Staff Writer
Bents Dulcio
Bents Dulcio writes with a humble, field-level view on personal finance. He learned how to cut financial corners while acquiring a B.S. degree in Political Science at Florida State University. Bents has experience with student loans, affordable housing, budgeting to include an auto loan and other personal finance matters that greet all Millennials when they graduate. He has a prodigious appetite for reading, which he helps feed with writing from Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, the “Father of Capitalism.” Bents writing also has been published by JPMorgan Chase, TheSimpleDollar and Interest.com.
Borrowers who are in over their heads with high-interest credit cards and spiraling finances, can consolidate debts into a single payment. This process is called debt consolidation and a debt…
Upstart uses artificial intelligence to look at over 1600 data points which include education level, area of study, and employment history; along with more standard qualifications like credit score and…
In 2005, Prosper was the first company to bring lending to the peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace. P2P marketplaces (i.e. Airbnb, Uber) offer individuals a place to exchange goods and services. Think…
The deeper you sink into debt the harder it is to reclaim a sense of financial stability. If you’re drowning in high-interest credit card debt and have unpaid bills in…
No fees and low-interest borrowing rates make Marcus debt consolidation loans a great option for consumers with good credit. A credit score of 660 or higher is enough to win…
A debt consolidation loan is a new loan you take out to pay off your old ones. Rather than making four or five payments, four or five times a month,…
Is Freedom Debt Relief legit and can you get away with paying only a percentage of your debts just like that? FDR is a real company and its debt settlement…
A debt consolidation loan is a personal loan you use to pay off debt. This leaves you with the same amount of debt, but now only one payment to make,…
You could say Avant’s debt consolidation loans are targeted toward credit-building consumers. A FICO score of 580 is all you need to get your foot in the door. If your…
The constant drop in interest rates has allowed student loans to join mortgage and automobile loans in the marketplace for refinancing. The Fed’s moves threw open the door for student…
When you graduate college, your priorities shift from football games and final exams to landing your first job, locking down an affordable apartment and repaying student loans. Here’s one more…
They sound like different ways of saying the same thing, but credit counseling and credit repair are two completely different strategies for lifting yourself out of debt. Credit counseling is…
Repaying student loans can get complicated quickly. Which repayment program do you sign up for? Could you be eligible for forgiveness? Is there a penalty for repaying loans early? No,…
A lot of us dream of owning a starter home, either to shelter our growing families or as an early investment in our futures. A home, however, is the most…
If you own a home and need money, one of the first thoughts that might shoot into your head is: Can I use the equity in my house as collateral…
We are never too old to learn a thing or two about how to manage our finances. In fact, the older we get, the more important it is that we…
Lenders don’t hand out loans to just anybody. The more desperate you are for one, the harder it may be to find a bank, credit union, online lender or even…
Severe debt and bad credit are a recipe for nightmares. If you have bad credit, it’s hard to climb out of debt. If you have severe debt, it’s hard to…
Have you ever wondered how on earth you ended up with so many credit cards? Probably, it was the intro deals that reeled you in. Who could pass on 0%…
It’s spring and you want to see the tulips blooming throughout Holland. The job has been a drag lately and a vacation sounds nice, but there is that familiar problem:…
On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed a $900 billion Covid-19 relief bill, which will direct $120 billion towards unemployment benefits. The bill sends Americans a direct stimulus check of…
COVID-19 has put a plug in the nation’s cash flow, forcing graduates to dig deeper into their pockets if they want to avoid drowning in student loan debt. Fortunately, the…
Scamming people over the phone has become a low-risk, inexpensive and lucrative past-time for crooks and con-artists. Consumers reported losses of more than $285 million in November of 2019, according…
Typically, a decrease in the federal funds rate means your credit card APR should fall as well, but that’s not what is happening lately in the U.S. economy. Banks have…
For most Americans, going carless is unthinkable. You need one to buy groceries, take kids to school, visit a doctor’s office and see friends and family from time to time.…
Lawmakers, economists and activist all have made headlines debating solutions to the $1.6 trillion student debt crisis burdening the lives of 44 million Americans. Some plans go as far as…
When you graduate from college with a costly, new diploma, instinct tells you to latch on to the first decent job offer an employer throws your way, and then whittle…