SoFi Blog

As 2019 comes to a close, we are eager to look back on the year and see how our members fared financially. From paying off student loans to getting started with investing, we found that members really focused on building their financial health this year—and they achieved a number of milestones along the way.

To really dig into the specifics, we surveyed over 1,000 SoFi members and 1,000 general consumers (ages 24-73)¹ across the U.S. to get their insights on how they did financially in 2019, the key financial trends of the year, and the financial goals they hope to achieve in 2020.

There’s no denying it: College is a long, hard marathon. If you’re shooting for a bachelor’s degree, you likely have four years of full-time study before you have your degree in hand. The problem is that four years can be a long time to focus exclusively on school.

For some students, a year off offers a chance to step outside academia and back into the “real world,” but what are the potential risks and benefits of taking a year off from college?

When searching for a new job, it is common to look for a position that offers a competitive pay rate, an opportunity for inter-company growth, a comprehensive health-care package, and a generous time-off policy. Additional factors such as a short commute time, specific perks for working parents, and stock options could also be enticing.

Recently, however, more and more companies seem to be modernizing and innovating their employee benefits program beyond the norm to attract and retain new workers.

While these more unusual offerings could at first seem like trivial bonuses rather than significant aid, they often result in positive impacts on an employee’s life.

According to a 2019 survey conducted by The Harris Poll, 80 percent of respondents claimed they would take a job that had benefits over a job that made 30% more in salary but did not offer benefits. When determining if accepting a job with unusual benefits is worthwhile to you, it is important to keep your individual and/or family needs, lifestyle, and budget in mind.

If you’re on the hunt for a new role, keep an eye out for the following left-of-center benefits that could help you improve your physical and emotional health, better manage your time, grow your wealth, or save money.

As many of us began our annual tradition of eating, traveling, and spending time with the family, the stock market embraced the holiday season and reached all-time highs—yet again. November also included some major news in the financial services space along with some highly anticipated product launches and announcements in other sectors. As you watch your favorite holiday movies (my vote is for Elf), sit back and catch up on some highlights from November.

’Tis the season to maximize your holiday budget!

Perhaps your holiday plans including flying to somewhere special to meet with friends and family, or maybe you’re planning to host a party for those you love. No matter how and where you’ll celebrate the season, you’ll want to decorate, create memorable meals, and buy exactly the right presents.

The problem, as you know, is that this can get expensive.