SoFi Blog

Tax season has a mixed effect on people. Some people dread it, while others look forward to it. On the one hand, doing taxes is a nuisance and it’s especially painful if you’re paying out of pocket.

On the other hand, it’s exciting to get a tax refund and think about how to put that extra money to use. Sometimes, a tax refund can be even bigger than a bonus or a paycheck, and without the income taxes.

In all, the IRS paid out $324 billion in tax refunds in 2018 . The average federal tax refund was $2,727. That’s a pretty good chunk of change.

If you are expecting a tax refund, it is worth your while to sit down and plan out what you want to do with the money. Otherwise, it might be too easy to spend the money just as fast as you received it.

[Updated 4/19/19 to include our full statement: Like any other investment advisor, we make changes regularly to the composition and allocation of our members’ portfolios in relation to their investment objectives and risk tolerance. SoFi Select 500 and SoFi Next 500 provide comparable access to market segments at far lower expense ratios than those of other funds, as we have waived all management and trading fees. We notified our members in a timely fashion in accordance with regulations, and will continue to address individual member questions.]

SoFi is always searching for innovative ways to help our members get their money right. After some hard work and planning, we are excited to announce the latest addition to our suite of Automated and Active Invest product portfolios—SoFi ETFs (exchange-traded funds).

We constructed these ETFs specifically with SoFi members in mind. They’re intelligently designed, diversified, and appropriate for both beginner investors and those who are well on their way to achieving their investment goals.

Investing is weird, right? Well, it is until you try it with SoFi. That’s why, earlier today, we launched two new ETFs (aka exchange traded funds) called the SoFi Select 500 ETF (NYSE: SFY) and SoFi Next 500 ETF (NYSE: SFYX). Maybe you’re an investing pro and know all about ETFs. If you are, then skip this next sentence: ETFs are funds that track a stock index or basket of assets – they trade like stocks on an exchange, with prices changing as they are bought and sold.

With an expense ratio of zero for both SFY and SFYX for at least a year¹ (yes – ZERO fee), these funds are designed with your needs and preferences in mind. We don’t think you should pay money to make money. And we know getting started is the greatest barrier to entry when it comes to investing, so we wanted to make this as accessible as possible.

After weeks of unseasonably rainy weather, the worst has happened and your roof has sprung a leak. The water has already started to cause damage to the house and you’re beginning to worry about how you’re going to pay for all of the repairs.

You could use your emergency fund, but you’re worried it’s not going to be enough. If you find yourself in a situation where you need cash, a personal loan could allow you to secure the financing you need.

Unlike other loans such as a mortgage, which is used specifically to pay for a house, you can take out a personal loan for almost any reason. Want to boost your wedding budget, or finally start that home renovation? A personal loan could help you pay for your short-term projects that require financial capital.

There’s something inherently dramatic about money that makes it uniquely suited for the big screen. It could be the dramatic rise and fall of the stock market. It could be our strong desire to predict what the markets will do, only to be surprised once again. Or it could be the fact that money is everywhere.

Everyone is impacted by it. We’re all working toward our next paycheck, to buy a car, buy a house, start a family, so it’s no wonder that Hollywood has cashed in on the drama, developing countless movies about making money.

Great money movies offer insight into the financial industry while also creating a compelling, captivating, and entertaining story. From Wall Street to The Big Short, filmmakers have mastered the art of making movies about making money. If you’re looking for good movies about money, we’ve got you covered. Here are our 10 top money movies.