This year, the excitement around what to give people for the holidays is clouded with a question: Will gifts arrive on time? According to NerdWallet’s annual Holiday Shopping Report, 68% of holiday shoppers anticipate that supply issues could cause the big-ticket items they’re looking for to be unavailable this year. The good news for consumers is … Continued
In a holiday season that many of us will spend apart from loved ones, gift-giving might feel even more important than usual. After all, if you can’t travel to see family, at least you can see them unwrap gifts over a video call, right? And just as many families will use a video service for … Continued
A point-of-sale loan lets you break down a purchase into a series of smaller payments, so you can buy now and pay later. In recent years, point-of-sale financing has rapidly expanded in the United States, with lenders like Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm now partnering with major retailers, including Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Walmart, … Continued
Like most things in 2020, Black Friday won’t be the same this year. But at least in the case of holiday shopping, change might not necessarily be a bad thing. If you’re thinking about shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, here’s why you should — and at least one reason you shouldn’t. The day still holds meaning … Continued
The rules for protecting credit during the holidays usually don’t vary much from year to year, but in 2020, COVID-19 has changed where and how we shop. And money’s tight for a lot of people. About 40% of Americans said they plan to spend less on holidays this year due to the pandemic, according to … Continued
Amid all of the retail chaos and change of 2020, at least one thing remains the same: the biggest sale day of the year. Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — has a reputation as the best time of the year to buy just about anything. But even though Black Friday still exists in … Continued
After spending nearly $2,000 in gifts for her daughter’s first Christmas in 2017, Meg Nordmann knew her holiday strategy had to change. “I totally blew it that first Christmas with her,” says the Florida-based author of “Have Yourself a Minimalist Christmas.” “I bought everything this child needed through the first five years of her life.” … Continued
Remember when we used to make plans? It was so long ago now you may not remember, but we actually used to start booking our holiday travel in the summer before prices rose to unaffordable levels. That’s right: We could predict what the world would be like months in advance back then. Times have certainly … Continued
If you woke up on Jan. 1 groggy with a holiday debt hangover, you weren’t alone: 3 in 5 shoppers took on some form of debt in the previous holiday season, NerdWallet’s latest holiday shopping report found. Much like a champagne-fueled headache, this debt can persist long after holiday merriment fades. Of those who took … Continued
Christmas, Hanukkah and the holiday season have come and gone — likely taking quite a bit of your cash with them. You can’t magically make more money appear in your bank account. And it’s definitely too late to ask Santa for a check. But here are three of the next best things you can do. 1. Adjust … Continued