Netspend Blog

Graduating from college is an exciting time. To set yourself up for future success, it's important to establish good money habits right away.

Want better control over your money? You don't need to hire a financial planner. Instead, follow these DIY financial planning steps.

New to financial planning? There's no need to hire a financial planner to get started. Follow these simple steps to get your finances in order.

Identity theft is more common than you might think. Learn how to protect yourself by following our simple identity theft prevention tips. Identity theft is a common problem that a lot of people aren't prepared for. No one ever expects it to happen to them. To protect yourself, the two best things you can do are educate yourself and put some of our identity theft prevention tips into practice. Below, we cover what you need to know about identity theft, including how to check for identity theft on your credit report and how to report it.

Make your long-term and short-term financial planning goals and put these money methods into practice to save for whatever your future holds.

Performing a financial health check is a great way to start off the new year on the right foot. Here are five great ways to get your finances in order.

Being scammed can feel like having your home invaded. Your sense of trust is broken, and you become determined not to let it happen again. If you've been a victim of a scam, you may not be able to turn back time, but you can use it as an opportunity to learn some valuable lessons. Here are a few examples of what you can do to prevent being scammed in the future.

Do you qualify for the advance child tax credit payments for 2021? Here's everything you need to know, including answers to some common FAQs.

Getting a college degree can be expensive, but with some creative strategies and the right plan in place, you can make college more affordable.

Scams tend to increase in times of crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been no different. Now, scammers are targeting vulnerable populations with scams related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Consumers are reporting a variety of vaccine-related scams, mostly around scheduling and paying for the vaccine.

It's always a great time to learn how to master your money and take control of your finances. With these seven simple steps, we'll show you how to save and invest more while reducing your expenses so you can work toward achieving your short- and long-term financial goals in 2021. Some of them only take a few minutes to set up.

A new report released by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners revealed fraud cases are on the rise. In “November 2020, 79% of respondents said they saw an increase in the overall level of fraud”, which steadily rose throughout 2020. This is thought to be in part due to COVID-19 and the resulting financial hardships that people are facing.

It's no secret that the holiday period can be one of the most stressful times of the year. If you are shopping for a lot of gifts, food, and holiday décor, all the holiday spending can sometimes even make it feel more stressful than fun.

No one wants to schlep to work on their day off to pick up a paycheck or wait for it to arrive in the mail, especially when you've got bills to pay. But there's another way to get paid that's better and faster1 than an old-fashioned paper check — direct deposit.

There are several ways your credit score could become damaged during COVID-19. In recent months, many individuals have had to file for unemployment and take on additional debt. They may have even missed payments, or become a victim of identity theft or an unemployment scam. This is why focusing on credit protection is especially important right now.

Over the past few months, millions of people have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many Americans are applying for unemployment benefits and are struggling to find work. Sadly, with so many people applying for benefits, unemployment scams are rife and hard to avoid.

Can’t get a checking or savings account? You might be in the ChexSystems or Early Warning Services databases which are used by banks to determine whether to let you open a savings or checking account. These are two of the primary Bank Account Screening Consumer Reporting Agencies.

January is the month almost everyone says, “Oops.” That’s when the bills from your holiday spending arrive.

Identity theft is common. So common, in fact, that according to a poll, 60 million Americans were affected in 2018. To fraudsters, data is a valuable commodity, and your risk of exposure happens every time you connect. In addition to more victims having to pay out of pocket for their losses, a significant number of people do not yet use a more secure internet connection. For example, according to VPN Mentor, only 16% of Americans used VPNs (Virtual Privacy Networks) when connected to the internet, and that’s giving identity thieves precisely the breach they need to access lucrative information. To state it simply, VPNs can keep you safer when connected to networks that aren't your own, like public Wi-Fi.

If you've decided that it's time to work on setting goals that will help you achieve more financial balance and financial security, you deserve a hearty pat on the back. It's time to take more control of your finances and start dictating more of your future, but before you're off to the races, take the time to understand what constitutes a reasonable goal that will yield the results you want. Here are five mistakes you should avoid when setting financial goals.

Here are the 5 principles of debt management that will get you started on the right path and keep you there. Debt management plans will help you take control of your debt and work toward a better financial future.

Here are the 5 principles of debt management that will get you started on the right path and keep you there. Debt management plans will help you take control of your debt and work toward a better financial future.

As you begin to put together your personal budget and begin the journey toward better financial stability, there will be plenty of advice on where to begin and how to proceed. Sometimes too much information can be a bad thing, especially when you're already feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of finally confronting your spending and savings habits. With all the "rules" out there about the best ways to create a personal budget, there is really only one you need to follow: keep it simple.

What exactly is a personal budget? What goals should you include in them? Read on to find simple steps in how you make a personal budget that fits your life.

Sometimes it can feel like debt sneaked up on you, and now you have to deal with what feels like an overwhelming burden. No one wants to stay in debt, but it can be difficult to know where to start so you can take that first step and start building positive momentum. Taking control of your finances so that you can get out of debt will require some behavioral changes and a new perspective on what you value, but it can be done. Here is how you can get started.

If you’ve decided to improve your debt management skills and want to take the first steps to eliminating debt, there’s always some room for improvement. It's never too late to learn from your mistakes and avoid them going forward. Better yet, you can learn from others' mistakes and avoid making them altogether. Here are a few debt management mistakes people make and solutions to get back on track.

“Small business” means different things to different people. It may be a side business or side hustle that grew out of a passion or hobby. Some people make crafts or do consulting work for extra income, but also have a full-time job.