Credit Cards4 min read
Holiday Debt Gets A Payoff Plan Before 2018 Begins
John Oldshue · December 25, 2017
The final week of 2017 is the time to put holiday balances into a written payoff plan.
Year archive
2017 Articles
Browse the 2017 BillSaver archive for credit-card, tax, insurance, mortgage, travel, and everyday bill advice from that year.
Banking4 min read
Last-Minute Tax Reform Cannot Rush Year-End Giving
Bill Hardekopf · December 18, 2017
Late-December tax reform headlines made some households wonder whether to change year-end giving or deduction plans.
Saving Money4 min read
Turn 2017's Money Shocks Into A Cleaner 2018 Plan
John Oldshue · December 11, 2017
After rate hikes, hurricanes, and the Equifax breach, the end of 2017 is a good time to build a sturdier plan.
Banking4 min read
Tax Reform Talks Put January Paychecks Under A Fresh Review
Bill Hardekopf · December 4, 2017
Early-December tax reform negotiations made 2018 paychecks worth watching before final rules were settled.
Credit Cards4 min read
Ahead Of The December Fed Meeting, 2018 Debt Plans Get Current
Bill Hardekopf · November 27, 2017
With the December 2017 Fed meeting still ahead, variable-rate debt already belonged near the top of the 2018 planning list.
Credit Cards4 min read
Rewards Cards Get A 2018 Annual Fee Review
John Oldshue · November 20, 2017
December is a good time to ask whether a rewards card earned enough value to justify another annual fee.
Banking4 min read
Tax Reform Talks Cannot Freeze Year-End Planning
Bill Hardekopf · November 13, 2017
Late-2017 tax reform debate made planning feel uncertain, but households still had year-end choices to make.
Saving Money4 min read
Giving Tuesday Donations Start With Receipts And A Charity Check
John Oldshue · November 6, 2017
Giving Tuesday is easier to handle when generosity is paired with basic verification and recordkeeping.
Credit Cards4 min read
Black Friday Deal Alerts Get Card Alerts Too
Bill Hardekopf · October 30, 2017
Black Friday deal alerts are useful, but card alerts matter just as much when online shopping accelerates.
Saving Money4 min read
Halloween Opens The Holiday Budget Creep
John Oldshue · October 23, 2017
Halloween spending often opens the door to two months of small holiday purchases that never get added together.
Credit Cards4 min read
Holiday Travel Cards Get Picked Before The Airport Kiosk
Bill Hardekopf · October 16, 2017
Holiday travel booking is a good time to decide which card earns value and which card should stay unused.
Insurance4 min read
Open Enrollment Turns 2018 Benefits Into A Paycheck Decision
John Oldshue · October 9, 2017
Fall open enrollment is when next year's paycheck, deductible, and health-care risk start taking shape.
Personal Loans4 min read
Ahead Of CFPB Payday Rule, Short-Term Loans Get A Cost Check
Bill Hardekopf · October 2, 2017
Ahead of the CFPB's early-October payday lending rule, high-cost short-term borrowing was already back in the policy conversation.
Insurance4 min read
Medicare Open Enrollment Starts With A Prescription Price Check
Bill Hardekopf · September 25, 2017
Medicare open enrollment gives households a chance to compare drug coverage before next year's costs are locked in.
Insurance4 min read
After Irma, Insurance Claims Run On Patience And Paper
John Oldshue · September 18, 2017
Hurricane Irma left households facing repairs, deductibles, temporary living costs, and crowded claims systems.
Credit Cards4 min read
Equifax Breach Puts Fraud Alerts And Freezes In Plain Language
Bill Hardekopf · September 11, 2017
After the Equifax breach, many consumers were suddenly choosing between fraud alerts, freezes, and monitoring.
Credit Cards4 min read
Credit Freezes Become A Mainstream Money Chore
John Oldshue · September 4, 2017
Credit freezes were already worth understanding before the Equifax announcement turned the subject into a national household chore.
Saving Money4 min read
Peak-Season Evacuation Planning Puts Emergency Cash First
Bill Hardekopf · August 28, 2017
Peak-season evacuation planning makes cash, fuel, lodging, and card access immediate household issues before a storm warning arrives.
Insurance4 min read
Ahead Of Harvey, Flood Insurance Questions Move To The Front
John Oldshue · August 21, 2017
Before Harvey's landfall, flood insurance questions already belonged in the household storm plan.
Insurance4 min read
Late-Summer Storm Prep Starts With Home Photos
Bill Hardekopf · August 14, 2017
Late-summer storm season was a reminder to photograph the house before wind, rain, or flooding made records harder to create.
Credit Cards4 min read
Authorized User Cards Get Semester Rules Before Move-In
John Oldshue · August 7, 2017
Parents adding students as authorized users should set rules before the card is needed on campus.
Banking4 min read
College Move-In Week Tests Banking Before Classes
Bill Hardekopf · July 31, 2017
College move-in week is when students discover whether their checking account works away from home.
Credit Cards4 min read
Apartment Hunters Check Credit Before Application Fees
John Oldshue · July 24, 2017
Late-summer apartment hunting can involve application fees, credit checks, deposits, and quick decisions.
Credit Cards4 min read
Back-To-School Laptop Financing Gets The Payoff Test
Bill Hardekopf · July 17, 2017
Back-to-school laptop deals often mix legitimate needs with tempting store financing.
Saving Money4 min read
Summer Utility Bills Start With Thermostat And Rate Math
John Oldshue · July 10, 2017
High summer temperatures can push utility bills up before families notice the pattern.
Banking4 min read
CFPB Arbitration Rule Makes Fine Print Harder To Ignore
Bill Hardekopf · July 3, 2017
The CFPB issued its arbitration rule in July 2017, keeping consumer contract rights in the headlines.
Saving Money4 min read
Vacation Rental Fees Belong In The Trip Budget Early
John Oldshue · June 26, 2017
Vacation rentals can look cheaper than hotels until cleaning fees, service charges, deposits, and transportation are added.
Personal Loans4 min read
2017-2018 Student Loan Rates Put Borrowing Limits Back In View
John Oldshue · June 19, 2017
New federal student loan rates for the academic year gave families a fresh reason to limit borrowing before bills start.
Credit Cards4 min read
Ahead Of The June Fed Meeting, Variable Debt Gets A Payoff List
Bill Hardekopf · June 12, 2017
With the June 2017 Fed decision due that week, variable-rate balances deserved active payoff plans before the headline arrived.
Credit Cards4 min read
Summer Travel Cards Get Fraud Alerts Before Boarding
John Oldshue · June 5, 2017
Summer travel creates more card activity in more places, which makes alerts and backup plans more valuable.
Insurance4 min read
Hurricane Season Starts With Flood Insurance Questions
Bill Hardekopf · May 29, 2017
With hurricane season about to begin, households had a timely reason to ask whether a home policy actually covered the water risk.
Personal Loans4 min read
Memorial Day Auto Ads Cannot Choose Your Loan Length
John Oldshue · May 22, 2017
Memorial Day car ads can make a long loan feel normal because the payment looks manageable.
Banking4 min read
CFPB Arbitration Debate Puts Account Terms Back In View
Bill Hardekopf · May 15, 2017
Consumer finance arbitration clauses remained in the policy conversation in 2017, putting account terms back in view.
Insurance4 min read
Mother's Day Puts Family Protection Back In View
John Oldshue · May 8, 2017
Mother's Day is a useful reminder that unpaid work, caregiving, and income all deserve protection in a family plan.
Personal Loans4 min read
College Deposits Cannot Hide The Four-Year Price
Bill Hardekopf · May 1, 2017
May college deposits can make a family feel committed before the full four-year cost has been faced.
Cell Phones4 min read
Unlimited Wireless Plans Return With Fine Print
Bill Hardekopf · April 24, 2017
Unlimited wireless plans were again drawing attention in 2017, but unlimited does not mean every line is equal.
Saving Money4 min read
A Tax Refund Can Fix One Thing Still Visible In June
John Oldshue · April 17, 2017
A 2017 refund can vanish into ordinary spending unless the household assigns it to one visible repair.
Credit Cards4 min read
Tax Bills Do Not Belong On The Worst Card
John Oldshue · April 10, 2017
Taxpayers short on cash may be tempted to use a credit card for the balance due.
Banking4 min read
Tax Extensions Leave The Payment Deadline In Place
Bill Hardekopf · April 3, 2017
April 2017 filers asking for more time still had to understand that payment deadlines did not move the same way.
Credit Cards4 min read
Spring Break Cards Get Fraud Alerts Before The Airport
John Oldshue · March 27, 2017
Spring break travel puts cards into unfamiliar terminals, hotel holds, and online booking systems.
Mortgages4 min read
Spring Homebuyers Put Rate-Lock Timing In Writing
John Oldshue · March 20, 2017
In a market watching rates closely, spring buyers need to understand rate locks before the closing calendar slips.
Credit Cards4 min read
Ahead Of The March Fed Meeting, Lazy Debt Gets More Expensive
Bill Hardekopf · March 13, 2017
With the March 2017 Fed decision due that week, households had another nudge to stop ignoring variable-rate debt.
Insurance4 min read
Spring Storm Season Starts With Deductibles And Photos
Bill Hardekopf · March 6, 2017
Spring storm season can expose how little homeowners remember about deductibles, exclusions, and claim rules.
Personal Loans4 min read
Financial Aid Letters Put The Family Debt Limit In Writing
John Oldshue · February 27, 2017
As college award letters arrive, families need a borrowing limit before the favorite school becomes emotionally untouchable.
Personal Loans4 min read
Presidents Day Car Deals Start With Total Interest
Bill Hardekopf · February 20, 2017
Presidents Day auto promotions can make buyers focus on monthly payments instead of the total loan cost.
Credit Cards4 min read
December Fed Hike Keeps Credit Card APRs In View
Bill Hardekopf · February 13, 2017
The prior December rate hike made January and February 2017 a good time to read variable APR disclosures again.
Saving Money4 min read
Valentine's Day Money Talks Beat Expensive Guessing
John Oldshue · February 6, 2017
Valentine's spending is a small but useful test of whether a couple can talk about money before a bill arrives.
Mortgages4 min read
Post-Election Mortgage Rates Put Preapprovals Back In Play
Bill Hardekopf · January 30, 2017
Mortgage shoppers entering 2017 cannot rely on quotes gathered before late-2016 rate moves.
Banking4 min read
Tax Season Opens With Refund Delays For Some Filers
Bill Hardekopf · January 23, 2017
As the 2017 tax season opened, some refunds involving refundable credits were expected to arrive later than filers wanted.
Cell Phones4 min read
Holiday Phone Upgrades Leave A January Wireless Bill Check
John Oldshue · January 16, 2017
Holiday phone upgrades can make January wireless bills look unfamiliar once device payments and protection plans appear.
Credit Cards4 min read
IRS Opens 2017 Filing Season With Identity Theft Still In View
Bill Hardekopf · January 9, 2017
The IRS prepared to open the 2017 filing season with refund timing and identity theft still in the consumer spotlight.
Saving Money4 min read
Start 2017 With A Bill Calendar, Not A Vague Resolution
John Oldshue · January 2, 2017
The first week of 2017 is a better time for a bill calendar than a vague promise to save more.