Kate Ashford

New York

Writer and spokesperson @NerdWallet, she/her, mom of two, messy housekeeper, indoor climber, dad joke enthusiast, all opinions are my own.

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Articles

Cons of Prepaid Debit Cards

2 weeks ago | sofi.com | Kate Ashford

By Kate Ashford. May 22, 2025 · 8 minute read SoFi does not currently offer all the products and services in this article. Our content covers a variety of financial topics for educational purposes only. Prepaid debit cards can be used to buy almost anything, whether you’re shopping online or in person. They may also be a helpful budgeting tool, and they don’t affect your credit. You may even be able to recover your money if you lose the card.
Ordinary vs Qualified Dividends

1 month ago | sofi.com | Kate Ashford

By Kate Ashford. June 12, 2023 · 6 minute read This content may include information about products, features, and/or services that SoFi does not provide and is intended to be educational in nature. The vast majority of dividends are considered ordinary dividends, but some are qualified dividends and the tax treatment is different for each.
How to Find the Right Investment Advisor

1 month ago | sofi.com | Kate Ashford

By Kate Ashford. April 23, 2025 · 7 minute read This content may include information about products, features, and/or services that SoFi does not provide and is intended to be educational in nature. Investment advisors help investors figure out their goals, create financial plans, and put those plans into action. There are a lot of them out there, too, meaning that finding the right professional for you or your family may seem daunting.
What Is an HSA and How Does It Work? - NerdWallet

1 month ago | nerdwallet.com | Kate Ashford

Health savings accounts (HSAs) have big tax advantages, but you’ll need a high-deductible health plan.
Retirement Spending Is a U-Shaped Curve. Here’s How to Maximize It

Mar 7, 2025 | auburnpub.com | Kate Ashford

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. Financial planners talk about three phases in retirement: the go-go years, the slow-go years and the no-go years. Expenses tend to be highest at the beginning and end of retirement — creating a U-shape.
Rollover IRA vs. Traditional IRA: What's The Difference?

Feb 25, 2025 | sofi.com | Kate Ashford

Share By Kate Ashford. February 25, 2025 · 10 minute read This content may include information about products, features, and/or services that SoFi does not provide and is intended to be educational in nature. If you’re leaving a job, you may hear the term “rollover IRA.” But exactly what is a rollover IRA?
What Is the Health Insurance Marketplace?

Feb 24, 2025 | nerdwallet.com | Kate Ashford

The health insurance marketplace is a marketplace (also called an exchange) to purchase individual, family and small business health insurance, run by the federal government. It was established by the Affordable Care Act in 2010, and health plans on the marketplace must meet minimum coverage requirements. What is a marketplace health plan? A marketplace health plan is any plan purchased through the health insurance marketplace, which is run by the federal government.
How to Get Health Insurance

Feb 14, 2025 | nerdwallet.com | Kate Ashford

You can get health insurance through work, on the marketplace or outside of the marketplace. The kind of health insurance you buy depends on whether you have access to an employer-sponsored plan, your age, your location, your family structure and your health care needs, among other things. Getting health insurance in the U.S. can be a complex process — or as simple as getting a job that offers health insurance benefits.
What financial planners wish you knew about Social Security

Feb 13, 2025 | thebeaconnewspapers.com | Kate Ashford

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash Only about 1 in 8 adults know when they’ll be eligible for full retirement benefits through Social Security, according to the Nationwide Retirement Institute 2023 Social Security Survey.
How Much Is Health Insurance?

Feb 12, 2025 | nerdwallet.com | Kate Ashford

The average lowest-cost Silver plan on the health insurance marketplace costs $486 per month in 2025 without any tax credits or subsidies, according to KFF, a health policy nonprofit[0]. That’s for an individual plan, priced for a 40-year-old person. Across other metal tiers in the marketplace, the average lowest-cost Bronze premium is $381, and the average lowest-cost Gold premium is $507.