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.
When high-interest credit card debt puts a wrench in your cash flow, debt consolidation loans can help smooth things out. These are issued by different financial institutions, including credit unions…
Upgrade’s mission is to provide customers a more streamlined experience than they might receive at a traditional bank, offering more value for less time and effort. It features debt consolidation…
The first bankruptcy laws date back to 16th century England. Back then, going bankrupt could mean a trip to debtors’ prison or even the gallows. Early bankruptcy laws focused on…
Payoff brands itself as a “financial wellness company” with the goals of “reinventing our relationship with money” and “accelerating our journey toward financial well-being.” This sounds great on the surface,…
Signing a mortgage can be a bittersweet moment. You’re about to lock in your very own home, but you’re also committing to decades of debt. No wonder so many homeowners…
A balance transfer is a way of moving the balance from one credit card to another to pay down debt. The new card typically comes with a promotional, low or…
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…
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…
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:…
Before we begin to navigate you through the process of paying for a funeral service, we would like to offer our sincerest condolences for your loss. Losing a loved one…
What they say about aging — it’s not for sissies — remains incontrovertibly true, and we didn’t need two years of an epidemic that targeted seniors remorselessly to know that.…
If you’ve fallen behind on your car payments, chances are other bills are stacking up as well. Taking the time to explore your options for eliminating debt now will save…
Credit card debt is quietly – too quietly! – inching its way back into the financial news headlines and if you haven’t noticed, well, take a look at your bill!…
What Is a Debt Consolidation Loan? A debt consolidation loan is a financial strategy to pay off multiple high-interest debts with one, low-interest loan. It simplifies bill paying – and…
A home equity line of credit, or HELOC, is a secured loan backed by your home. Instead of taking out a lump sum, borrowers are given access to a credit…
There are a lot of tips and tricks on how to improve your credit score – and we’ll get to those in a moment – but nothing will raise your…
Find out if a debt consolidation loan is the right choice for you to address financial problems, especially those dealing with credit card debt. Debt consolidation loans only work if they offer a…
If you are unemployed and your job prospects are grim, March 11th was probably one of the better days you’ve had during the pandemic. That was the day federal unemployment…
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. The US…
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…