SoFi Blog

Articles about the benefits of attending college typically focus on traditional situations where students live on, or right next to college campuses—and benefits of full college-campus experiences are numerous. But, there are also plenty of benefits when commuting to college and here we’ll look at seven of the most important of them.

Before we begin, though, we want to create a definition of this type of student. What is a commuter student, really? Traditionally, people think of students who live in dorm rooms as the ones who are heavily involved in campus life, but what about students who live nearby in an apartment? These students may also be immersed in campus life.

There are a lot of fun things to spend money on. Retirement does not always feel like one of them. Setting money aside for retirement is hard to do, but it’s truly a great gift that you can give yourself.

Your retirement has the potential to be one of the greatest times of your life—imagine taking your family on a European vacation, eating fantastic food, and reading all the books you never had time to read. It’s possible, but it all depends on how much money you save and invest.

The average person isn’t saving enough to live out their golden years in style. One study, by Vanguard , shows that the average (median) person has only $26,000 in retirement savings.

If you haven’t made an IRA contribution for 2018 and are looking to ramp up your retirement savings rate, you’re in luck: You can contribute up to $11,500 to your IRA by April 15, 2019 .

If you’re in the throes of wedding planning, one item on your ever growing to-do list might be setting up your registry. Maybe you don’t actually need a lot of the home goods that are traditionally listed on a wedding registry so you’ve been putting it off.

Maybe in the back of your mind, the outstanding student debt you or your partner owe is weighing on you. You’re tempted to ask your family and close friends to give you a cash wedding gift that you can use to accelerate paying off your debt. There’s just one problem—you don’t know how to ask for money for student loans instead of gifts.

After all, many people consider it a social faux pas when a couple asks for a cash wedding gift. If you’re wondering how to ask for money as a wedding gift without offending your guests, we’ve compiled our best tips to help avoid any pre-wedding fallouts.

Football, beer, and copious snacks—for some, there’s no better holiday than the big game. It’s a bright spot in what is often a long, dark, cold, dreary winter.

Between the football game, award-winning commercials, and an always talked-about half-time show, it is one of the few events every year that spans interests. And there is no better way to watch the big game than with a big group of friends, family, and a few ice cold brews.

If you’re hosting your friends and family for this year’s big game, have no fear, we’ve got you covered with football party ideas and the best tips and tricks so you can be the host with the most, all while sticking to your budget.

“Retail therapy” is a tongue-in-cheek phrase people often casually toss about, referring to the good feeling that can arise through shopping, a feeling that is often (but not always) short-lived. (This isn’t, it should be noted, an actual form of therapy!)

Sometimes, people pursue shopping therapy when they need to cheer themselves up, whether after a romantic breakup, a bout with the flu, or a tough day at the office. Other times, this kind of pseudo-therapy is used to celebrate a special occasion, perhaps a promotion at work or an engagement announcement.

This post will explore the psychology behind shopping for pleasure, versus shopping strictly for what you need. We’ll delve into ways in which retail therapy can be harmless and may be a release, along with some potentially negative impacts.

We’ll share tips on creating a budget that helps allow room for purchases that make you smile, as well as ways to free up your cash flow, and a strategy aimed to help dig yourself out of credit card debt that can arise with over-enthusiastic spending.