
Louis DeNicola
Louis DeNicola is a freelance finance writer based in Oakland, California. He specializes in consumer credit, personal finance, and small business finance, and loves helping people find ways to save money. In addition to Varo, Louis works with a variety of financial services firms, credit bureaus, and educational websites, including Credit Karma, Wirecutter, Funding Circle, and Experian.
Articles by Louis DeNicola
Make This Your Best Holiday Ever on a Budget
The Smarter Way to Use Credit During the Holidays
Did You Take on a Side Hustle? Think About Taxes Before 2021 Begins
What The Biden Presidency Could Mean for Your Wallet
Which of the Big Credit Card Companies Should You Go With?
A Simple Guide to Debt Consolidation
Passive Income: What It Is and 6 Ways to Start Earning
If You’re Making More Money Right Now, Do This
Some are making more money than before from extra hours or increased unemployment benefits. If you’re lucky enough to be making a little extra, here’s ...
Kids Activities to Keep Them Busy and You Sane
Easy Meals with Staple Ingredients: What to Cook
You may have made a few grocery runs while preparing to hunker down as part of your city's effort to keep the coronavirus transmission. Now, ...
How Do I Get Health Insurance If My Employer Doesn't Offer It?
Pay Off Debt or Save—Which is Better?
Paying off debt and saving money can both help you build your nest egg and become financially secure. But choosing which thing to do with ...
How to Build Your Credit: A Quick Guide
You’re not alone if you checked your credit and think your score could be a little higher.
Experian found that the average American ...
How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt in 5 Easy Steps
There’s more to paying off credit card debt than cutting back, earning more, and throwing every extra penny at your loans. (Although that ...
A Weekly Savings Plan Starts on the Weekend: Here's What to Do
Benefits of Saving Money? Less Stress, More Freedom
Sticking to a budget is a core piece of advice in the personal finance world. It can also be the hardest to heed. Changing your ...
How to Borrow Money from Friends (And Stay Friends)
Links to external websites are not managed by Varo or The Bancorp Bank.
Ideally, borrowing money from friends or family members is an all-around win. ...
Here’s Why It’s So Easy to Spend Money (Blame Your Brain)
Ever arrive home from your regular commute without a clear picture of how you got there? You’re safe, thankfully, but you can’t remember making every ...
How to Save Money on Gas? Stacking Rewards is the Key
Imagine never having to worry about the price of gas.
This isn’t a pitch for buying an electric vehicle or exchanging your car for ...
A Checklist for Life After Graduation
Commencement speeches can fill anyone with hope and optimism. But as with any period of transition, taking the next step and entering the real ...
Juggling High-Interest Debts? A Debt Consolidation Loan Might Help
Taking out one loan to pay off another loan often gets a bad rap. And you do need to be careful to not get into ...
Yes, Disability Insurance Is Kinda Boring. No, That Doesn’t Mean You Should Ignore It.
We get it. Insurance isn’t exactly an exciting topic. But imagine you get in an accident and are out of work for a few months—or ...
How to Make a Budget: The Easy Way
The b word—b*dget—is an instant turn-off for many people. It’s one of those things that you know you’re “supposed” to do but never get around ...
What to Do When the Stock Market Drops
Even if you ignore the news’ daily recap of changes in the stock market, it’s almost impossible to avoid the headlines when there are big ...
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? The Secret to Developing a Saver Mindset
You probably know who among your friends is a saver or a spender.
Take your friend Jenny who shows up to a meal with ...
What’s the Difference Between a Soft and Hard Credit Check?
Looking for a pre-approval for a personal loan or student loan refinancing? That's likely a soft credit check. Submitting a mortgage application or opening a ...
What to Do When Your Tax Refund is The Worst
For some households, an annual tax refund is a much-needed infusion of cash that allows them to pay off debt or invest in home or ...
4 Things That You Need to Know About Money in Your 20s
It can be a lot to figure out a money plan when you’re starting out. Even though there isn’t a magic bullet for building your ...
What Is the Difference Between a Money Market and Savings Account?
Money market accounts and savings accounts can both be good options for savers who are looking for somewhere to stash their cash.
Both ...
How to Do Your Own Taxes
As tax season approaches, there’s a good chance you may already have some ideas for how you’re going to spend (or save!) the money. ...
Learn New Skills Without Taking Out Student Loans
The new year offers an opportunity to hit the refresh button, set new goals, and learn new skills.
While saving money was a top ...
How to Make the Most of Black Friday Deals
Black Friday makes headlines every year. But are the deals really worth it—and is the name even accurate anymore?
In-store sales have crept into Thanksgiving Thursday, ...
Roommate Wanted: 5 Tips for Renting an Apartment
Moving into your own place for the first time is an accomplishment that can come with a great sense of freedom.
You’ll have new control ...
Should You Spend Less or Earn More to Increase Your Leftover Money?
For most of us, we’d probably like to have a little more of it—leftover money that is.
Your leftover money is money you can spend ...
What Is APY? And Why Is There Such a Wide Range of Available Rates?
Have you ever looked at a few banks and wondered why the rates, or Annual Percentage Yield (APY), are different from place to place?
According ...
3 Things to Look For When Choosing a New Bank Account
Your first bank account could depend more on your parents than anything else. They likely helped you decide where to open your account, and you ...
Even Millionaires Struggle Financially
If you’ve ever imagined yourself winning the lottery, you’ve probably dreamt up a variety of ways in which you’d switch up your lifestyle to be ...
How to Understand Financial Aid Options and Save Money
Back in school this fall? That’s awesome. Paying that tuition bill. Well, that’s probably going to feel less awesome.
Let’s be real: Nearly everyone these ...
3 Essential No-Fee Money Accounts for College Students
Life as a college or grad student is not exactly synonymous with having a lot of money or time.
And just because your net worth is ...
What To Know Before Opening a Secured Credit Card
Need to build your credit? A secured credit card could help you move the needle in the right direction.
A secured credit card looks just ...
How Much Cash Should You Save Each Month?
We wish we could give one number and be done with it. But the reality is there is no simple answer to how much cash ...
7 Personal Finance Podcasts to Up Your Money Game
The right podcast can transform your commute, workout, or even your chore-time at home. You can hear from leading experts, keep up on the news, ...
Organize Your Life, Sell Your Stuff, Make Money. Questions?
You don’t need to wait until another season to get your home/apartment/room in order. (Procrastinate much?)
Seize the moment — and summer months — to ...
How Do Taxes Change After Marriage?
Summer is the most popular time of the year to get married...now what?
As newlyweds settle into their married life together, tax planning is likely ...
5 Tips for a Cheap Summer Road Trip
Whether you’re moving across state lines this summer after graduation or just taking some time to cruise, chances are you’re going to find yourself in ...
Why Varo Has No Overdraft Fees
Overdraft protection sounds pretty great. After all, it’s got the word protection right in the name.
But it might not actually provide the protection you’re ...
These Apps Can Help You Relax and Meditate
Stress happens. Even in the summer. And, unfortunately, we don’t always make the best decisions when we’re stressed (it’s science).
While technology may ...
How to Build Your Credit Before You Borrow
You’re not alone if you checked your credit and think your score could be a little higher.
Experian found that the average American ...
How to Choose Your First Credit Card
Your next credit card could be your first step in building your credit score or traveling to an exotic destination with earned airline miles. But ...
Start With Your Values to Build a Better Budget
You say you want to save money and get out of debt. Yet you find yourself buying yet another thing you probably don’t need. We ...
Could You Use Your Tax Refund to Save or Make Money?
The ...
Be My Valentine: 5 Date Ideas for Under $50
Whether your date for Valentine's Day is your long-term love, a new sweetheart, or a good friend, the expectations for the evening may not match ...
The Importance of Enthusiasm During a Job Search
After hours of research, deep-dives through LinkedIn, and job board websites, you’ve found the perfect position. Your cover letter basically writes itself because you were ...
5 Great Ways to Use a Not-So-Great Gift Card
It may have been a well-meaning gift, but sometimes you receive a gift card to a store you don’t frequent and aren’t quite sure what ...
Set Yourself Up for Financial Success in 2018
While you might feel that 2017 cannot end quickly enough, it’s important to take time to set yourself up for financial success before ringing in ...
Consider the Gift of Giving This Holiday
The holiday gift-giving season can bring immense joy. But it’s also filled with long lines, time spent double-checking lists, and sometimes a lingering feeling that ...
Homeownership is a Common Goal and Here Is How You Can Make It Happen
Millennials may question if they can own a home and eat their cake — err, avocado toast, too. The price tag can be staggering, ...