Key takeaways The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decisions have a wide-ranging influence on Americans’ personal finances, affecting their job security, financing costs and the direction of the economy. When the Fed’s key interest rate falls, borrowing costs for consumers also decrease, influencing the cost of financing purchases with credit cards, car…
Images by GettyImages; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate Index funds are one of the most popular types of investments because of their simplicity, low cost and diversification benefits. In general, index funds seek to replicate the performance of an underlying index comprised of stocks or bonds, which means they aren’t managed…
Can you count a local sports team sponsorship as a business expense? If you discuss your advertising strategy over coffee with your partner, is it considered a business lunch? And just what does a certified public accountant do when you hand them a pile of gas receipts? If you’re a…
Worries about inflation, high interest rates and chaotic global events have kept experts and investors queasy about the stock market and the economy overall. All that fear and uncertainty has led to whispers about another recession or a potential stock market crash—the first since the start of the coronavirus pandemic…
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A perfect storm is brewing for millions of federal student loan borrowers, who may experience dramatic increases in their monthly…
As the Biden administration exits Washington, President-elect Donald Trump inherits a federal student loan system that looks much different than…
Republican lawmakers in Congress are circulating a number of proposals to cut federal spending as part of a massive bill…
Washington is abuzz over whether Congress will address President-elect Donald Trump’s ambitious policy agenda in one bill or two. But…
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Key takeaways You can write checks against a line of credit with credit card convenience checks. Convenience checks are often processed as a cash advance, which can be expensive. It’s a good idea to consider alternatives before using a convenience check to borrow against your…
Dept Managmnt
Key takeaways A balance transfer fee is what credit card issuers charge when you transfer debt, usually credit card debt, to another credit…
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No matter how often bank regulators, international standard setters, rating agencies, or financial reform advocates warn banks that climate change is serious, the…
Credit Cards
Key takeaways The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card offers a flat 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases. Bank of…
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DeFi — short for decentralized finance — is a new vision of banking and financial services that is based on peer-to-peer payments through blockchain technology. Via blockchain, DeFi allows “trust-less” banking, sidestepping traditional financial middlemen such as banks or brokers. What’s in it for investors? DeFi promises to allow investors…
Credit Sesame simplifies your financial life with tools to monitor and manage your credit. Life gets busy, and managing finances often takes a back seat until a late fee or missed payment reminds you to pay attention. But simplifying your financial life doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right…
Key takeaways Credit repair is a term used to describe the process of restoring your credit rating. You can hire a credit repair company to do the legwork for you or repair your credit on your own. You could also pursue credit counseling or debt consolidation, depending on your situation.…
“Ugh . . . why is gas so expensive?” you yell at the sky as you cough up $50 to fill ‘er up. Thankfully we aren’t back at that all-time record high when the average price of gas hit $5.01 a gallon on June 14, 2022.1 But we were around $3.33…
The conventional wisdom about private mortgage insurance (PMI) has long been that borrowers should try to avoid it. PMI is a requirement for conventional mortgage borrowers who put down less than 20 percent on a home — and it’s just one more cost squeezing first-time homebuyers. Yet, in recent years,…
A certified public accountant (CPA) can play a crucial role in the tax filing season as they help business owners navigate the tax code and ensure they meet all of their required deadlines. They also play a vital role in looking at your business accounts critically and help you fix…
Launching a startup business is exciting, but it can also be stressful if you need external money to keep the momentum going. While the U.S. Small Business Administration offers several small business loans for established companies, there are also some loan options available to new ventures. This guide will cover…
You’ve probably heard it before: Nobody buys or sells a home in the winter, right? Well, if you check the numbers, you’d see that plenty of homes are sold during the coldest months of the year. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, over 11,000 homes are sold per day…
Key takeaways Home prices are still reaching historic highs, while Fed rate cuts have not brought mortgage rates down as much as many had hoped. Even so, economists predict that any market correction will be modest and not on the scale of the Great Recession. Experts do not expect a…
Brokerages are aggressively competing for your money. One way they do so is by offering competitive bonuses that you can add right to your brokerage account. It’s important to know the best offers so that you can decide whether it’s a good time to open a brokerage account and take…
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