I need $1,000 in two weeks and I don’t have it. I will get paid from my part-time job at the end of the month, but it will be too late. Therefore, I am considering taking a cash advance on my credit...

How do I become rich in the stock market? I feel like there is money to be made, but I don’t know what to do. Jay J. ’21, finance major. Welcome back to Money Matters 2020-21 school year edition....

Professor Erkis, I am thinking about getting some online certifications this summer. The hope is that they would help my resume as I am not working this summer because my internship was canceled due to...

Professor Erkis, the start date of my summer internship at a bank has been pushed back to July 15 and now they are telling me the internship will be unpaid. I don’t have any “real” work experience...

Welcome to the summer edition of Money Matters! The first summer column addresses three simple things a college student can do now to prepare for life after college. #1: Be aware of the amount of money...

Professor Erkis, The stock market has been highly unstable due to the coronavirus. Some of us have a little money invested in the stock market and we don’t want to lose it all. What should we do? The...

Professor Erkis, how does interest charged on credit cards work? I paid the minimum monthly payment last month and was then charged interest the following month. Could you explain what is going on...

I was booking a flight for a spring break trip in March. The airline asked me if I wanted to purchase travel insurance for the flight. I was thinking of buying it because the cost was low (only $29). Do...

Professor Erkis, I am concerned about my student loans after graduation. I have loans from multiple companies, and I am wondering if I should try to consolidate them into one loan payment. -Robert J. ’20,...

Hi, Professor Erkis. The company where I will be working full time next year sent me forms to fill out, including 401(k) retirement plan forms. The paperwork said they will match 50% of the first 6%...

I am thinking about purchasing Bitcoin [cryptocurrency] as an investment. What do you think? —Robert L. ’20, finance major Erkis: Bitcoin is the most well-known of the many cryptocurrencies that...

I heard my credit score is important. How do I figure out what my credit score is and how can I improve it? —Haley V. ’20, risk management and insurance major Erkis: Yes, your credit score is...