Year archive
Browse the 2016 BillSaver archive for consumer-money articles on credit, debt, insurance, taxes, travel costs, and monthly bills.
The last week of 2016 is the right time to turn the year's rate hikes, market shocks, travel costs, and card balances into a calmer plan.
The last shipping deadline can pressure shoppers into rushed purchases and expensive delivery choices.
The Federal Reserve's December 2016 hike gives borrowers another reason to stop letting variable debt linger.
After a volatile financial year, December is still the time to check tax-sensitive moves before the calendar closes.
Giving Tuesday works best when generosity has both a verification step and a budget line.
More Black Friday shopping is happening online, where saved cards and fast checkout can make spending painless.
Mortgage rates moved after the 2016 election, reminding buyers how quickly affordability can change.
Election-week market predictions can tempt households to make dramatic moves with long-term money.
Open enrollment choices flow directly into next year's paycheck and medical risk.
Holiday travel booking can produce points, miles, and protections, but interest charges can overwhelm the value.
Medicare open enrollment is not only about premiums; drug formularies and pharmacy networks can change the real cost.
Hurricane Matthew put insurance documentation back in the spotlight for coastal and inland households.
The FAFSA opening in October changes the rhythm of college money planning.
One year after the EMV shift, many consumers are better trained at checkout but still casual about online card habits.
A September Fed pause can make borrowers relax, but credit card debt remains expensive even without a new rate hike.
Prepaid and payroll cards are useful for some households, but fee schedules can be harder to read than checking account terms.
Preparedness Month is a reminder that the first hours after a storm are easier when insurance papers are already organized.
Labor Day auto advertising can make a payment look attractive by stretching the term.
Late August is when summer travel, camps, repairs, and restaurants start showing up together on statements.
Adding a student as an authorized user can help or hurt depending on payment habits and expectations.
Olympic highlights and mobile streaming can reveal whether a family's wireless data plan matches actual entertainment habits.
Move-in week is full of errands, which makes it easy to open the nearest student checking account without checking fees.
Federal student loan rates for the new academic year moved lower, but a lower rate does not make borrowing painless.
Back-to-school laptop purchases can be large enough to trigger rewards, warranty benefits, or interest charges.
The summer mobile gaming craze is a reminder that app habits can change data usage faster than a wireless plan changes.
The July 4 holiday is a clean midyear reminder to check credit reports before fall borrowing season.
Post-Brexit market moves pushed many borrowers to look again at mortgage rates and refinancing math.
The Brexit vote put currency swings in the headlines, but travelers feel them through card charges, exchange rates, and trip costs.
Father's Day week is a practical time to ask whether the household could function if an income disappeared.
June 2016 brought rate uncertainty and global-market concerns, both of which make household liquidity more important.
The best time to lower air-conditioning costs is before the first shocking summer bill arrives.
Memorial Day car ads are built to get shoppers emotionally attached before the financing is clear.
A good airfare deal can lose some shine when every international purchase carries an extra card fee.
Wedding season can turn travel, gifts, clothes, showers, and parties into a quiet budget problem.
Small Business Week is a good reminder that business spending and household debt should not be mixed casually.
College award letters can hide the true four-year cost when families focus only on the first-year gap.
Tax Day is the moment to decide whether this year's refund or tax bill should change the rest of 2016.
The April deadline leaves some savers one last chance to make a prior-year IRA contribution.
Taxpayers asking for extensions may not realize the payment clock keeps running.
Longer auto loans are making monthly payments look manageable while stretching debt further into the future.
Spring buyers can waste weeks touring homes before learning what financing actually supports.
The March 2016 Fed discussion kept consumers focused on whether the December hike would be followed quickly.
Reports of rising card balances make 2016 a year to tighten payoff plans before interest becomes the household's fastest-growing bill.
Leap Day gives households one extra calendar prompt to find charges that have been hiding in plain sight.
Refund season is a chance to make two moves at once: reduce expensive debt and build a small cash cushion.
Months after the EMV shift, many shoppers are still annoyed by slow or inconsistent chip-card checkouts.
Valentine's week is a good time to talk about joint cards, authorized users, and shared spending expectations.
Families learned that the FAFSA calendar would shift earlier, making financial aid planning harder to postpone.
The rough market start to 2016 reminded households that emergency money and investment money have different jobs.
The 2016 filing season again puts taxpayers on alert for refund fraud and stolen personal information.
January statements are arriving with the real cost of December spending.
Mortgage rates opened 2016 with room for buyers to compare, but affordability still depends on the full household budget.