other blockchains.
With a current price of $6.32 (as of April 2023), DOT is down over 88% from its all-time high. On the flip side, the coin is up 134.37% since it started in August of 2020.
Solana (SOL)
Source: Rcc_Btn/Shutterstock.com
Solana is a public and open-source blockchain. Solana is both a form of cryptocurrency and a flexible platform for running decentralized applications. The cryptocurrency SOL is used for staking and paying transaction fees on the Solana network. Solana is focused on making cryptocurrency quicker and more scalable.
Solana has become popular in the DeFi (decentralized finance) and NFT spaces among users looking for alternatives to Ethereum. NFT projects are minted and traded using smart contracts and since Solana supports smart contracts, NFT projects are popping up here.
Solana is a solution for those seeking low-cost and high-speed alternatives to Bitcoin.
Why Invest in Solana (Or Not)?
Popular NFT projects are being built on the Solana blockchain. If you’re someone who believes in NFTs, then you’re going to want to look into the Solana network.
Read more: The Complete Guide To Buying Your First NFT
Solana’s transaction speed and low costs also make it an attractive option for those looking for a Bitcoin alternative.
SOL is down over 92% at $20.73 (as of April 2023) from the all-time high, but it’s up over 4,037% since it was formed in May 2020.
Avalanche (AVAX)
Avalanche is a decentralized, open-source, proof-of-stake blockchain with smart contract functions. Avalanche touts that it’s the fastest smart contracts platform in the entire blockchain industry (from time-to-finality). Avalanche hopes to offer a highly scalable blockchain without compromising decentralization or security.
The Avalanche blockchain uses its own coin, AVAX, to cover transactions on the network.
Why Invest in Avalanche (Or Not)?
Avalanche is worth investing in if you’re looking for something new and different. The token hasn’t been around as long as some of the other forms of cryptocurrency, so it’s not as established yet, but it’s one of the fastest-growing projects.
AVAX is worth $17.60 (as of April 2023) and is down nearly 88% from the all-time high. This is up almost 528% from the day it was formed on December 31, 2020.
The Bottom Line
While Bitcoin may have once been king, there are now plenty of other cryptocurrencies on the market if you want to start investing in the space. Just remember that any coin, no matter how much buzz it’s getting, is susceptible to market fluctuations — both good and bad.
Whether you are a freelancer, side hustler, or run a full-time business, opening a separate business bank account should be your first move after starting your business.
A business bank account helps you keep your business finances and personal income and expenses separate. Having a business bank account for all your business finances makes it easy to run records and track your costs and deductions at tax time.
Business checking accounts can also help business owners establish credit, which they can use for net terms with suppliers or to take out business loans or business credit cards.
But which business checking account is best? And can you find good options with free business checking accounts?
12 Best Free Business Checking Accounts
We’ve done the legwork for you, compiling a list of the 12 best free business checking accounts available in the U.S. today.
1. Bluevine: Best Free Business Checking Account Overall
Bluevine offers one of the most comprehensive and best free business checking accounts you’ll find. It has no monthly maintenance fees, no overdraft fees, and an annual percentage yield APY of 2% on up to $250,000 of your balance if you meet monthly activity goals. To qualify, simply make $500 in debit card purchases with your Bluevine business debit or receive $2,500 per month in customer payments to your account.
Bluevine offers features that make it great for a team, including the ability to open multiple sub-accounts and even have separate logins for employees or contractors, like accountants and virtual assistants.
While some free business checking accounts have transaction limits, your Bluevine business checking account does not. Funds are backed by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Coastal Community Bank provides business banking services for Bluevine customers.
2. Capital One Business Bank Account: Best for Local Branches
If you’re looking for personalized service at local branches, consider Capital One business checking. Capital One offers two tiers of checking accounts: Basic and Enhanced. Both accounts offer unlimited digital transactions, free overdraft coverage, access to Capital One’s mobile app, no ATM fees at 70,000 Capital One, Allpoint, and MoneyPass ATMs, and low monthly fees that are easily waived when you meet minimum balance requirements.
Capital One Enhanced business checking is designed for larger businesses who can meet $25,000 average daily balance requirements needed to waive the $35 monthly service fee. Enjoy free incoming wire transfers, five free outgoing wire transfers monthly, and a remote scanner for mobile check deposits.
3. GO2bank: Best for Online Banking
GO2bank is a complete mobile banking solution with digital banking services provided by Green Dot Bank. The bank offers many features in its online business checking account that will appeal to business owners and their employees, including co-branded debit cards, optional overdraft protection, and a co-branded app for businesses. You can also get a secured business credit card through GO2bank.
Waive the monthly fees with qualifying direct deposits, and receive ACH payments up to two days early. You can also purchase eGift cards for yourself or as employee incentives and earn up to 7% cash back.
4. Found: Best for Freelancers
Hailed as the debit card for the self-employed, we rate Found as the best free business account for freelancers. It has no monthly maintenance fees, no minimum deposit or minimum balance requirements, and no credit check to open your account.
Found has a few features that can help you streamline your business. By evaluating your income and expenses, Found can calculate your tax bill, categorize tax write-offs, and even auto-save the correct amount from each deposit to cover your quarterly taxes. You can also send invoices from the app.
Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Deposits are FDIC insured through Piermont Bank.
5. First Citizens Bank Basic Business Checking: Best for Checking Account Choices:
Most business checking accounts have one option for a business owner. First Citizens has four choices to help you choose the right business checking account with the features you need. The basic business checking account offers 100 transactions with no monthly fee, and has a minimum opening deposit of $100.
Business Banking I is free with a merchant account or a minimum daily balance of $25,000. It offers processing of up to $250 transactions per month, plus $10,000 in cash processing, including cash deposits. Business Banking II has similar features with 500 free transactions and $15,000 in cash processing, including cash deposits. There is a $50 monthly fee unless you have a merchant account or an average daily ledger balance of $50,000.
Business Banking III is best for larger enterprises who want choices and do a high volume of business. Process up to 750 transactions free each month, with $20,000 in cash deposits. You’ll need a merchant account or $75,000 in your average daily ledger balance to avoid the monthly maintenance fee.
Business Banking I, II, and III accounts also let you customize your plan with additional discounted services.
6. Novo Business Checking Account: Best for E-commerce and App Integrations
Novo is not a bank, it’s a financial technology company with deposits backed by Middlesex Federal Savings, Member FDIC. Novo is one of the most tech-forward financial institutions on our list, offering easy integration with apps like Shopify, Wise, Stripe, Square, and Quickbooks.
The Novo Business Checking account has no monthly fees, no minimum balance requirements, no cash deposit fees, and ATM fee reimbursement for out-of-network ATM use. Account holders can also get discounts on popular business software and services, including LegalZoom, Constant Contact, and Stripe.
7. Mercury Banking For Start-ups: Best for Start-ups
Bootstrapped and venture-backed startups of every size have unique needs in a business checking account. A Mercury free business checking account helps your money stretch further with no monthly fee, no minimum balance requirements, and no minimum deposit to open. You can earn 5.11% annual percentage yield APY with mutual funds invested through Mercury Treasury if you have an account balance of $250,000 or more.
Mercury free business checking offers unlimited free transactions, including no cash deposit fees, for businesses who process less than $200,000 per month. The account offers team management tools, debit cards for multiple employees, and capabilities to open multiple checking and savings accounts to manage cash flow.
Plus, your Mercury account is backed by up to $5 million worth of FDIC insurance through partner banks. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC and deposits are held in various partner banks.
8. U.S. Bank Silver Business Checking: Best for Sign-up Bonus
If you’re looking to earn free cash to boost your business, consider a U.S. Bank Silver Business checking account with a $100 minimum deposit before June 30, 2023. You can earn a $500 bonus when you make new deposits of at least $5,000 and maintain a minimum balance of at least $5,000 until 60 days after the account opening. Increase that to $15,000 in new money deposits and maintain that balance for 60 days and earn $750 deposited into your new business checking account.
U.S. Bank offers tons of benefits for business owners, including no transaction fees for up to 125 transactions each month, 25 free cash transactions (or up to $2,500 in free cash deposits, whichever comes first), no monthly maintenance fee, and 50% off on your first check order, up to $50.
Larger businesses may prefer a Gold Business Checking Account, with no transaction fees for up to 300 transactions per month. It also has a waivable $20 monthly fee.
There is also a Platinum Checking Account Package with 500 free transactions and a $30 monthly fee. This fee is waived by meeting monthly minimum balance requirements.
9. Chase Business Complete Banking: Best for Payment Processing
For those who want to avoid online only banks and are looking for a big bank with international recognition and branches and ATMs across the U.S., Chase Business Complete Banking offers a solid solution. It comes with many ways to waive the monthly service fee.
Chase also makes it easy to accept credit and debit card payments without using a third-party payment processor. Chase QuickAccept is a built-in feature as part of Chase Business Complete Banking. You don’t need to apply for a separate merchant account, and the transaction fees are competitive with other credit card processing companies.
QuickAccept also allows you to access money faster with same-day deposits with no added fees. If you need a merchant payment processing provider that works in synch with your bank account, Chase Business Complete Banking could be the best choice for you.
Right now through August 3, 2023, businesses can earn a bonus up to $500 when they open a Chase Business Complete Checking account and meet requirements, which including total deposits of $15,000 or more. Deposit just $2,000 or more and snag an easy $300 for your new business checking account.
10. Huntington Business Checking 100 (Midwest): Best for Community Banking
Huntington National Bank, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, since 1866, offers three business checking accounts, including a business interest checking account, Unlimited Plus Business Checking.
The top-tier account includes unlimited transactions, plus cash deposits of up to $25,000. Waive the $40 monthly fee with up to $50,000 in total deposit relationship balances across business accounts. Designed for larger businesses, the Unlimited Plus Business Checking allows you to choose two bonus services such as a fraud tool, waived returned deposited items fees on up to 25 items per month, or two free incoming domestic wires monthly.
The Unlimited Business Checking account offers similar features, with unlimited transactions, free cash deposits on up to $10,000 per month, and a choice of one bonus service. Waive the $20 monthly fee by maintaining a minimum balance of at least $10,000. A Business Checking 100 account offers up to 100 transactions per month, and up to $5,000 in cash transactions with no monthly fee.
Huntington is devoted to the local communities it serves and spotlights small business owners on its website. It also specializes in SBA loans and offers a linked business money market account to earn interest on savings with no monthly maintenance fee if you maintain an average daily balance of $10,000+.
11. Relay Business Checking: Best for Money Management
Relay online banking offers up to 20 primary business checking accounts for members of your team or for different business expenses, plus 50 virtual or physical Visa debit cards. Designed to assist with cash flow and money management, your Relay online banking account allows automated transfers into the various checking accounts based on percentage of income or flat-rate dollar figures.
Your Relay online and mobile banking account also includes up to two business savings accounts with APYs of 1% to 3%. Best of all, unlike many free business checking accounts that are only free if you meet transaction or balance requirements, Relay has no monthly maintenance fee, no transaction fees, no overdraft fees, no ATM fees, and no minimum balance requirements.
12. Axos Basic Business Checking Account: Best for No Fees
Axos Bank has been voted best online bank by Money Magazine and its business offering stands out for small business owners as a straightforward business checking account with no transaction fees, no monthly maintenance fee, and no minimum opening deposit. You also don’t have to worry about balance requirements or ATM fees. You’ll even receive unlimited reimbursements for using out-of-network ATMs within the U.S.
You will need to maintain a minimum balance of at least $5,000 for the first five statement cycles to earn a $100 account opening bonus. You will receive $25 into your business account each month you maintain the minimum requirements. However, if you close the account within 120 days, you might have to pay a $100 early closure fee.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Free Business Checking Account
The best free business checking account for your business depends on the volume of cash deposits, number of transactions, the size of your company and your general banking needs.
It’s important for a business of any size, including a sole proprietor or 1099 contractor, to open a business checking account to keep business funds separate from your personal checking account and other personal finances. This is especially important at tax time.
Many of the business bank accounts on our list of best free business checking accounts make it easy for you to track your business finances. They offer end-of-month or quarterly reports or integrate with QuickBooks or other accounting software to make money management easy. This, along with costs, quality of customer service, mobile apps, and more should factor into your decision when you choose a small business checking account.
Monthly Maintenance Fee
Account fees have long been a fact of life for individuals and business owners, but they no longer have to be with so many free checking accounts available today. Some of the banks on this list, including Axos and Relay, offer no monthly fee of any kind. Others make it easy to waive the monthly fee by meeting balance requirements.
See if there are any balance requirements, direct deposit requirements, or minimum debit card purchases to avoid the monthly service fee, and if you will be able to meet those minimums easily each month.
Easy-to-use Online and Mobile Banking
Even basic business checking today should have a robust app and mobile banking solutions, including mobile check deposits, capability to turn your debit cards on or off, and to monitor spending in a user-friendly app.
You may think online-only banks have better mobile capabilities, but that’s not always the case. All the best business checking accounts on our list have intuitive, user-friendly mobile apps.
Low Minimum Opening Deposit Requirements
Most of the free checking accounts on our list have low minimum opening deposit requirements. Some may have higher minimums to earn a bonus on your business checking account. Make sure to read the fine print and know the minimum deposit requirements if you want to earn that sign-up bonus.
Reasonable Fees
While it’s possible to find a business checking account with no monthly service fee, your bank may have some fees. Read the fine print so you know exactly what you’re getting for your money. It should be easy to avoid ATM fees, overdraft fees, and even monthly fees.
However, you may have to pay for wire transfers, out-of-network ATMs, and other transactions. Unlike personal accounts, it’s common for business bank accounts to have fees if you deposit cash. Sometimes, a certain number of cash transactions is included in your monthly fee.
Customer Service
It’s important to research the bank’s customer service before you commit to a business checking account. Online only banks, especially, may have limited ways to reach customer support. Find out if they offer 24/7 service. Many people prefer online banking for the convenience and low account fees. But if you experience a problem, you want to make sure you can get help promptly.
Positive Customer Reviews
When you’re looking for the best business checking account, it pays to research the opinions of other business owners like you. Customer reviews can give you a feel for the level of customer service, ATM fees, monthly fees, fraud protection, and more.
Practical Transaction and Cash Deposit Limits
Many of the best business checking accounts offer unlimited transactions and reasonable monthly limits to deposit cash. Many banks offer different tiers of business checking accounts, so you can pay a set monthly fee for the level of service you need.
Linked Business Savings Account or Business Interest Checking Account
If you want to earn interest on your cash reserves, look for a checking account that pays interest or for a bank with a high interest savings account. Pay attention to account fees, withdrawal limits, and
Consider the Need for a Bank With Physical Locations
Online banking offers lower monthly fees and convenience. But if your business needs to deposit cash regularly or you just want personalized service and relationship banking, you might prefer a bank account at a financial institution with brick-and-mortar locations.
Questions to Ask Before Deciding on a Business Checking Account
When you’re shopping around for a free business checking account, consider your needs, the number of transactions you conduct daily, your account balance, and whether you prefer a traditional bank or are willing to consider online only banks for your business checking needs. Ask yourself the following questions so you can compare your options.
Will you be making regular cash deposits?
Many business checking accounts charge a fee if you want to deposit cash. Sometimes, a number of cash deposits will be included in your monthly fee. Make sure to pick an account with the capabilities you need.
Do you prefer a bank or credit union?
You might prefer the personalized service of a credit union instead of choosing a large bank or an online bank. When you’re evaluating credit unions, compare all the features and fees the same as you would evaluate business bank accounts.
Do you need to process customer transactions?
Banks like Chase offer credit card processing as an add-on feature to their services. If you are using an online bank, you might want one that integrates with Stripe, Square, or other payment processors. The capability to process customer transactions is one element that sets a business bank apart from a personal checking account.
Do you want to earn interest on your balance?
Several banks on our list offer high yield savings accounts, which is a benefit for small businesses, start-ups, and any business that wants to earn free money from their balance. You might also consider an interest earning business checking account like Bluevine, which pays interest on your checking account balance.
Business Checking vs. Money Market Account
A money market account is a special savings account designed to hold money that you may need to access in the short term. Some money market accounts offer higher APYs than other savings accounts. A money market account often has limits on the number of fee-free withdrawals per month.
Most business owners will want to open a free business checking account and link it to a money market account to earn interest on cash reserves.
What You Need to Open a Small Business Checking Account
You may not need an Employer Identification Number or Tax ID number to open a business checking account. If you have one, you should open the account using that number instead of your Social Security number to help keep your business and personal funds separate.
But if you are a freelancer and file taxes as a sole proprietor/self-employed, you can open your business checking account with your SSN. However, if your business has a DBA (doing business as) you will need a certificate or paperwork showing that name.
Likewise, if you are an LLC, you’ll need your business registration along with your EIN. If you have a partnership, you’ll need your partnership agreement and paperwork showing the business name.
Beyond that, you can open a business checking account with your business address, a phone number, email address and the minimum deposit (if required). Visit a branch for personalized service or open your free business checking account online.
FAQs
See what people are asking about free business checking accounts.
Do you need to pay account or transaction fees?
Some business checking accounts have monthly fees that you can waive by meeting specific requirements. You may also pay ATM fees, fees for cash deposits, and fees for wire transfers or international transactions.
Read the fine print or speak to a personal banker to choose the account that’s right for you.
Can you open a business checking account with no credit check?
Most banks and credit unions will allow you to open a business checking account with no credit check. By maintaining a positive balance in your account, you can build your business credit. A credit check may be required for business loans, lines of credit, or “net” terms with vendors.
What are the most important features of business checking accounts?
Most business owners are looking for business checking with no ATM fees and no monthly fee or easy ways to waive the monthly fee. Beyond that, consider the type and number of transactions you complete monthly, whether you need payment processing capabilities, and if you want a linked savings account to earn interest.
What banks offer free business checking accounts?
Many online and traditional banks offer free business checking or easy ways to waive the monthly fee. The list above describes 12 of our favorite options in free business checking.
