Key takeaways A home equity loan can be a good option to consolidate debt, as it usually carries lower interest rates and longer terms than other financing options. Advantages of using home equity loans or HELOCs to pay off debts include having fewer bills to pay and lower monthly payments…
Key takeaways CDs earning 4% APY provide guaranteed returns with FDIC insurance up to $250,000 — making them one of the safest investments available. A $10,000 CD at 4% APY earns $400 in one year, while a 5-year CD at 4% APY generates $2,166 in total interest. CD laddering spreads…
LUHUANFENG/Getty Images; Illustration by Bankrate Key takeaways A CD ladder splits your money across multiple CDs with staggered maturity dates — giving you regular access to funds while earning the higher rates that longer-term CDs offer. For example, you could invest $5,000 across five 1-year CDs opened at different times.…
Key takeaways The issuing bank often cashes checks for non-customers for $5-$8 — your cheapest option if you have a government ID. Walmart charges flat fees of $4-$8 to cash most checks, making it more affordable than check-cashing stores that charge up to 10%. Check-cashing stores are the most expensive…
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The nation’s 75 million Social Security recipients will receive a 2.8% cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase in their benefits…
Historically Black colleges and universities are on the frontlines of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s new limits on parent…
The big new fees JPMorgan Chase is planning to charge some financial technology companies may well trickle down to consumers,…
With artificial intelligence beginning to eat away at many white-collar entry-level jobs, and the unemployment rate for recent college graduates…
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For a long time, credit cards have generally fallen into three tiers: no-annual-fee cards, mid-tier cards with annual fees around $95 and premium cards with annual fees measured in the hundreds (these used to cluster around $400 or $500 per year, now it’s more like…
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Practical Money Tricks That Lead to Real Treats Getting out of debt doesn’t happen overnight, but small, consistent actions can help you regain…
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The fundamental flaws in the way the Federal Reserve operates these days were on full display Wednesday when Jerome Powell talked to the…
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Key takeaways Tapping into home equity carries several risks, including losing the property, the potential to fall into significant debt and the dilution of a valuable asset. The unpredictable nature of the housing market and high interest rates are also reasons not to borrow against a home’s worth. Financial experts…
Key takeaways While your home’s value is determined by many factors, some home improvements could help increase its worth. There are multiple ways to pay for upgrades, including cash-out refinancing, a home equity loan or home improvement loan. If you plan to sell your home, it’s important to determine not…
I’ve recently accepted a hard truth: I will never experience true pay equality in my career. Neither will most women my age. If the gender wage gap follows its historical pace, many women working full time won’t reach pay parity with men until 2059 — 33 years from now, according…
The fight for equal pay was supposed to be won by now. But generations after Eleanor Roosevelt championed the cause, women are still waiting for their paychecks to catch up. A Bankrate analysis of government data shows, in fact, that pay equality remains a dream that most women won’t reach…
Many women today won’t see pay equality in their lifetime. That’s due to forces like the “broken rung” — or the lack of clear paths from entry level or middle management positions into the highest-earning corporate roles. But plenty of women have bucked this trend and are eager to share…
When Jessye Kass Karlin asked for a raise, she didn’t just need one person to say “yes.” She needed eight. A director of programs at a women’s shelter in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Karlin was in her mid-twenties, making around $60,000 per year. She sought a $20,000 salary increase and a new…
In the heart of every community, first responders stand as pillars of strength, protection, and safety. Firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other emergency personnel dedicate their lives to protecting the public, often putting their own safety at risk. Yet many of these everyday heroes face a growing challenge outside the…
Key takeaways Unsecured business loans don’t require you to back the loan with valuable assets Making on-time payments and building payments into your budget can help you effectively manage the unsecured business loan If you’re struggling to make repayments, talk to your lender and consider refinancing to help you meet…
Images by GettyImages; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate Key takeaways A debt consolidation loan replaces multiple streams of debt with one new loan at a fixed rate and monthly payment. A personal loan for debt consolidation is typically a fast and simple way to consolidate all kinds of debt. Debt consolidation…
Images by Getty Images; Illustration by Issiah Davis/Bankrate Key takeaways A money market account is a deposit account that earns interest while providing check-writing and debit card access to your funds. Money market accounts currently earn between 0.47% and 4.00%+ APY, with top accounts offering rates significantly higher than traditional…
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