Are you having trouble opening a new checking or savings account? It may be because a little known financial score called a banking score is hurting your chances of starting an account.

Many of us are familiar with credit scores. And you may even know the steps to take to monitor and improve your credit. But you may be less acquainted with the idea of a banking score, how to find it, or how to fix any errors that could be causing problems.

In this article, we explain what a banking score is and how you can check your score today. You’ll also learn how to remove any mistakes on your banking score so that you can open a checking account ASAP.

Want to learn how to invest in stocks but don’t know where to start? Maybe you've done a few steps but don't know how to actually "invest" or buy your first stock. You’re not alone.

Many people have a general idea that investing in stocks would be a smart decision for their financial future. Yet the dreaded learning curve keeps a lot of would-be investors on the sidelines.

But stock market investing doesn’t need to be overly complicated and overwhelming. In this guide, you’ll get step-by-step instructions about how to invest in stocks for the first time. We’ll cover everything from choosing a broker and account type to picking your actual stock investments.

As you gain experience, you can always add new strategies and techniques to your stock market investing tool belt. But, in the meantime, here are a few easy ways to start investing in stocks today.

Figuring out taxes on your own for the first time? One of the most important types of taxes to understand are FICA taxes (also called payroll taxes). This is different than income tax, which you also pay, but this also comes out of your paycheck.

This is a tax you pay on every dollar of earned income (up to $176,100 for part of the tax), so it is important to understand it. Your employer also pays FICA taxes on you for every dollar earned - so many employers count FICA as part of their total compensation for an employee.

Here’s what you need to know about FICA taxes, and how they will affect your bottom line.