SoFi Blog

So you thought your mac and cheese and ramen days were over? Well, maybe not quite yet.

If you’re overwhelmed by the thought of managing student loan payments for years or even decades to come, there are strategies that can help you dump that debt faster. Unfortunately, many require cutting back on your spending or finding ways to make more money.

That might not seem fair if you were thinking graduation would mark the start of a sweeter lifestyle—not more austerity. But the thing to keep in mind is that if you can pay off your loans faster, you’ll typically save money down the road.

Potentially a lot of money: trip-to-Europe, house-down-payment, let’s-get-married kind of money. And knocking down your student debt is a goal worth working toward if you like the idea of financial freedom. Here are some ways to get after it.

It’s Halloween 2008.

One of the enduring mysteries of technology, cryptocurrency, and the internet is about to announce himself, herself, or themselves to the world by posting a white paper to an internet mailing list for cryptography geeks.

The subject of the post is “I’ve been working on a new electronic cash system that’s fully
peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party.”

That’s it.

What follows in the body of the post is a description of what’s in the white paper and the electronic cash system it lays out for the first time. Then there’s an abstract and a link to the full paper, which all this time later is still live, and then—a signature.

There’s no denying it: College is a long, hard marathon. If you’re shooting for a bachelor’s degree, you likely have four years of full-time study before you have your degree in hand. The problem is that four years can be a long time to focus exclusively on school.

For some students, a year off offers a chance to step outside academia and back into the “real world,” but what are the potential risks and benefits of taking a year off from college?

The holidays are quickly approaching, and though you may already have some essentials in mind, (AirPods Pro®, anyone?) it’s never a bad idea to add some finance books to your list.

Whether you’re a recent grad who’s just getting on your feet and creating your first budget or a seasoned professional planning for retirement, trying to get your finances in order can be daunting.

While there are a number of resources like apps, podcasts, and websites that could be helpful in sorting your personal finances, reading or listening to a good ol’ fashioned book (or e-book!) can help to keep you free of other digital distractions and focused on getting your finances right.

So grab your favorite flannel, here are some popular personal finance books to curl up with next to a roaring winter fire.

When searching for a new job, it is common to look for a position that offers a competitive pay rate, an opportunity for inter-company growth, a comprehensive health-care package, and a generous time-off policy. Additional factors such as a short commute time, specific perks for working parents, and stock options could also be enticing.

Recently, however, more and more companies seem to be modernizing and innovating their employee benefits program beyond the norm to attract and retain new workers.

While these more unusual offerings could at first seem like trivial bonuses rather than significant aid, they often result in positive impacts on an employee’s life.

According to a 2019 survey conducted by The Harris Poll, 80 percent of respondents claimed they would take a job that had benefits over a job that made 30% more in salary but did not offer benefits. When determining if accepting a job with unusual benefits is worthwhile to you, it is important to keep your individual and/or family needs, lifestyle, and budget in mind.

If you’re on the hunt for a new role, keep an eye out for the following left-of-center benefits that could help you improve your physical and emotional health, better manage your time, grow your wealth, or save money.