SoFi Blog

Credit cards and credit card debt are popular, real popular—and not in an enviable sort of way. You might even be dealing with some credit card debt of your own. Maybe you signed up for a credit card in college and it still has a balance hanging around. Maybe you had an emergency repair on the car and had to put it on a card. Or maybe you couldn’t resist that one really, really good sale. You’re not alone.

The typical American household carries nearly $7,000 in credit card debt and nearly half of all Americans have credit card debt.

With so many of us carrying those cards, and that debt, it’s not surprising that folks have tried extreme tactics to stop using them as a way to deal with the balances and interest rates that can make credit card debt so hard to pay off.

But before you begin slicing up those plastic playthings, read on for a few other ideas.

The cultural taboo around talking about money can make it tough to deal with friends who constantly like to bring it up. They may make you cringe with questions about how much you paid for something, how much you make, or maybe they constantly let you know what they dropped on new clothes or tech gear. Here’s a look at how to fend off uncomfortable money conversations—and have some productive ones as well.

In our efforts to bring you the latest updates on things that might impact your financial life, we may occasionally enter the political fray, covering candidates, bills, laws and more.
Please note: SoFi does not endorse or take official positions on any candidates and the bills they may be sponsoring or proposing. We may occasionally support legislation that we believe would be beneficial to our members, and will make sure to call it out when we do. Our reporting otherwise is for informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be construed as an endorsement.

If you’ve followed Congress even casually over the past few years, you’re probably aware that there isn’t much that flows through the House of Representatives or the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support.

On Thursday, May 16 the House defied expectations, and their recent track record, by passing the SECURE act by an overwhelming 417-3 . True to form, though, the SECURE act stands for the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019”.

If the Senate and House agree on the bill as it stands now, it could end up being a big deal that changes the way lots of people save for retirement, invest in 401(k)s, IRAs, and other retirement accounts, and even the way they tackle student loan debt.

The decision for who pays for the wedding is not something to gloss over. Seriously, in this day and age, it’s all over the map, and is ultimately up to the happy couple and their families.

In other words, keeping your expectations in check until you’ve heard from everyone involved is probably wise. Your parents may not be prepared to pony up nearly as much as you thought. And your friends may balk if you expect them to pay for formalwear, too many parties, or travel for a destination wedding.

Times are changing. Turns out, the average bride and groom in the U.S. pay almost as much toward their wedding expenses (41%) as the bride’s parents do (45%).

Summer is on the horizon, and with the new season comes warmer weather and longer days. Some people might be committing themselves to new fitness regimes to feel healthy and look great during the summer months. This same attention to your physical health and wellbeing could apply to your finances as well.

By prioritizing your financial fitness, you could spend this summer reaping the benefits of a healthier relationship with your money. But what is financial fitness, you ask? Much as physical fitness is a way to increase and maintain your body’s wellness, financial fitness could help you improve and maintain your financial wellness.

Now is the perfect time to establish new, constructive fiscal practices and recommit to basic money habits that can help you stay financially fit throughout the year. Read on for five ways to “exercise” better financial choices this summer.