SoFi Blog

Let’s get the ugly truth out of the way up front: A lot of Americans don’t have great financial planning skills. More than half (56%) have saved less than $10,000 for retirement, according to a March 2016 GoBankingRates survey. And 49% of U.S. adults with a self-directed retirement account, such as an IRA or 401(k), lack the confidence to invest iwt properly, according to a Federal Reserve Board report published in May. To add insult to injury, that same report reveals that 46% couldn’t cover an unexpected $400 emergency expense with ready cash or savings.

While there’s plenty of saving and investment advice available to help us all increase our financial smarts, the lion’s share of it is built around the idea that we should invest and save for other people in our lives. We’re told to save up for a wedding, a down payment on a house to enjoy with a life partner, a couple of cars, and for children and their educations. But where’s the financial planning advice for singles? It’s unfair to be left out just because your life milestones differ from those of others.

Got student loans? We’ve got you covered with our Student Loan Smarts blog series. Our expert tips and hacks will help you save money, pay off loans sooner, and stress less about student loan debt. Read the other posts in the series here to get all the info you need to make intelligent decisions about your student loans.

Unfortunately, spotting a student loan scam today is more challenging than you might think. It can come in the form of a Facebook ad, an email, or a cheerful voicemail:

You’re ambitious and focused on your profession —and so is your significant other. But unless you both have the amazing ability to clone yourselves, juggling demanding careers and personal pursuits can prove extremely challenging. Creating a work-life balance that truly serves your goals and passions can feel impossible.

But there are couples who are proof positive it can be done.

Data this week confirmed that the slowdown in the US economic growth seen in August was a temporary one. Market-derived probabilities of a Fed rate hike by December continued to rise along with a stronger dollar and higher 10-year Treasury yields. Oil continued to climb as U.S. oil inventories fell and the prospects for an OPEC agreement remained intact. The rising price of oil caused emerging markets (many of which export oil) to outperform.

At SoFi, we’re lucky to have an extraordinary group of members who have navigated this whole ‘career thing’ with aplomb. From getting promoted or laid off to changing industries, members have faced whopping challenges—and they have the insights and battle scars to prove it. So we asked a few to share their best career tips based on their personal experiences.

Here’s what they said: