Leaving the workforce changes many aspects of your 401(k), and once you retire you will have to make a number of important decisions about your retirement nest egg. If you have $1.1 million in a 401(k), you can choose to leave your retirement savings in the account, roll it over…
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that…
martin-dm/ E+/ Getty Images Travel reward credit cards and 0 percent introductory APRs on purchases and balance transfers don’t often co-exist. Having travel rewards and 0 percent APR are incredible perks on their own, but when you combine the two, you have a credit card with potential for substantial savings…
Key Takeaways: You don’t need to borrow more money to get out of debt. Alternatives like budgeting, prioritizing debts, negotiating with creditors, and seeking nonprofit credit counseling can be more effective. Household debt reached $18.59 trillion in Q3 2025making structured, sustainable repayment strategies more important than ever. Two powerful payoff…
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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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The Downsides of Credit Card Churning and Why It Is Risky You may be asking yourself, “Those benefits sound great, why is credit card churning risky?” There are many downsides of credit card churning to be aware of. For starters, every new application triggers a…
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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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Image by GettyImages; Illustration by Bankrate A split decision for home equity rates in the latest week. The $30,000 home equity line of credit rose one basis point to 7.85 percent, according to Bankrate’s national survey of lenders. Meanwhile, the benchmark 5-year $30,000 home equity loan edged down two basis…
Key takeaways Debt consolidation can simplify your finances and potentially lower your interest rate. There may be upfront costs that can offset potential savings. People with good credit may qualify for better loan terms, making consolidation a good option. Debt consolidation involves combining several debts — such as credit cards,…
Wesley Lapointe/For The Washington Post / Getty Images The average Social Security recipient can expect to see a $648 annual raise in 2026. Though the final numbers will not be announced until October 24th, estimates point to the Social Security Administration’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increasing benefits by 2.7 percent starting…
Key takeaways With a fixed-rate mortgage, the rate literally remains fixed: It carries the same interest rate and monthly payment for the entire life of the loan. But an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) has an interest rate that changes at preset intervals, increasing or decreasing the monthly payment each time. The…
Key takeaways The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers simplicity and low fees as a travel rewards starter card. The rewards rate and perks aren’t likely to appeal to people with robust travel rewards experience. The card does, however, offer an introductory APR period, which is uncommon among…
Andy Challenger is the person businesses call when it’s time to let workers go. And for the past year and a half, his phone hasn’t stopped ringing. A third-generation outplacement consultant at Challenger, Gray & Christmas — the firm his grandfather founded in the 1960s after his own layoff —…
Key takeaways Both the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offer flexible rewards points with multiple redemption options, a base rate of 1.5X points on regular purchases, no foreign transaction fees and a higher rewards potential if you’re a member…
If you have ever changed jobs or you have already started saving for retirement, you have likely encountered both Traditional IRAs and Rollover IRAs. However, these two similar-sounding accounts can play very different roles in your financial future. Knowing how each works can mean the difference between maximizing your tax…
Images by GettyImages; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate Key takeaways The draw period is the initial phase of a home equity line of credit (HELOC), during which you can withdraw funds up to your credit limit. The draw period typically lasts up to 10 years. During this time, you’re usually required…
PeopleImages/Getty Images Key takeaways You can add trusted sources to your Google preferred publishers list to see more of our stories in your search results. It’s simple to add trusted sources using direct links or with a few clicks directly from your Google search results. Adding trusted publishers helps ensure…
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