Articles by Valencia Patrice Higuera

Valencia Higuera is based in Virginia and she covers budgeting, credit cards, and student loan debt, with expertise in frugal living, general banking, and mortgages. She is a self-proclaimed personal finance junkie. Valencia has contributed to publications and outlets including MSN, The Huffington Post, CBS News, Investopedia, and more. Education: B.A. in English from Old Dominion University.

Certified Check vs. Cashier's Check: Which One Should You Use? Compare certified checks and cashier's checks to see how they differ and which one is better when you want to guarantee that the funds are there for payment. The Best Business Checking Accounts of May 2025 Photo of Valencia Patrice Higuera Valencia Patrice Higuera The Best Business Checking Accounts of May 2025 Some small business owners start off using their personal checking accounts for... SoFi® Checking and Savings Account 2025 Review Photo of Valencia Patrice Higuera Valencia Patrice Higuera SoFi® Checking and Savings Account 2025 Review SoFi, Member FDIC, offers the SoFi Checking and Savings Account, which is probably... Series EE Savings Bonds: When to Redeem For the Maximum Return Learn how Series EE savings bonds from the government can help grow your savings and when you should cash them out for the maximum return. The Best Credit Cards to Fix Your Bad Credit Without a Security Deposit If you have bad credit, you don‘t have to get a secured credit card to rebuild good credit. Unsecured cards can fix your credit without a security deposit. The Best Credit Cards to Apply For With a 550-600 Credit Score Photo of Valencia Patrice Higuera Valencia Patrice Higuera The Best Credit Cards to Apply For With a 550-600 Credit Score With a credit score of 550 to 600, there is plenty of room for your credit to... How to Travel Internationally With More Than $10,000 in Cash Photo of Valencia Patrice Higuera Valencia Patrice Higuera How to Travel Internationally With More Than $10,000 in Cash U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires travelers to declare cash exceeding... What to Do When You Cannot Pay Tuition and College Is About to Start You've just found out that you're unable to pay for college tuition in time for the first day of the semester. Find out what you can do before school starts. Chase Sapphire Checking Account 2025 Review Find out which fees are waived with the Chase Sapphire Checking account and how you can avoid the monthly fee. Learn about the premium services available. Citizens Access Online Savings Account 2025 Review Photo of Valencia Patrice Higuera Valencia Patrice Higuera Citizens Access Online Savings Account 2025 Review Learn all the details about the online savings account from Citizens Access Bank and compare it to other online savings accounts.