Author: Sandy Yong

Have you ever wondered how your money could grow if you simply invested $10 a day for an entire year? It’s a low-effort habit that’s accessible and affordable for many Americans, who may not be able to set aside large lump sums at once. Instead of letting your cash sit idle and earn little to no interest, you could put it to work. Parking it in a high-yield savings account that earns 2% interest annually would keep your money safe, but the growth would still be limited. So let’s run a simple experiment. What happens if you invest $10 a…

You’ve spent years climbing up the corporate ladder or starting your own side hustle. Perhaps you got promoted, received a raise, or built a profitable business. These are major accomplishments that you should be proud of. However, from a financial point of view, you don’t feel like you’re any better off than you were several years ago. The culprit? Lifestyle inflation, also known as lifestyle creep. There’s a false assumption people make. They believe that once they earn a higher salary, they will be ahead financially. Yet we see countless Americans earning six-figure incomes who are trying to make ends…

When you first opened your bank account, it was probably with the same bank your parents used. Banking becomes part of our lifestyle. From depositing our paychecks to paying bills, it’s something we access all the time. Part of achieving your financial goals is having a savings account. As you contribute money to your bank account, what you may not know is that your bank is making money off of your money. In fact, for the full year of 2025, the financial institutions reported a net income of $295.6 billion, according to the FDIC Quarterly Banking Profile. This was a…

Some financial gurus out there may want you to believe that credit cards are evil. Personally, I believe that they are powerful tools that can help you if you know how to use them wisely. If you don’t use them correctly, you could end up in a spiral of debt. Although if you learn the different ways to use them, they could give you a bunch of wonderful perks. Yes, you heard me correctly. The trick is to be disciplined with using your credit cards so that you can reap the benefits of having a boosted credit score (which comes…

Back in the day, people were tricked by snake-oil salesmen. Fast forward, and we’re seeing much more sophisticated scams on the rise. When you’re shopping for a Black Friday deal or buying gifts for the holiday season, you might come across a deal that seems too good to be true. And how can you tell if it’s real? Considering that Americans lost $2.1 billion to scammers in 2025 (according to the data from the Federal Trade Commission), it’s getting harder to spot scams these days. In particular, social media scams resulted in far more losses than any other type of…

As a working adult, you’ve probably tried different ways to track and manage your earnings and spending. There are all sorts of budgeting methods out there. From the 50/30/20 budgeting rule to the envelope method to the zero-based budget. Plus, there are budgeting apps designed to help you stay on top of your household spending. But over time, a lot of people get discouraged because they feel too constrained or exhausted from tracking every penny. It’s no wonder that about half (51%) of Americans are constantly stressed out about money, based on a NerdWallet survey. Don’t blame yourself if you’ve…

Do you feel like whenever you buy groceries or fill up the gas tank, it’s depleting your wallet? Well, you’re not alone. You face the harsh reality if you live in an expensive city like New York or Seattle. And you can’t really control inflation, interest rates, or tariffs. It’s a tough balancing act when so much is out of our control. So, how do you rein in your daily living expenses while saving for your future? One idea you might be floating around is moving to a cheaper area. It could be as simple as moving to a new…