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…
Banking
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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Taking out student loans to pay for college seemed like a great idea at the time (hey, everyone was doing it!). But now you’re out of school and struggling to make your loan payments. Maybe you’ve already defaulted on your student loans—or it’s just a matter of time before you…
Kicking off the financial wellness series, it’s important to understand how crucial your credit report is to your financial wellness. Your credit report serves as a detailed record of your credit history, impacting everything from your ability to secure loans to the interest rates you’re offered. Yet, many people are…
Key takeaways Traveling for work can be a great opportunity to earn rewards on flights, hotel stays, rideshares and other travel-related spending. Your company’s policies will determine whether you or the company accrue the rewards earned by your travel spending. If your company allows it, you can earn rewards on…
Are you looking for the next big thing in the stock market? There’s a chance it’s hiding among the small caps, because these smaller companies often remain overlooked by investors. One way to gain exposure to the entire segment of the market is to buy a small-cap ETF. Topics covered…
Credit Sesame shows you how pragmatic thinking can transform your finances, starting on World Logic Day. World Logic Day, celebrated every January 14th, honors the importance of logic in our lives and highlights its role in shaping disciplines like mathematics, philosophy, and computer science. Established by UNESCO and the International…
Bitcoin’s breathtaking 2024 performance and its rise above $100,000, has captured the world’s attention. Here’s why one card-carrying value investor is bullish on the volatile digital asset. By Taesik Yoon, Forbes Staff My first trip to Las Vegas is one I remember very fondly. I was only about a year…
This is a published version of our weekly Forbes Tax Breaks newsletter. You can sign-up to get Tax Breaks in your inbox here. As 2024 came to a close, it refused to go quietly. Two significant court challenges were introduced at the end of the year with the potential to…
Thanks to more than a decade of Dodd-Frank and Basel III regulations, the Trump administration inherits a well-capitalized and liquid banking system. Squandering this gift would be very dangerous to the financial and mental health of Americans. Healthy banks are critical to the U.S. economy — more so than any…
Just thinking about Tax Day is enough to make some of us reach for a bottle of aspirin (or bourbon). We get it. Taxes suck. It’s easy to put them off until the last minute. But since taxes are almost always due in April, wouldn’t it feel great to get…
Key Takeaways U.S. drivers average 13,476 annual miles per year, according to 2022 data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) Male drivers average over 5,400 more miles per year than female drivers. (FHA) Drivers between the ages of 35 and 54 average the highest rate of annual mileage per year…
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