Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Founded in 2012, it’s a global generosity movement that inspires people to give back. Every morning I get out of bed and check the news for the latest on what will help people in their financial and consumer lives. Since 2008, I’ve written more than 9,000 blog articles and offer a weekly newsletter, too. Read more →

It’s heartbreaking. I’ve seen young people sign up for for-profit colleges and they use their laptops to complete the courses. They expect great things from the programs they choose. However, the results are usually poor, despite what the advertising says. Most colleges will give you a valuable education that can help you achieve your career goals. Read more →

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – the three national credit reporting agencies – are permanently extending a program that lets you check your credit report at the agencies once a week for no cost. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to request free copies of your credit reports, the Federal Trade Commission advises. Other sites may charge you or be fraudulent. Read more →

Students can get into trouble when entering into agreements with colleges to spread the cost of tuition into several, interest-free loan payments. Many plans have conflicting disclosures and confusing repayment terms, which put students at risk of missing payments, getting late fees, and piling up debt, a report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found. Read more →

Inflation in the United States reached a 40-year high last year, but it’s slowing down due to factors such as the Federal Reserve rate hikes. The yearly inflation rate was 3.7 percent in August 2023. This relatively high inflation is driven by a variety of factors, such as the war in Ukraine and labor shortages. The government may continue its interest rate hikes. Read more →

Whether you’re celebrating at a picnic, barbecue, rally, football game, or work, happy Labor Day. Sunday I went to our local Olympia Harbor Days celebration that’s always scheduled for Labor Day weekend. It was cloudy, so my photos aren’t as good as the years where there’s nice blue sky. Thankfully, we had only a sprinkle of rain. Read more →

Labor Day these days is all about beaches, barbecues, games such as baseball, football, and volleyball, and shopping. It’s also a great weekend for travel. This year, 57 percent of Americans plan to travel for Labor Day weekend, more than 150 million will enjoy a barbecue or picnic, and thousands will attend a college football game. Read more →

I love the beautiful summer days here in the Seattle area. People are streaming into Western Washington due to the mild weather, attractive as climate change worsens, and the job opportunities. It’s so nice to be enjoying 70 degree weather as many areas of the country swelter. I’m also appreciating my wonderful garden.   Read more →

Financial institutions are increasingly using chatbots, which put out human-like responses using computer programming, to communicate with customers to save money. Chatbots sometimes have human names and use popup features to encourage interaction. Some chatbots use more complex technologies such as “artificial intelligence” to respond to customers. Read more →

Memorial Day is a day to honor Americans who have died in service to their country. Many people attend a memorial day event, visit a cemetery where a loved one is buried, or spend time remembering a service member. In addition, for others, it’s the unofficial beginning of summer. So, it brings barbecues, picnics, swimming, and other outdoor activities. Read more →