SoFi Blog

If you’re thinking about going green with your home, good for you! Benefits of doing so can be significant for the environment and the economy, and in terms of making a positive social impact. Green buildings use less energy, less water, fewer natural resources, and can even have a net positive effect in creating energy. Economically, you can save money on utilities, while living in a healthier environment. You can find a significant amount of information about these benefits from the World Green Building Council .

More specifically, the council shares the following message: “The world over, evidence is growing that green buildings bring multiple benefits. They provide some of the most effective means to achieving a range of global goals, such as addressing climate change, creating sustainable and thriving communities, and driving economic growth.”

And the good news is that there is no one “right” version of environmentally-friendly homes. You can choose from a huge range of strategies to go green, some large and significant, while others are small yet mighty. To help you go green your own way, we’ve scoured the web for resources to help.

In 2015, SoFi member Anthony Hartzog’s loans were in default. In 2017, he paid off $51,000 of $113,000 in debt. And this year, he and his wife Jhanilka Hartzog have already paid off $42,000 in debt with plans to wipe out the last $20,000 of their personal debt by end of year.

College graduates today are sharing a $1.5 trillion loan burden —the second highest debt amount in the nation after home mortgages. And this debt has the potential to lead to things like default, credit card debt, and potentially underemployment if grads can’t immediately find a job in their degree field.

In general, high school students are encouraged to apply to colleges during the summer before their senior year. This creates a doable timeline, one that allows them to choose the best college fit for their needs. People who are going back to school after time in the workforce generally follow the same guidelines—applying to school about 10 to 15 months prior to their targeted start date.

But how many colleges does it make sense to apply to? The Princeton Review recommends: two target schools, two reach schools, and two safety schools. Selecting a thoughtful balance of schools generally leads to less stress throughout the application process, especially when compared to students who apply to dozens of universities, expecting responses from all.

By carefully curating a list of schools, students are generally left with options within their financial reach and a little less anxiety. Although no one application strategy applies to every single student, hopefully this list is a good starting point.

If you’re already planning a destination wedding, or just starting to daydream about tying the knot under the stars on a beach in Bali, you’re not alone. Destination weddings are on the rise as couples look to make their big day an unforgettable experience, not only for each other but for family and guests. In fact, more couples than ever are choosing unique weddings over traditional black tie affairs, and a whopping 25% of couples chose destination weddings last year.

Destination weddings, which are technically any wedding held more than 100 miles or so from your home, are increasing in popularity for a few reasons. On one hand, more and more families are spread out, which means that you might pick a wedding venue that is an equidistant trip for most guests out of convenience.

On the other hand, many couples see destinations weddings as a chance to create the ultimate wedding experience for them and their guests, whether that means coming from California for a blow-out wedding at the New York Public Library, or meeting your friends for a weekend on the Riviera Maya for an oceanside ceremony.

As a freelancer, you can live anywhere, plan your own schedule, and work on a wide variety of projects. On the flipside, all that freedom means it’s up to you to meet your income needs.

If you’re looking to land higher-paying freelance tech jobs, you may want to consider working with agencies. Often, agencies turn to contract workers with specialized tech skills—like engineers, developers, designers, and other creators—to supplement their in-house teams.

Freelance rates for designers and other technical workers can be all over the map. But, because agencies are highly motivated to keep their clients satisfied, they often pay competitively to attract the best talent for the job.