Savings | Credit Card Topics

11 Ways to Lower Your Monthly Bill Payments

By: Andrea Woroch, 7/5/2022

As inflation soars and budgets tighten, many Americans are feeling the financial squeeze. Cutting out discretionary purchases and trimming grocery and gas spending are key to keeping costs under control, but don’t overlook your own monthly bills for potential savings. Spending just a few moments going through each recurring expense is necessary to ensure you aren’t wasting money without realizing it. Here are 11 hacks to lower your monthly bills. 1. Scrutinize Your Bills ... read more »

The Retirement Answer Man® Roger Whitney: Professional Reputations are Like Credit Scores for Careers

By: Adam West, 6/4/2021

In a Nutshell: As the recent pandemic shows, life can turn on a dime -- and that makes planning for retirement with any certainty a real challenge. So Roger Whitney, the Retirement Answer Man®, recommends building a plan that actually anticipates change while celebrating the life you're living today. He calls it Agile Retirement Management®, and it's just as much about introspection as it is about maxing out the numbers. Whitney's award-winning podcast, book, and free web resources... read more »

SaverLife Study Reveals Credit Card Debt on the Rise while Low-Income Members May be Hitting Limits

By: Matt Walker, 3/30/2021

In a Nutshell: The past year has been challenging for millions of people across the country in a variety of ways due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health and financial issues are certainly chief among those challenges. SaverLife has been following the economic impacts of the pandemic on its users and observed that credit card debt increased by 5% from 2019 to 2020 for low-income users. Meanwhile, credit card debt increased by 211% for those earning more than $50,000 per year. This data... read more »

The GasBuddy App and Card Help Consumers Save on Gas While Earning Discounts and Cash Rewards

By: Adam West, 1/8/2021

In a Nutshell: Gas is a necessity that not many people enjoy buying. The free GasBuddy app and the Pay with GasBuddy card change that dynamic by helping consumers find the best gas prices and earn discounts and rewards. Users can connect the app to their phone's location services to find — and add — the best prices. When consumers connect the GasBuddy card to their checking account, they earn additional discounts at the pump and rewards to shop with GasBuddy partners. The GasBuddy... read more »

Empower: An AI-Based Financial Services Platform that Offers Users Advice on Saving, Budgeting, and Spending Wisely

By: Adam West, 7/8/2020

In a Nutshell: Consumers who are just getting started with using financial services might assume they’re working for the bank, not the other way around. Empower is changing that dynamic by leveraging AI to automate and simplify the banking experience to work more efficiently for consumers. More than 650,000 account holders rely on Empower's integrated saving, budgeting, and checking tools to manage their money without getting in the way. And Empower also steps in to offer advice and... read more »

Gift of College: On a Mission to Increase Awareness and Growth of 529 Plans to Help the Next Generation Avoid Student Loan Debt

By: Eric Bank, 5/7/2020

In a Nutshell: Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Gift of College is an innovative platform that enables crowdfunding for college. The website allows individuals who are saving for college or paying down student loan debt to register their 529 plans and their student loans. Friends, family, and employers can directly contribute cash or gift cards to the registrants’ 529 plan and/or student loan accounts. The website also offers payroll deduction through API integration that allows... read more »

Save Money by Identifying Unwanted Subscriptions and Eliminating Financial Inefficiencies

By: Adam West, 8/16/2019

In a Nutshell: In an age of automation, algorithms often do the heavy lifting so we can focus on other things. But that mindset can lead to higher fees for services — and sometimes subscriptions we don’t realize we’re paying for. Truebill helps users identify recurring charges and other financial inefficiencies that can put a strain on their budgets. The personal finance tracker, budget planner and bill reminder can also save consumers money automatically by applying for... read more »

Long Game Savings App Uses Gamification to Engage the Mobile-First Generation in Learning Healthy Financial Habits

By: Jon McDonald, 11/2/2018

In a Nutshell: The Long Game Savings app was launched in 2015 to help millennials practice healthy financial behaviors by combining two of the demographic’s favorite things — mobile games and prizes. The app encourages users to save money by rewarding them with in-app Coins, cash, and cryptocurrency for meeting their goals. They can also play games, participate in drawings, and prepare for the tech-forward financial landscape of the future. Long Game Savings combats poor spending... read more »

How ecoATM Gazelle Extends the Consumer-Device Lifecycle Through Convenient Kiosks and Secure ReCommerce

By: Ashley Dull, 10/11/2018

The Crunch: The yearly release of high-tech devices means consumers rush to trade in the old for the new. This trend has led to explosive growth in the electronic resale market. That is why ecoATM Gazelle gives consumers fast, convenient, and secure ways to trade their devices for cash or find deep discounts on certified, pre-owned electronics. Consumers can trade-in and shop for used devices on Gazelle.com or recycle their old devices through secure ecoATM kiosks in retail stores for... read more »

Stephanie Nelson Uses the Power of Coupon Mom to Drive Donations Through Grocery Savings

By: Brittney Mayer, 10/11/2018

In a Nushell: What started as a way to feed her family on a single income turned into a charitable initiative to supply food pantries and, eventually, became a successful business for Coupon Mom Stephanie Nelson. Many shoppers are aware of the savings available using coupons for groceries, but they are intimidated by the effort they think shopping with coupons takes. Coupon Mom aggregates available coupons with local ads for grocery and drugstore chains and provides free,... read more »

Where to Turn if You’ve Been Wrongfully Denied Your Retirement Benefits

By: Ray FitzGerald, 8/24/2018

In a Nutshell: Retirement should be the reward for decades of work and sacrifice. However, many people spend their later years fighting for the pension and retirement benefits they’ve worked hard to attain for themselves and their families. The Pension Rights Center acts as a resource center for six federally funded pension counseling projects that together serve retirees across 30 states. To date, the pension counseling projects have recovered over $242 million in earned retirement... read more »

Expert Jean Chatzky Discusses Women’s Unique Retirement Savings Goals (& How to Reach Them)

By: Brittney Mayer, 7/19/2018

In a Nutshell: Over the course of the last century, the role of women in the global economy has steadily grown, with women today holding 30% of the total private wealth. With that growing wealth, however, comes growing responsibilities — including the responsibility women have to themselves to create their own financial security. We talked to financial expert Jean Chatzky about how women can adapt to longer lives, a pay gap more akin to a chasm, and caring for their families so they... read more »

Mozo Helps Australians Save Money By Comparing Multiple Banking, Energy, and Insurance Providers

By: Ray FitzGerald, 7/11/2018

In a Nutshell: Few things can make someone feel worse than making a purchase or signing up for a service without knowing if you got the best possible deal. Internet consumer reviews can help shoppers make informed decisions, but these reviews typically highlight singular experiences and rarely compare one company to another. Mozo fills in the gaps by providing Australians with in-depth and real-time comparisons of banking, energy, insurance, and other service providers throughout the... read more »

CIT Bank Recognized with Our 2018 Editor’s Choice Award™ for Its Top-Yielding Money Market Account

By: Ray FitzGerald, 7/10/2018

In a Nutshell: The popularity of online banks has increased so rapidly in the last five years that their brick-and-mortar competition has scurried to keep up. Internet-only banking companies frequently offer superior rates and technology thanks to their lower overhead costs. A leader in this tech revolution is CIT Bank, which unveiled its first Money Market account in March 2018. The account features a low $100 minimum deposit to open and pays interest at a rate of 1.85% APY,... read more »

The Down Payment Resource Platform Connects Homebuyers to Programs that Can Provide Thousands in Home Cost Savings

By: Ray FitzGerald, 5/14/2018

In a Nutshell: Buying a home can be a confusing and complicated process no matter how many times you’ve done it. Different lenders have different qualification standards and no one seems to know how much down payment is enough. Down Payment Resource has spent the last 10 years curating the nation’s first and largest database of down payment assistance programs that, on average, contribute between $8,000 and $10,000 to qualified homebuyers nationwide. Programs can be found through... read more »

CalEITC4ME Works to Bring Awareness to the Estimated 1.7 Million Californians Who are Eligible for the State Earned Income Tax Credit

By: Ray FitzGerald, 4/9/2018

In a Nutshell: For more than 40 years, observers have hailed the federal government’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) as one of the most effective anti-poverty tools in the US. In recent years, individual states have set aside money for low- and moderate-income families to claim state tax credits to supplement the federal EITC. California, a forerunner in the movement, has an estimated 1.7 million residents who are eligible for the credit. CalEITC4ME works to spread word of the... read more »

Save Up to $600 Monthly on the Costs of Car Ownership with Zipcar — The World’s Largest Car Sharing Service

By: Ray FitzGerald, 3/30/2018

In a Nutshell: Navigating big, congested cities can be hard for someone who's on foot. For some people, owning a car isn't an option. Surveys have found that car ownership costs the average consumer more than $700 each month when factoring in the cost of gas, insurance, loan payment, and other maintenance fees. Meanwhile, members of Zipcar’s car-sharing service have been found to save as much as $600 each month by avoiding those fees and paying only when they need a car. Zipcar has... read more »

More than 1.8 Million Account Holders Make BankMobile the Largest and Fastest-Growing Mobile-First Bank in the US

By: Brittney Mayer, 3/29/2018

In a Nutshell: Banking has experienced major transformations in the last two decades with changes ranging from rapid branch expansion into urban and rural areas to the recent push for digital banking, which renders many physical locations obsolete. The evolution is expected to continue as younger workers enter the labor force and bring with them modern expectations of banks. Those needs are at the forefront of BankMobile's platform. BankMobile is the largest and fastest-growing... read more »

Edmunds’ Technology and Experience Give Car Shoppers Alerts and Advice to Help Them Maximize Their Savings

By: Ray FitzGerald, 2/2/2018

In a Nutshell: Consumers across the US are keeping their cars longer than ever before. That can make the car-buying process even more stressful when it’s done only once per decade. To help shoppers get the best deal and ensure a quality purchase that will last another 10 years, Edmunds offers the web’s leading resource of vehicle reviews, pricing information, and expert advice. A full-featured mobile application gives shoppers everything needed to conduct — from their phone — a... read more »

How Cambridge Savings Bank Invests in Its Customers with Award-Winning Technology & Diverse Savings Products

By: Ray FitzGerald, 9/20/2017

In a Nutshell: Headquartered near one of America's most prestigious universities with branches all over Massachusetts, Cambridge Savings Bank continues to build on its more than 180 years of experience in serving customers. A 2016 rebranding brought on a banner year for the company as it rededicated itself to enhancing customer experience. Recent award-winning technological innovations from CSB have made the process of investing and growing your savings easier and more secure. With... read more »

Exclusive Savings from Top-Reviewed Companies: Join Angie’s List for 10M+ Consumer Reviews & Members-Only Discounts on Hundreds of Services

By: Brittney Mayer, 5/18/2017

In a Nutshell: The importance of choosing the right service provider, be it for home care or health care, is a lesson many learn the hard way. For over 20 years, millions of those consumers have used Angie's List to share which providers were mistakes -- and which were perfect picks. Free to join, search, hire, and review, Angie's List has more than 700 categories of services and providers and over 10 million reviews from real people. Paid members can also enjoy the Fair Price and... read more »

MyRatePlan’s Cutting-Edge Comparison Tool Finds You The Best Value in Wireless Plans & 7 Additional Household Services

By: Toby Sembower, 3/7/2016

In a Nutshell: MyRatePlan.com is a leading comparison site that allows consumers to review current rates in eight household categories — wireless plans, credit cards, business and phone services, satellite and cable TV, loans and financial products, insurance, travel, and internet providers. Consumers overspend by tens of billions annually on these common products and services, and MyRatePlan is striving to change that by offering unbiased, comprehensive recommendations based on... read more »

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