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This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: Avoiding 4 Prime Day pit falls. In other news: How to use buy now, pay later like a pro, 60/30/10 budget, and a court ruling that blocked lower student loan bills under the SAVE repayment plan has been overturned.

Avoid These 4 Prime Day Pitfalls
Protect your wallet this month by steering clear of these four shopping mistakes.

How to Use Buy Now, Pay Later Like a Pro
Buy now, pay later is a form of credit that should be used strategically and only on certain occasions.

Is the 60/30/10 Budget Right for You?
The 60/30/10 budget may help you better manage your expenses in an economy with high inflation.

Lower SAVE Student Loan Payments Can Proceed, Court Rules
A court ruling that blocked lower student loan bills under the SAVE repayment plan has been overturned. Meanwhile, 10-year forgiveness is still on hold. Here’s how else SAVE borrowers are impacted.

This week’s money news

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This week’s top story: 4 questions to ask before you buy a home or invest in 2023. In other news: How to make holiday returns with buy now, pay later, how to prepare for a winter storm, and 5 tasks for your year-end credit card checklist.

4 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Home or Invest in 2023
Ask yourself the right questions first to guide your 2023 money goals.

How to Make Holiday Returns With Buy Now, Pay Later
Buy now, pay later returns can be tricky. Maximize your chances of making a successful BNPL return by following these steps.

How to Prepare for a Winter Storm
When a winter storm strikes, preparation means more than a trip to the store. Here’s how to storm-proof your finances.

5 Tasks for Your Year-End Credit Card Checklist
It’s a perfect time to make sure you’re maximizing your card benefits — and to review your spending habits in case you could do better with a different card.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: Should you Buy Now, Pay Later for back-to-school? Also in the news: $6 billion in relief to defrauded students signals change ahead, six ways to support small businesses hit with inflation, and these online resources will help you find free college textbooks.

Should You Buy Now, Pay Later for Back-to-School?
You can use BNPL to cover back-to-school shopping, but limit it to one purchase at a time and look for other ways to save.

$6 Billion in Relief to Defrauded Students Signals Change Ahead
More than 200,000 federal student loan borrowers who were misled by their schools are in line for $6 billion worth of debt relief.

6 Ways to Support Small Businesses Hit With Inflation
Business owners explain how they’d like to see their community show up for them as prices rise.

These Online Resources Will Help You Find Free College Textbooks
Why spend hundreds on a hard copy when you can download the PDF for free?

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How to keep your tax return from getting hung up. Also in the news: Why you might be rewarded if you can afford to wait to buy a home until late in the year, what to know before your business adds buy now, pay later, and how an airport car rental is more expensive than an off-airport car rental.

How to Keep Your Tax Return From Getting Hung Up
There may never be a good time to draw the IRS’ attention, but this year you really want to avoid extra scrutiny.

The Property Line: Higher Rates May Slow Down Rising Home Prices
Buyers who exercise patience might face less competition for homes later in the year.

What to Know Before Your Business Adds Buy Now, Pay Later
Here’s how much buy now, pay later costs, how it could impact your business and what to look for in a provider.

Is It Cheaper to Rent a Car at the Airport?
Fees charged to rental companies by the airport get passed on to consumers, often making on-site rentals pricier.

How buy now, pay later loans could alter credit

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Expanding access to credit is a worthy goal. Too many people can’t get a mortgage or an emergency loan at a reasonable rate because they can’t show a solid credit history. They may pay more for insurance or make large security deposits to get utilities or rent an apartment.

Recently, the three major credit bureaus announced plans to incorporate “buy now, pay later” plans, a hugely popular type of point-of-sale financing that until now remained mostly outside the traditional credit ecosystem.

But no one should expect that their buy now, pay later purchases will instantly open the door to better credit. If you want reliable access to the largest number of lenders, building credit through traditional means is still the better route.

In my latest for the Associated Press, learn more about buy now, pay later loans and how to build better credit now.

Friday’s need-to-know money news

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Today’s top story: How to get more joy while giving to good causes. Also in the news: How a financial therapist can help shift your money mindset, a new episode of the Smart Money podcast on making your dream life, and 6 options for when you buy now and can’t pay later.

How to Get More Joy While Giving to Good Causes
Research shows that spending money on others is more likely to make us happy.

How a Financial Therapist Can Help Shift Your Money Mindset
A financial therapist can help you challenge your money fears and make progress in your investing journey.

Smart Money Podcast: Making Your Dream Life
Sean and Liz chat with travel Nerd Sam Kemmis about how he made his dream life possible.

6 Options for When You Buy Now and Can’t Pay Later
If you’ve taken on more buy now, pay later debt than you can handle, here are some options for easing the burden.