The College Investor Audio Show

When you’re unemployed, it’s hard enough getting out of bed in the morning, let alone searching for a job. Add to that the stress of dealing with your student loans and it’s a wonder you can get out of bed at all. Student loan debt and unemployment is not a fun combination.

We wish we could snap our fingers and make your student loans disappear when you can’t pay them (and even when you can). Instead, we’ll have to settle by gi...

In its nearly 250-year history, the U.S. has experienced more periods of inflation than deflation. The last big period of deflation occurred during The Great Depression.

There was another smaller period during the Great Financial Crisis. Both coincided with a recession. During a recession and deflation, people lose their jobs, demand drops, and with it, prices.

But for those who are able to hang on to their jobs and have investments,...

Around 80% of mortgage borrowers in the United States have an escrow or impound account. In fact, these accounts are required by some lenders.

These accounts hold money on behalf of the buyer to ensure certain payments are made on time - typically homeowners insurance and property taxes. This can help reduce liability and risk lenders take on, giving buyers access to better financing options.

What is an escrow or impound account? Is ...

When you think of financial scams, you may think of Bernie Madoff and Nigerian Princes. But if you listen to enough “financial experts” on YouTube and TikTok, you may hear that the humble 401(k) is a scam.

A 401(k) is a tax-advantaged retirement investment account offered by many employers. It's an account so basic that it may be a victim of its own success. Has the 401(k) scammed aspiring retirees out of their hard-earned...

Choosing the right school for you can be difficult. Not only does the decision come while you’re still fairly young, but it can also be heavily influenced by external factors that end up not aligning with what you want. Take it from someone who’s been there.

In fact, about one-third of college students transfer schools at some point before finishing their degree. And total transfers represented over 13% of all continuing a...

The tax deadline is almost here! Here are some last minute tax reminders if you're still working on filing your taxes.

Although it might not be the most enjoyable financial task, it's a necessary obligation that we each undertake every year. And if you use great tax software, filing taxes doesn’t take as much time as you may dread.

But tax filing time isn’t only about filing returns. There are things you can do today to help you save...

There are many benefits to receiving one or more private scholarships. It eases the financial burden of getting a college degree and minimizes the need for student loans. And it allows you to focus on your studies while at school. 

But scholarship applicants can face several potential pitfalls along the way. The odds of winning scholarships are often low, and you must be mindful of scholarship scams, displacement, and scho...

The goal of test prep is to learn tips and tricks that help maximize your time and performance on a college admissions test. Students are taught best practices for creating a study schedule, pacing themselves during the test, and using process of elimination to narrow down the answers. While not required, test prep can certainly help put you at ease on test day – and it is commonly correlated with higher test scores.

SAT test prep c...

Getting an MBA, especially at a top school, can come with an expensive price tag. After investing in an expensive degree you might not get the high-paying job you hoped for – or you might decide management isn’t for you and you want to pursue a completely different career entirely.

If you’re eager to learn the material covered in an MBA program without the burden of paying for one, you can create a DIY MBA curriculum. While this app...

Curious how to become a billionaire? It's a question that got me thinking...

Earlier this year, I was browsing social media and came across an interesting post. Someone asked a pointed question, which seemed particularly relevant as I was in Las Vegas at the time. “What do you need to do to become a billionaire?”

With all of my personal finance and business knowledge, I began to ponder what my top advice would be. I came up with two ...

Threats to your investment portfolio can come from anywhere, including politics, the economy, and even your own mind. Understanding the threats to your investments is the first step to combating them.

Birch Gold, a company that helps investors buy and sell gold, polled its investors about their thoughts on the greatest threats to their well-being.

We combined some of the Birch Gold responses with other sources to deliver these top 10...

If you’re one of the 80% of taxpayers who will be receiving a tax refund this year, here's what to do with your tax refund according to experts.

The average tax refund payment was more than $2,753, according to the IRS. That's a lot of money that you can put to good use.

While you can probably imagine plenty of places to put your prized refund check today, you might not be thrilled with the choice tomorrow.

Rather than spend all ...

Audit protection is a service most tax preparation companies advertise as an upsell to help you if you get a notice from the IRS. 

These services can involve responding to IRS letters, representing you when speaking with the IRS, or even reimbursing you if the tax prep company made a mistake.

Personally, I put my extra money towards bookkeeping software. I think that’s the better use of the dollar.

However, the peace of mind...

Don't you wish you could lower your student loan payment? It's possible, and legal, do work some "magic" to get your student loan payment lower.

If you don't do anything with your student loans, you're automatically signed up to a generic repayment plan that typically has even payments for 10 years. However, that can be tough, especially right after graduation.

Maybe you've just started working, or maybe you don't even have a job yet...