SoFi Blog

Giving back during the holiday season can feel really great. When you donate a portion of your hard-earned money to charitable causes such as homelessness, wildlife preservation, hunger relief, or many others, you could potentially make a positive impact on someone’s life or even the world as a whole.

In theory, the internet makes it extremely easy to donate to these causes. However, there are many organizations and individuals who prey on others’ generosity via false and/or unsecure websites.

These swindlers aim to con people into handing over funds to fake charities for personal gain. If you fall for one of these donation scams, you could run the risk of not only losing your money but also compromising your personal information.

There are many honest and reputable charities out there doing great work, but how can you tell the difference between the real and the fake? The following seven guidelines could help you identify and avoid charity scams this holiday so you can better protect your money while still giving back.

Alexa, how can I protect myself from… you?

Baby monitors, digital assistants, thermostats, doorbells, security cameras, even light bulbs and refrigerators are now able to connect, share, and interact with users and other devices.

With so many smart devices available, it might be hard to see the downside of technology that puts monitoring and control of homelife directly in the hands of the consumer.

But when connecting these everyday objects to the Internet, however, there is also the possibility of leaving your home vulnerable to attacks from digital hackers.

This post is the second in a series discussing the ins and outs of life insurance. You can read part I here.

The previous post in this series discussed some of the key differences between term and whole life insurance. My personal belief is that buying term and investing the difference is a superior decision for an overwhelming majority of people. There are a few cases in which purchasing whole life might make more sense for some people. To see a full breakdown of these hypotheticals, check out this blog post.

The post will delve into the reasons many life insurance salespeople promote when selling insurance. Hopefully, this information can help make you aware of the full spectrum of information so you’re better able to make an informed decision.

There’s no denying it: College is a long, hard marathon. If you’re shooting for a bachelor’s degree, you likely have four years of full-time study before you have your degree in hand. The problem is that four years can be a long time to focus exclusively on school.

For some students, a year off offers a chance to step outside academia and back into the “real world,” but what are the potential risks and benefits of taking a year off from college?

College might seem like a marathon, but each semester or quarter can feel more like a sprint, with the syllabus as the starting block and finals week as the finish.

The good news is that you learn a tremendous amount of new information during those weeks. The bad news is that, before you can ride off into the sunset of class break, you have to Remember. It. All.

Finals week is when the library is aglow 24 hours a day, full of students with their noses in books or laptops, possibly on the verge of a freak-out. It’s exhausting to be sure, and the stakes can be high, especially for students whose financial aid require that they maintain a minimum GPA.

But while finals week can be taxing, it doesn’t have to be chaotic. These study tips for finals can help you plan, prepare and tackle each test with confidence.