SoFi Blog

If you feel claustrophobic whenever you enter the loo, you might be racking your brain for ideas about how to make a small bathroom look bigger. Many apartments and homes have small bathrooms—but there are often ways to make better use of the space, or to decorate it so that it doesn’t feel as cramped.

Chances are, you spend a lot of time in your bathroom. It’s likely where you start and end your day, so you want it to be a place you can relax in and enjoy. With a few small changes, you could change your bathroom from a cramped space you avoid to a sanctuary where you can decompress.

Whether you want to get creative with paint or color schemes, add some mirrors, or completely gut the space and renovate it, there are lots of ways to make a small bathroom look bigger.

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.

Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is taking charge of the heated national conversation regarding out-of-control college tuition costs. In April 2019, she released a $1.25 trillion proposal that addresses increasing college expenses and the widening student debt crisis.

“Higher education opened a million doors for me,” the senator wrote when she introduced the plan in a post on Medium . “It’s how the daughter of a janitor in a small town in Oklahoma got to become a teacher, a law school professor, a U.S. Senator, and eventually, a candidate for President of the United States. Today, it’s virtually impossible for a young person to find that kind of opportunity.”

Supports SoFi’s Continued Investment in Innovation and Rapid Rate of Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — May 29, 2019 — SoFi, a mobile-first personal finance company, announced today it has closed over $500 million in equity financing led by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which values the company at $4.3 billion on a pre-money basis. SoFi plans to use the funds to continue to invest in its rapid rate of innovation and growth, fulfilling its mission to help SoFi members achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions. The investment round further strengthens SoFi’s balance sheet to total capital of $2.3 billion. The other investors in the company’s fundraise include existing investors as well as CEO Anthony Noto.

“Over the last year, we’ve worked aggressively to grow SoFi from a desktop lending business to a broad-based, mobile-first financial platform enabling members to borrow, save, spend, invest and protect their money,” said Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi. “We’re thrilled to have QIA as a new investor and partner in our journey to help our members Get Their Money Right.”

“We strongly believe in SoFi’s approach, and their dedication to build a transformational financial platform that is rapidly disrupting consumer finance,” said Mr. Mansoor Al-Mahmoud, CEO of QIA. “SoFi’s team have a clear long-term vision for their business, and we’re proud to be their partners and to support them on their journey as part of our broader strategic investments in technology.”

This announcement follows several key product releases from SoFi since the start of 2019, including SoFi Invest, an investment platform inclusive of active investing in stocks and ETFs (brokerage), SoFi-branded ETFs, and automated investing, as well as SoFi Money, the features of a checking and savings account in one new account with 2.25% APY, no fees, and the ability to spend, save, and pay all from the SoFi mobile app. SoFi also entered the undergraduate loan business with their Private Student Loans and relaunched its mortgage loans experience earlier this year. The company recently announced that they have over 700,000 members and 7.5 million registered users.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as SoFi’s legal advisor in connection with the transaction. Morgan Stanley is serving as financial advisor and Shearman & Sterling is serving as legal advisor to QIA.

About SoFi
SoFi helps people achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions. Our products for borrowing, saving, spending, investing, and protecting give our more than 700,000 members fast access to tools to get their money right. SoFi membership comes with the key essentials for getting ahead, including career advisors and connection to a thriving community of like-minded ambitious people. For more information, visit SoFi.com or download our iOS and Android apps.

About Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)
Headquartered in Doha, the QIA is structured to operate at the very highest levels of global investing. As a world class investor, the QIA adheres to the strictest financial and commercial disciplines. It has a strong track record of investing in different asset classes, including listed securities, property, alternative assets and private equity in all the major capital markets as well as the newer emerging markets.

Media Contacts
SoFi
[email protected]

Qatar Investment Authority
[email protected]

Disclosures

SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp. or an affiliate, NMLS # 1121636. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law License No. 6054612.

“SoFi Invest” is the brand name for brokerage products and services offered through SoFi Securities LLC (SFS), Member FINRA/SIPC. SoFi Money® is a product of SFS. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth LLC (SFW), an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. SFS and SFW are affiliated companies under the common control of Social Finance, LLC (SoFi). Neither SoFi nor its subsidiaries are a bank.

Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation. Information on SoFi Wealth available in the firm’s Form ADV Part 2 Brochure on the SEC’s website.

SoFi ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Social Finance, LLC (“SoFi”) is not an affiliated person of the Funds, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the distributor, or any of their affiliates. SoFi and/or its affiliates, including SoFi Securities, LLC, do not make investment decisions, provide investment advice, or otherwise act in the capacity of an investment adviser to the SoFi Funds. SoFi has provided support in developing the methodology used by each Index ETF’s underlying index to determine the securities included in such Index. However, SoFi is not involved in the maintenance of each such Index and does not act in the capacity of an index provider.

Some of the statements in this press release may be forward-looking statements or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. Such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions, future market conditions, unusual catastrophic loss events, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different from those anticipated by such statements. QIA and SoFi do not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will QIA or SoFi or their respective affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or for any related damages.

Summer is on its way, and if you’re in college, you may find yourself with extra time to fill. Why not find a way to make extra money on the side? This could help you pay for school—and help you pay down debt when you’re finished with school. You could start looking for summer gigs now as some seasonal jobs may be starting to staff up.

You may already know about the traditional summer jobs, like lifeguard or camp counselor, but here are seven more ideas to help you make extra cash during the summer. And you don’t need to be a student for these—a side hustle could help anyone who needs a financial boost.

You’ve been looking for a new gig for ages. Finally, you score a job offer. And it sounds amazing. You’re passionate about the work the company is doing, there are plenty of perks, and you really seemed to jibe with the folks you met during the interview process.

There’s just one downside: the commute. The hours you’ll potentially have to spend in the car driving to and from work have you wondering, “How far should I travel for work?”

The average commute time in the U.S. has been rising steadily over the past few years. The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey, shows that average commute times are now at 26.9 minutes, up from 26.6 minutes the year before. For the nearly 14 million Americans who spend an hour or more traveling to work, a 26-minute commute might be a welcome trade.

You may have already weighed your dream job versus the salary, too. If the job you’re considering also pays more, you might want to review the pros and cons. Weighing these factors could help you determine if the pay increase is worth the extra commute. If it’s time to leave your job and you are willing to put in more drive time for something better, there are a few things you could examine before signing your offer letter.