How to Money Friday Flight - College Cost Cutting, Predictive Credit Scores, & Work Perk Pruning #1134
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May 1, 2026 Shorttakes on faster bachelor’s degrees and the tradeoffs of degree hacking. When refinancing private student loans might make sense. How insurers and predictive credit scores are changing with new data. FTC alerts about APR-reduction and phishing scams. Employers quietly cutting perks and what that could signal. Tips on avoiding high event prices and grocery waste reduction tech.
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Speedy Degrees Can Cut Cost But May Sacrifice Depth
- Three-year or self-paced bachelor's programs can sharply cut time and cost for credential seekers.
- University of Maine's Your Pace students reportedly finished in as little as eight weeks, raising questions about depth versus credentialing.
Refinance Student Loans Only With Better Rates And A Plan
- Consider refinancing federal student loans into private loans only if you qualify for much lower rates and accept lost federal protections.
- Joel notes private refinance rates advertised near 3% require excellent credit or a highly qualified cosigner and a shorter repayment plan.
Banning Credit Scores Would Shift How Insurers Price Risk
- States are moving to ban insurers from using credit scores, which currently create major premium disparities.
- Matt cites research showing a roughly 69% difference in premiums between good and bad credit scores.