SoFi Blog

Shopping for the latest trends and stylish finds can be a blast. Not to mention that heading to the mall or local thrift shop with friends can be a bonding experience like none other. And is there anything as rewarding as finding a pair of jeans that fit you just right?

While there’s nothing quite like the thrill of the hunt, when you’re shopping for clothes and building out your wardrobe, it can be difficult to determine when you should be splurging on an investment piece and when you should be buying cheaper basics. Here are some guidelines to help you determine what clothes are worth investing in.

Interested in traveling? Skin care and beauty? The latest tech? Sports? Today, the internet is king and if you’re looking for ideas for your upcoming trip, or even just a recipe for a quick dinner, there’s probably a blog out there ready with the answer.

The life of a blogger can seem pretty exciting. As a blogger, you have a space you can customize and use however you see fit. Want to devote your blog to crafts? Go for it. Use your blog to share tutorials, ideas, and your latest projects. The options are limitless.

And blogging doesn’t need to be a full-time job. For some, blogging can be a fun side hustle that allows them to share their ideas after the regular workday is done. With some time and effort, your blogging hobby could turn into a money-making venture.

Here are a few ideas for how to start a blog and make money.

In our efforts to bring you the latest updates on things that might impact your financial life, we may occasionally enter the political fray, covering candidates, bills, laws and more. Please note: SoFi does not endorse or take official positions on any candidates and the bills they may be sponsoring or proposing. We may occasionally support legislation that we believe would be beneficial to our members, and will make sure to call it out when we do. Our reporting otherwise is for informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be construed as an endorsement.

Student loan forgiveness has become (finally!) a hot topic in our national conversation, but it looks like the complex system that services these loans to begin with is in very sad shape. (Yep, another broken cog in the bureaucracy wheel.)

In fact, the shape is so sad that it’s actually violating federal law and even the Constitution. It’s looking like before any progress can be made on student loan forgiveness, the system has to first be straightened out so it can fly right.

Hopefully, this fix can be hammered out with the help of our justice system. On July 11, 2019, the American Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit in federal court asking the U.S. Department of Education to fix the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program in order to meet legal standards.

A second request was included: have the department create an appeals process for those who feel they were treated unjustly.

When you get married, you also might get some tax benefits, someone to split a Costco membership with, and, of course, a whole other family. (As in, more relatives to get to know and hopefully, learn to love.) But with all the good stuff, there may also be some less than desirable aspects. You may also get more relatives who want to meddle in your finances, especially parents and in-laws.

Now, your parents and parents-in-law probably mean well, but it can be difficult to navigate the relationship if they start to get nosy about how you spend or save your money. Merging finances with your spouse after you get married is tricky enough, add in some financial tension with parental figures and you’re looking at a recipe for a marital mess.

There are multiple ways that parents may try to get involved with your finances. Some are used to giving advice freely to their child and may just want to extend the same gift of knowledge to their child’s spouse—whether they want it or not.

What do you call it when someone buys a house and is responsibly paying off their mortgage every month? You could call it “adulting.” But what if there was a way to be even more responsible and pay less? Or what if there was a way to take advantage of all that value in your new home? That would truly be adulting. Well it’s possible there could be a way—through a mortgage refinance.

When you refinance your mortgage, you’re essentially paying off your existing loan and taking out a new loan at new terms. Generally, there are two types of refinances – No Cash Out Refinance: to get a lower interest rate or a different repayment period, or Cash Out Refinance: to take advantage of the equity in their home. If you refinance with a lower interest rate or term, it could save you thousands.

For example, using an online amortization calculator, if you pay on a $300,000 mortgage loan at a 5% fixed interest rate over 30 years, you’ll end up paying $279,767. With a 4% interest rate, you’d pay only $215,608 in total interest over the life of the loan.