Smart Spending Tips looks at what a sharp drop in CEO confidence may signal for the economy and how it could affect your life and finances. Confidence among America’s chief executive officers (CEOs) has just experienced its steepest drop since 1976, according to a new survey. When concern rises at the top, it often trickles down. If business leaders are bracing for trouble, it may be time to prepare yourself. The good news is that a few smart steps now could put you in a much stronger financial position. Survey shows a drastic drop in CEO confidence across the U.S.…

Smart Spending Tips explores 10 potentially credit-building lifestyle choices, from payment strategies to account setup tips that can help support your credit health. Your credit score reflects more than just how you borrow. It also responds to how you manage bills, track spending, and make consistent financial decisions. When these actions become part of your daily routine, it can be easier to maintain good credit habits and support long-term financial health. 1. Turning on autopay across your accounts Autopay helps prevent late payments, which can have a significant impact on your credit score. Even a single missed payment can leave…

Smart Spending Tips explains what happens to your credit score and credit report after death, and how to protect loved ones from identity theft and unresolved debts. When someone passes away, their financial footprint does not vanish overnight. In fact, credit reports may remain active for years unless the proper steps are taken. Understanding what happens to credit scores, reports, and outstanding debts after death can help surviving family members avoid unnecessary stress, fraud, and delays in estate settlement. Credit reports do not close automatically A person’s credit report is not erased the moment they pass away. Instead, once a…

Smart Spending Tips traces the evolution of credit scoring from handshake deals to algorithm-based models, with machine learning playing a growing role in how risk is evaluated. Early lending was all about personal judgment Before credit scores existed, borrowing decisions were based on trust. Lenders evaluated risk by relying on relationships, reputation, and perceived character. If a borrower seemed reliable or had a known employer, they might get approved. If not, they were often denied. This approach was deeply subjective and inconsistent. It worked in tight-knit communities, but as lending expanded and populations grew more mobile, the need for standardized…

Smart Spending Tips’s fun, informal quiz helps you explore how your everyday choices could reflect your level of credit responsibility. This is not a formal assessment. It will not impact your credit score. But the way you answer these 10 yes-or-no questions might reveal how your habits might be shaping your credit profile. Be honest with yourself, this is for your own insight only. Are you credit smart? 1. Do you pay off your credit cards in full each month? Paying your balance in full each month means you are not carrying debt from one billing cycle to the next.…

Smart Spending Tips explains what student loan default means in 2025 and what resumed collections could mean for borrowers. What is happening in May 2025? Federal student loan payments officially resumed in October 2023, following a pause that began in March 2020. The U.S. Department of Education introduced a one-year on-ramp period, running from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. During this time, missed payments would not be reported to credit bureaus, and borrowers would not be considered delinquent or placed in default. However, this protection ended on October 1, 2024. Since then, missed payments have been reported and…

Smart Spending Tips explains why a small dip in GDP does not mean the next recession is here, but why it still makes sense to prepare for what could come next. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United States declined at an annual rate of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025. Coming at a time when people were already anxious about the impact of new tariffs and federal budget cuts, this drop in economic activity sparked serious concerns about where the economy is headed. Any decline in GDP is unwelcome news. However, things would need to worsen significantly…

Smart Spending Tips explores how consumer credit habits are shifting in 2025 as rising debt, inflation, and economic uncertainty prompt Americans to rethink their spending and borrowing. Consumer credit habits in 2025 reflect growing financial anxiety In early 2025, signs of economic stress are beginning to show in household credit behavior. With inflation still high and the U.S. economy contracting slightly in the first quarter of the year, consumers are adjusting how they spend, save, and borrow. These changes are visible in everything from rising credit card delinquencies to shrinking loan applications and growing emergency fund activity. Lenders and analysts…

Smart Spending Tips explains how student loan collections could affect your credit score, what steps you may want to consider, and how to stay on top of your financial future. Student loan collections resume in 2025 Federal student loan collections are back. As of May 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education is resuming collections on defaulted loans for the first time since the pandemic-era pause began in 2020. For the 5.3 million Americans currently in default, this shift could have significant consequences, particularly for their credit scores. Although payments officially resumed in October 2023, borrowers were given a 12-month…

Smart Spending Tips looks at what to do when you’re confused by the economy and getting mixed signals about what comes next. This is one of those times when staying informed can add to your confusion. The news is full of mixed signals: on-again, off-again tariffs, speculation that the Fed may cut rates, unless it raises them, and sharp drops in the stock market followed by significant gains. It can make you feel like you’re being pulled in several directions at once. It is not surprising, then, that recent weeks have shown signs of growing panic among consumers and investors.…