Money may not be everything, but it certainly plays a considerable role in your job satisfaction. And if you suspect you’re underpaid, your happiness can plummet—quickly. A recent Indeed survey revealed that only 19% of American workers are comfortable with how much they make and say they’d need a $6,000 raise to feel good about their salaries. Additionally, Glassdoor found that a majority of its users are underpaid by an average of $4,700.

If you think you deserve more, it’s worth doing some research to determine if you are truly underpaid—and if so, using that information to have a conversation with your boss. But before you set foot in his or her office, you have to understand how much of a raise to ask for and the best way to ask for a raise in that situation.

When was the last time you assessed your value or negotiated your salary at work? According to a recent survey¹ conducted by SoFi, over half (57%) of respondents said they feel that they are underpaid, yet only 33% plan to ask for a raise this year.

The conversation surrounding financial independence often only focuses on cutting back to save money – eliminating a daily latte, or bringing lunch to work. Of course, being financially responsible is an important part of getting to financial independence. At SoFi, we believe there is another important dimension to this discussion: earning your way to financial independence. Earning more money gives you the opportunity to put it towards your financial goals faster, whether that means saving for your first home, paying down existing debt, or investing more. Our goal? To help you get your money right—and steer you toward an accelerated path to financial independence.

During the interview for your current job, you may have been asked where you see yourself in five years. But have you ever revisited that conversation? To keep your career on the right path, it’s important to learn how to talk to your boss about your job—where you are now and where you see yourself in the future.

It might feel awkward to bring up your career development to your manager. You may not want to boast about your achievements and why you deserve to move up. Or, maybe you’re worried that your company foresees you moving into a different direction than you have in mind. And there’s always the potential for rejection if your boss doesn’t think you’re ready for a particular career track.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid the awkwardness altogether—you just need a few career tips on how to talk to your boss about your job and career progression. Here’s where to start.

Talking about money isn’t easy. Discussing what you make with your co-workers, asking your friends how much they pay in rent, or even figuring out how to split a restaurant bill—it creates tension. So if you’re wondering how to ask your boss for a raise, you’re probably feeling some pressure.

But considering that only 19% of U.S. employees feel comfortable with their salary—and nearly half report that they plan on asking for a raise this year—it’s a tension that’s important to overcome.

What can make that conversation easier? It’s all about preparation. By thinking through exactly how to ask for a promotion or raise—and gathering information to backup your request—you’ll be able to enter the conversation confidently. So before you head into your boss’s office, here are four ways to make sure you’re prepared.

A great way to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the infamous Equifax breach (September 7, 2017) is to take steps to protect yourself to keep your information secure.

First, the backstory: Equifax, a financial information company based in Atlanta, reported a cybersecurity incident that potentially affected 143 million U.S. consumers. Between May and June 2017 , criminals gained access to certain Equifax files through application vulnerability on a U.S. website.

The information exposed included social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and drivers’ licenses. Approximately 209,000 credit card accounts for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers were also compromised. These accounts include dispute documents and personal identifying information. Even a year later, the cleanup continues .