Review your bank's online services and banking limitations.
Reduce bank fees and improve how your money works for you.
Compare terms at Bankrate.com
Know the signs and protect your family.
Losing money or property to scams and fraud can be devastating, and financial fraud has exploded since the pandemic.
It doesn't have to be scary. Learn the terminology and read information about tax decisions at Bankrate.com/taxes. The IRS.gov website has answers to many tax filing questions, and filing yourself is often easier than you think. Everyone can file federal taxes online for free, no matter your income or situation!
Don't fall for the vendor's tricks that lure you into paying. Always start at the IRS free file site. If you qualify, you may even be able to file with guided tax preparation.
Your AFC® says "Cryptocurrency is volatile and regulation is lacking, so this speculative investment has much more risk than most stocks".
Do you want a better understanding of cryptocurrency? Here is an excellent article in the New York Times: The Latecomer's Guide to Crypto. It's long, but it's the first thing I've read that actually makes sense. It's also behind a paywall, but an online subscription is free to all LCCC employees and students through the Ludden Library.
Want even more? Here is a very popular video (2:18:22) called Line Goes Up - The Problem with NFTs. Both resources explain block chain technology, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and cryptocurrency.
Consumer Finance Protection Bureau article
Preparing, recovering, and rebuilding after disasters and emergencies
BankRate article
How to financially prepare and recover from a natural disaster
Are you thinking about going to college, are currently enrolled, want to help your child prepare for college, or have students loans? If you want facts about financial aid, you should go to the right source.
You or your child is in college or considering college:
Start with the Financial Aid office of the school(s) you or your child attends or plans to attend. Each school has a customized process and has the best information about how to get started. To better understand financial aid types and terminology, consider these resources:
Federal Student Aid office of the Department of Education
https://studentaid.gov
The authority on federal financial aid. Read about Types of Financial Aid for information to consider before taking out student loans. If you already have student loans, your repayment options may be rapidly changing due to politics and court decisions. This site has the most current information about loan repayment and forgiveness.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Employees of LCCC qualify for this type of federal student loan forgiveness. The most current information is on this PSLF Help Tool.
Finaid.org
http://finaid.org/
This site was founded by a nationally recognized financial aid and college planning author Mark Kantrowitz as a public service and incudes useful calculators, information about scholarships and other non-federal financial aid, plus other tools.
More information for students:
Check out my LibGuide designed for students and the STRT class.
Personal finance is, well, personal. Learn how the financial resources and decisions may be different for those with backgrounds different from your own. Here are some resources:
From FEDS Notes: Greater Wealth, Greater Uncertainty: Changes in Racial Inequality in the Survey of Consumer Finances
From Payscale.com: The State of the Gender Pay Gap
From Investopedia.com: How to Go From Unbanked or Underbanked to Banked
The "unbanked or underbanked people also may have historically faced barriers in accessing traditional banking services."
