Photo by Visual Stories || Micheile on Unsplash

This is my occasional run-down of interesting money-related news I’ve been reading and that I think might be useful for photographers and other creative entrepreneurs. Do you find this type of news aggregation useful? Let me know what you think.

FedLoan Servicing Gets Contract Extension: What It Means For Student Loan Borrowers

Read the full article in Forbes

“The contract extension has major implications for borrowers. With the national federal student loan payment pause expiring on January 31, 2022, millions of borrowers would have been facing disruptive servicing transfers just as they were resuming repayment for the first time in nearly two years. Borrower advocates had been concerned that this could have catastrophic results.”

My thoughts: It’s been a while since I finished paying off my student loans but anything that helps student loan borrowers is a win in my book. And there are a lot of borrowers — 43.2 million people with an average of $39,351 in loans each, according to Educationdata.org, a website that aims to make U.S. education data more accessible.

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Tips for Holding Down Your Winter Heating Bills

Read the full article in the New York Times

“Apartment renters can also make fixes that will help them keep thermostats lower and save on heating bills. Pay special attention to drafty windows, said Mr. Anderson of Energy Star. You can install plastic window film to reduce heat loss. Sealing the edges of the film with a blow dryer helps pull the sheet taut and reduce annoying flapping, Mr. Trethewey said.

It’s worth spending a little bit more to get high-quality clear film, so you can still see outside. (The downside is that you can’t open your windows until spring.) There’s also removable caulk, a temporary sealant that comes in strips and can be applied to window gaps, then removed when warmer weather arrives.”

My thoughts: Sealing up drafty windows makes a huge difference! I live in a lovely old house with windows that don’t completely line up even when they’re closed. This past winter (I’m in the southern hemisphere) I stuffed temporary insulation in the cracks and it definitely helped keep out the cold.

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These 10 Cities Have the Best Credit Scores in the U.S.

Read the full article in Money

“Every state saw its average credit score rise between April 2020 and April 2021. But states in the South and West (including Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada) saw the greatest increases over that period. At the city level, FICO found that metropolitan areas in Florida and California were more likely to see large increases this year, as were cities impacted by the 2008 financial crisis, like Las Vegas and Detroit.”

My thoughts: Great news!

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Surviving Debt: Expert Advice for Getting Out of Financial Trouble

Buy the book at the National Consumer Law Center

“Non-payment of certain debts have sudden and dire consequences for your family. Deal with these debts immediately—either pay these debts first or otherwise follow advice in this book on how to manage these debts.

Never pay smaller, low priority debts just because you cannot keep up with high priority debts—”If I can’t pay my mortgage, at least I will keep up with my credit cards.” This is a bad idea.”

My thoughts: OK, this isn’t a news article but it is something I’m reading right now for my Accredited Financial Counselor coursework. This book is incredibly straight forward. It’s all facts, no emotion (so far), written in simple sentences. If you’re in debt, don’t know what to do and gravitate toward books when you need advice, then this book may help you.