SoFi Blog

When I arrived at Harvard Business School to start my MBA, I remember manually closing my jaw every few minutes as I met my colleagues. There was the investment banker from Goldman Sachs. The war veteran who served in Afghanistan. The consultant who worked with 50 of the Fortune 100.

Then there was me. Little, 24-year-old-journalism-degree me who came to Boston with just two years of work experience in public relations.

If you’re in the market to buy a home, or you recently became a homeowner, you’ve probably noticed that mortgage interest rates are ticking up. And just this past March, the Federal Reserve increased the Federal Funds rate by one-quarter of a percentage point for the second time since December. Coincidence? Probably.

We’ll get more into what the Fed rate hike is all about below, but the burning question is: What impact does it have on mortgage rates? Most importantly, how will it affect home affordability and your monthly budget?

To help you make major mortgage decisions going forward—ones that have the potential to impact you for the next 30 years—we’ve broken down what the Fed rate hike really means for current and future mortgage borrowers, and the actions you should consider.

Regardless of your opinion of President Trump, his administration, and the infighting in Washington, times like these present real financial challenges to Americans. Are we in for higher inflation or another recession? What will happen to interest rates? Will unemployment grow or shrink?

Everyone is feeling this uncertainty, particularly young people who are making investment decisions for the first time. Here are a few ways to take control of your money, and avoid making some common money mistakes.

A victory for the centrist Emmanuel Macron in the first round of the French Presidential Election sent equities, interest rates, and the dollar higher this week. Polls are forecasting an easy victory in the second round for Mr. Macron over nationalist politician and Eurosceptic Marine Le Pen. The result was a welcome development for the so-called “reflation trade” after political uncertainty on both sides of the Atlantic and some disappointing data spurred a bond rally while equities languished. We continue to like our allocation of globally diversified equities, a short duration bias in fixed income, and exposure to emerging markets.

What do Tina Fey, Justin Timberlake, and Ellen DeGeneres have in common? Aside from being excellent and hilarious entertainers, each of these influencers has done an exceptional job with personal branding.

Though the meaning has fluctuated over the years, what I mean by “personal branding” here is your unique promise of value. That is—your personal brand is the story only you are able to tell. It’s the one that makes you stand out from the rest of the pack.