You have a big heart and a small bank account  — and now it’s time to buy your beloved an engagement ring. You want to impress, but you also have a limited budget.

The last thing you want to do is put yourself in a deep hole buying a ring you can’t afford. After all, you’re hoping to get married! You have a wedding, honeymoon and the rest of your lives together — you don’t want to start off burdened with debt.

You know most good things don’t last forever.  Right now, interest rates on mortgages still average below 4% on a 30-year fixed mortgage. Who knows how long will those historic lows last?

Maybe you’re debating whether to buy that dream home while the getting is good. But ... there is the matter of your student loans. Is it smarter to pay them off before taking on homeownership?

Sometimes people get ideas in their heads that are based on assumptions rather than facts. But when it comes to your finances, believing myths can cost you.

Take student loan refinancing, for example. Some people don’t even apply because they think they aren’t eligible. Continuing to make high monthly payments when you don't need to is like banging your head against the wall ... but you’ll feel the most pain in your pocket.

As you make plans for your New Year’s celebration, take a moment to think about what comes after the dinners, the parties, and the hangover.

On January 2^nd, life will resume—and that means getting out of the holiday bubble and facing your finances. But that doesn’t have to be overwhelming or a downer. You just need a game plan. 

The numbers can be discouraging. 

It takes most four-year degree holders an average of 21 years to pay off their student loans. With the average monthly payment nearly 55% higher than it was a decade ago, it’s not surprising that you might feel like you want to do anything to get the student loan debt monkey off your back. 

Is a personal loan to do just that a good option? 

Maybe you need to reduce your monthly student loan payment so you can save money. Perhaps you’re on a mission to get out of debt sooner, or it could be that your interest rate is 6.5% or higher and you believe you can beat that rate. 

For sure, there are any number of reasons why refinancing your student loans is a smart strategy.