Alice Bryant's blog

Home / Blog / Alice Bryant's blog

Budgeting for Study Abroad

September 15th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

Students can truly benefit from studying abroad. With our globalized society providing jobs all around the world, students who immerse themselves in other cultures will have the upper hand. Students can expect to get practical knowledge and understanding while having the time of their lives. That being said, studying abroad is not cheap. There are a number of different costs associated with the experience, requiring a lot of strategic budgeting to succeed. 

All You Need to Know About FICO 9

September 9th, 2014 by Alice Bryant
FICO is the source most lenders use to determine a borrower’s credit score. FICO uses an extensive formula intended to assist financial organizations with making high-volume, complex financial decisions. However, FICO recently announced a new formula called FICO Score 9. Unlike the current model, FICO 9 will remove collection agency accounts which were settled or paid in full. The new formula also distinguishes between medical debt and other forms of unpaid debt.
 

Which Credit Card Rewards Program is Right for You?

August 21st, 2014 by Alice Bryant
It seems nearly every week credit card companies put out a new rewards card or membership bonus that appeal to our desires as consumers who would like to get bonuses and rewards through their credit cards. Credit card companies are currently offering record-breaking sign up bonuses for customers. But with all the great deals and rewards programs that credit card companies are offering, it may be hard to decide what you want. Take a look below and see which rewards program is right for you.

Have You Outgrown Your Credit Card?

August 21st, 2014 by Alice Bryant

Having access to credit is a great thing. You can make large purchases and then pay for them in monthly installments, build a credit history and have an emergency fund in your wallet at all times. However, credit cards have added several new features and perks that older credit cards may not have had. That begs the question of whether or not you have outgrown your current credit card. 

10 Cities with the Top Credit Scores

August 14th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

Basically, one's credit score is a three-digit number that can be generated by a professional mathematical algorithm. It is used in order to help predict if one is at risk of failing to pay back on loans issued to them. The most popular type of credit score is the FICO score, and these scores have a range from 300 to 850. Using this system, lenders can get a better grasp on if people that are asking to lend money are more likely to pay them back or not as they are supposed to.

Mid-year Check Up: Is Your Money in Order?

August 12th, 2014 by Alice Bryant
Life as a responsible adult means juggling and properly handling finances. The overwhelming majority of all adults throughout the nation have debt, with roughly a third of Americans falling into delinquency, according to a 2014 report from USA Today. The average person also has a minimum of two credit cards, a mortgage or similar loan, and other finances to juggle. Checking your personal finances is a necessity to keep in good standing with creditors and to keep your credit score, investments, interest rates, and other fiscal aspects healthy.
 

How to Score the Best Deals on Back to School Shopping

August 6th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

With August having started and summer quickly coming to a close, the school season is rapidly approaching. While you may have left over supplies from the previous school year, each teacher inevitably requires either more items or more expensive items, making the end of summer a financial hit only second to the holidays. With careful planning and dedication to that plan, your budget does not have to undergo an entire revamp just to make sure the young ones have a calculator.

Is Peer to Peer Lending the Future?

August 1st, 2014 by Alice Bryant

Traditional banks may be viewed by the government as too big to fail, but they aren't too big to face a growing level of competition from a new, technology-driven lending platform. This platform is known as peer to peer lending. In this nascent lending dynamic, online intermediaries bring borrowers and lenders together without the need for a big bank or financial institution. Lenders in a peer to peer setting are not large, structured entities such as banks, but individual investors seeking a more profitable alternative to traditional bank deposits.

The Differences Between Being Cheap vs Being Frugal

July 25th, 2014 by Alice Bryant

Our culture is sometimes a little confused about the virtue of saving money. On one hand, we praise people who get great deals, but if the people in question hunt for the deals too hard, they are dismissed as being cheap and told that they should live a little. The truth is that there are always two sides to every story, and therein lies the important difference between being frugal and being cheap. While these two words can technically describe the same behaviors (i.e. checking deals, looking for bargains, or making comparisons), there is a world of difference between them regarding the attitude that is expressed. Understanding the difference between frugality and being cheap is a good way to develop a mature and nuanced attitude towards money. 

How Often Does Your Credit Score Change?

July 24th, 2014 by Alice Bryant
Since credit scores are now so integral in the daily lives of people, even playing a role in whether someone can get a job or a loan, there is a tremendous fascination with them and how often they change. There are actually many circumstances and factors that can trigger a credit score to change. Being aware of how and when credit scores can change makes a huge difference when it is time to look for a good loan or take advantage of a great offer. 

Pages