This week
All guidesWhat lenders actually check before approving you
The list is shorter than you think, and two items carry most of the weight.
Warranties that are worth paying for, and the rest
Extended coverage makes sense on three categories and almost nothing else.
How to read a job listing for what it isn’t saying
Salary bands, vague titles and the phrases that signal high turnover.
Balance transfers: the math behind the zero percent
The fee is the product. Here is when it still comes out ahead.
Money
MoreRefinancing a car loan pays off at a narrower margin than people assume
Run the number against the remaining term, not the monthly payment.
Secured cards rebuild credit faster, used a specific way
Utilisation matters more than the balance you carry. The gap is large.
Overdraft fees are avoidable at every major bank now
Most people still pay them because the setting is buried.
The four numbers that decide whether you get the advertised rate
Advertised rates go to a small slice of applicants. Here is that slice.
Shopping
MorePrice history tools that are free and actually accurate
Three of them cover most retailers. One is better on electronics.
When buying refurbished beats buying new
Manufacturer refurbs carry the same warranty. Third-party ones don’t.
The return window is not the one printed on the receipt
Your card issuer may extend it, and most people never claim it.
Subscription creep: finding what you forgot you pay for
The average household carries four they no longer use.
Work
MoreSide income that survives the first three months
Most attempts stop early. The ones that last share one trait.
Asking for a raise: the number to open with
Anchor high enough to matter, close enough to be taken seriously.
The jobs hiring fastest right now, and what they pay
Openings by category, with the median for each.
What a background check actually looks at
Less than most applicants fear, and more than some expect.