SoFi Blog

“My partner doesn’t really need to know I splurged on these shoes, so I’ll intercept the credit card bill from the mail before he sees it.”

“My bonus was a bit more than I anticipated, so it won’t hurt if I don’t tell my wife and have some fun with the extra money.”

A one-time money secret may seem like a minor relationship infraction, especially if the amount in question is a small one. But as I know from conversations with my clients, one fib can lead to another, snowballing into long-term deceits, such as secret credit cards or hidden bank accounts. Little flakes of dishonesty can severely ice over a relationship, especially when debt accumulates or credit scores fall.

If you’ve been thinking about buying your first home, now could be a great time to take the plunge. With interest rates expected to rise, locking in a rate on your mortgage early can be a cost-saving move. Also, as rents continue to climb, you might be ready to invest that monthly check in something that can appreciate in value—not to mention something that gives you a tax break come next April.

With markets quiet heading into year-end, it seems a good time to set out what we will look for in 2017. No one knows the future, but we can prepare for developments that are likely to drive markets over the next year.

It’s that time of the season when we start to set the list of New Year’s resolutions for ourselves: eating better, exercising more often, and saving some extra money. But what about those selfless resolutions that impact those around us and who we care about most? Being more kind is a start, and so is minding your “P’s” and “Q’s”; however, these types of actions often fall flat as the year rolls along.

It might be time to consider some steps you can take that protect those you love. As troublesome as it sounds, buying life insurance is one of the most selfless decisions you can make for protecting your family. Unlike other resolutions, purchasing life insurance isn’t about you; it’s about the ones you love. And there are a few important tips and tricks that can help in the search for the right kind of coverage.

So what is life insurance anyway?

U.S. Equity markets were down slightly last week, shrugging off a bond market selloff in China, increased geopolitical uncertainty, and the expected increase in the federal funds rate. Ten-year Treasury yields were higher on the week and the dollar continued to rally against the euro and yen, hurting dollar returns in global equity indices.