Imagine this: you are out for a walk and you find a stack of shiny gold bars. Where do you put your treasure to keep it safe?
Identity theft is nothing new, and yet it still manages to cost its victims billions of dollars (yes, that’s billions with a “b”) globally each year—not to mention the time and hassle involved in recovering a stolen identity.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application for financial aid made up of scholarships and grants that the government awards to students based on their needs.
If you use a cellphone or have an email account, you’ve almost certainly been exposed to an attempt at mass marketing fraud. Common examples include being interrupted by an annoying robocall just as you start eating lunch, or waking up to a suspicious message in your email inbox that somehow slipped through the spam filter. Sometimes, the attempted fraud is kind of funny—the wording is so strange or the premise is so ridiculous (“An exiled prince needs my help transferring a million dollars? Really?”) that we’re left wondering how anyone could possibly fall for such an obvious money grab.
One of the most effective tools for preventing a large-scale financial disaster is an emergency fund, an amount of money that is set aside to cover unexpected expenses, or to keep you afloat if no regular income is coming in.
A credit score is a number that potential lenders will use to determine whether they should lend you money, how much, and at what interest rate.
If you’re considering financing your college education with the help of a student loan, the smartest thing you can do for yourself is to only borrow what you truly need. (This advice applies to pretty much all loan products, by the way.) Pursuing post-secondary education should be an exciting time in your life. You’re making decisions and opening up possibilities that will shape your future—a future that is adventurous and fulfilling and that decidedly does not include years and years of crippling debt.
Finally, the year everyone waits for! The year we all talked about as we enter into our first year of high school. “I can’t wait until I’m a senior,” was a line I constantly said when I was growing up. Now that I am officially a senior…I’ll say, and with all honesty… I wish I was still a freshman. Days were much simpler then. College and scholarships applications weren’t knocking on my door yet and Jostens order forms weren’t due. Fears of not getting into my choice college were nonexistent and thoughts of attending my last high school events had not yet crossed my mind.
High school is a period for growth and a chance to discover new things. If you have an idea of what you want to pursue in the future, applying for a youth apprenticeship is a beneficial opportunity. It can help you explore a profession more in-depth by working in a position specific to your field of interest. You get to learn from those who are already in that profession while gaining valuable skills and experience.