SoFi Blog

No one likes paying bills. And yet, for most of us, they are just a fact of life. There are bills for everything—from our cell phones to our electricity—and even though they are generally due every single month, sometimes it can be a challenge to stay on top of them.

Like most things that aren’t particularly pleasant to do, it can be tempting not to think about paying your bills. But avoidance is usually not the best way to get on top of things.

Sometimes, bills can be pretty regular. For instance, though your electrical bill may vary from month to month, chances are the amount will stay relatively reliable unless you buy some new appliance that suddenly starts driving up your costs.

The same goes for your phone bill. The amount you owe may stay stable unless you do something like take a one-hour phone call while roaming in another country.

Home sweet home hasn’t been looking so sweet lately. Maybe you spend your days fantasizing about a kitchen any professional chef would dream of. Or perhaps you want to soak your worries away in a brand spanking new bathtub in your freshly tiled bathroom.

Your home is a sacred space, but it might take a little work—and money—to make your home feel that way. Whether you’re working on a fixer upper or want to give your home a mini-makeover, here are six home renovation questions to consider asking yourself before you launch into a remodel. Thinking about these questions out before you start home improvements could potentially save you a lot of time, money, and stress!

During the summer of 2019, two different attorneys general—from Washington, D.C. and Nebraska—filed lawsuits against two large hotel chains, Hilton (Hilton Dopco Inc.) and Marriott International, Inc., accusing them of charging hidden hotel resort fees. Although the lawsuits are not identical, they’re similar in their language, with each calling these hotel fees “deceptive and misleading.”

These types of fees vary by location and by the amenities and services they cover. For example, some hotels charge guests for Wi-Fi access, gym access, newspapers, in-room safes, even bottled water—whether these amenities are used or not.

At the heart of the lawsuits against Hilton and Marriott is the allegation that these hotel resort fees are not included in room rates published online, which makes it challenging for people to compare rates.

Hotel guests typically aren’t aware of these fees until after they have started booking—a practice called drip pricing—and, according to the lawsuits, these practices violate laws put into place to protect consumers.

So, what fees should a hotel guest expect to see on their bill? What do they actually cover? Which of these hotel fees should be questioned?

Trying to get seasonal home servicing in the dead of winter or at the height of a blizzard could turn into a major fail. Why? The professionals you need may be backed up with other clients, or they simply may not get to you due to weather-ravaged roads.

The best time to winterize your home is before the winter happens. Although not all emergencies can be avoided with this strategy, there are some things you can do ahead of time to avoid trouble during the cold, dark weather days to come.

This list below details some tips for how to get your home ready for winter. It could help you as you start preparing your home for winter weather.

The leaves are changing, and there’s a crispness in the air, which means one thing for the homeowner—time to tackle those last-minute home improvement projects before winter hits.

Fall can be an ideal time to update, improve or upkeep aspects of your home. It’s a cooler season than summer, which means less sweat for you, but also less swelling or expanding in the materials of your home.

In a month or so, it might be too late to take on many of these projects. Getting a jump on your to-do list and taking care of these fall home improvement projects means you could be done before winter’s cold weather hits.