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It’s Giving Tuesday!  Yes, we know that doing good feels great all on its own! However, you definitely shouldn’t miss an opportunity to help yourself while helping others and claim your charitable giving as a tax credit! Giving Tuesday falls on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year, and it’s just in time for the IRS’s charitable donation deadline, which is December 31st.

Since Black Friday is seen as the official kick off to the holiday shopping season, Small Business Saturday diverts some of the holiday cash flow right back into local communities that need it most.

The reality is that you may not get the opportunity to make it home for every holiday. Whether it's because the trip home is a little too far, a struggling bank account balance is holding you back or maybe you've decided to devote yourself to some solid study time.  While it may not be quite the same, without the homemade pies or sneaking turkey when no one is watching, there are a few ways you can enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, even from your 10x10 dorm.

Quick cash schemes happen when a victim pays money in anticipation of receiving something in return—typically a loan, gift or investment—and once they've paid up, they receive little or nothing in return. While it can be tempting to take the bait when in a bind, you shouldn’t ignore warning signs that could end up costing you far more in the long run. Here are a few warning signs to look out for :

Debit and credit cards are the most popular forms of payment in America today. So, it probably comes as no surprise that they are also the most susceptible to fraud. With the emergence of EMV Chip technology, most people thought this type of fraud would become a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the bad guys were thinking too and have found a way around the security features of chip cards. 

Buying a home can be a daunting task, between the approval process, the potentially overwhelming idea of a lifelong investment, and not to mention the home shopping process itself, it can be a scary experience, to say the least. However, with the right knowledge, and preparation, it doesn’t have to be.

Criminals aren’t just targeting you on your personal accounts, but are finding ways to go after you even when you’re on the clock. There are a few different ways they could try and compromise your information so it’s important to know what you’re up against. Here’s what to look out for... 

Purchasing a vehicle might be one of the largest purchases you will make so it’s important to cover all bases before taking the leap and making such a large investment. This type of fraud can be hard to detect and even harder to prevent. Not to mention, it leaves multiple victims in its wake and in the end we all pay the price, via increases in insurance premiums. While it can be hard to stop it from happening altogether, you can learn what to look for and how to protect yourself.

Social media phishing is just one of the latest ways the bad guys are taking advantage of unsuspecting victims online.  Phishing is an attempt to trick someone into divulging his or her personal information. Typically, the type of information they are looking for includes, but is certainly not limited to, passwords, credit card numbers, and bank account information. While you may not be freely sharing this information, outright, other information that you’re sharing online might be making their jobs a little easier.