Author name: Derek

When we first arrived in the US, one of the earliest decisions we had to make was where to put our money. A bank account is the foundation of everything else — your paycheck needs somewhere to land and your bills need somewhere to come from. But the choice is not obvious: should you walk […]

If you have just settled in the United States and have children, college costs may already feel like a shadow on the horizon. American colleges are famously expensive — but there is a powerful, simple tool built exactly for this: the 529 plan. In this guide, we will explain what a 529 plan is, how […]

If your household already has a 401(k) – or if you read our 401(k) guide and wondered “what else can we do?” – this post is for you. The Roth IRA is one of the most beginner-friendly ways to save for retirement in the US. It’s especially popular because of one simple idea: you pay […]

When we first arrived in the US, my father was the only one working. He took home a paycheck, and the rest of us just hoped it was enough. None of us had ever heard of a 401(k). If you’re new here and someone at work (or your spouse’s work) keeps mentioning “401k” like it’s […]

Moving to the US comes with a mountain of paperwork, and taxes are one of the most confusing parts. If you arrived on a spouse visa and don’t have a Social Security Number (SSN) yet, you might be wondering: Do I even need to file taxes? And how can I, without an SSN? The short […]

You just arrived in the United States. Your spouse is working, you are not yet allowed to, and every dollar that comes into the house comes from one paycheck. That gap between arrival and work authorization can last months, and it is one of the most stressful parts of starting over in a new country. […]

Sending money to family back home is one of the most normal things in the world – until you try it from the US for the first time and discover how many ways there are to lose money on the way. When we went through this as a family, we assumed the fee shown on […]

You just arrived in the US, and almost everything costs money before you even earn any: the apartment deposit, the phone plan, groceries. Everyone keeps telling you to “just open a bank account,” as if it were obvious. When we went through this, it was not obvious at all – which forms of ID count, […]

Moving to a new country as a newlywed is overwhelming enough. Add “I don’t even have a credit history here” to the list, and it can feel like you’re starting from zero in every sense. Here’s the good news: you’re not actually starting from zero. You’re starting from step one — and step one is […]