Articles by Thomas (TJ) Porter

TJ Porter has in-depth experience in reviewing financial products such as savings accounts, credit cards, and brokerages, writing how-tos, and answering financial questions. He has also contributed to publications and companies such as Investment Zen and Echo Fox. He aims to provide actionable advice that can help readers better their financial lives. Education: B.S. in Business Administration, Concentration in Information Systems from Northeastern University.

When Do Credit Scores Get Updated? Learn about how your credit lines are reported to credit bureaus on a regular basis and find out when your credit scores are refreshed and updated. Should You Pay Off Student Loans Early to Save on Interest Charges? Photo of Thomas (TJ) Porter Thomas (TJ) Porter Should You Pay Off Student Loans Early to Save on Interest Charges? If you have student loans, it can be very tempting to do your best to pay the... Should You Pay Off Student Loans or Invest in Stocks? Photo of Thomas (TJ) Porter Thomas (TJ) Porter Should You Pay Off Student Loans or Invest in Stocks? If you’re fresh out of college and working a full-time job, you might be... Should You Pay Off Your Student Loan in Lump Sum? Learn about the benefits and drawbacks of making a lump sum payment toward your student loan debt and how it can affect the rest of your finances. Should Your Pay Off Student Loans or Buy a Car? Find out whether you should use extra funds to buy a new car or to pay of existing student loan debt. Credit Card Closed? 6 Things You Need to Do Now Photo of Thomas (TJ) Porter Thomas (TJ) Porter Credit Card Closed? 6 Things You Need to Do Now Sometimes, you’ll have one of your credit card accounts closed. Whether you... Should You Contribute the Maximum to Your 401(k)? Photo of Thomas (TJ) Porter Thomas (TJ) Porter Should You Contribute the Maximum to Your 401(k)? Almost everybody hopes to retire one day. The problem is that you need a lot of... Credit Counseling vs. Debt Settlement: What is Better for You? Compare credit counseling and debt settlement services to see which option is better for helping you get out of large amounts of debt, especially high-interest credit card balances. Learn about the benefits of each option and how much it costs. Find out what other options you might have available to you. How to Boost the Interest Rate on Your CDs? If you're looking for ways to get a higher interest rate on your certificates of deposit (CDs), consider these different ways to boost your APY. 8 Lenders That Refinance $100k Undergraduate Students Loans Photo of Thomas (TJ) Porter Thomas (TJ) Porter 8 Lenders That Refinance $100k Undergraduate Students Loans Americans have a record amount of student loan debt and the amount is only growing...