If you’ve done any shopping recently, then you’ve probably seen an option at checkout to split up your total into four (or more) “easy payments.” One of the biggest companies offering these kinds of buy now, pay later plans is Affirm. But is it a good idea to use Affirm…

Richard Drury/ Getty Images; Illustration by Austin Courregé/Bankrate Borrowing against the value of your home became cheaper in the most recent week. The $30,000 HELOC (home equity line of credit) fell 5 basis points to 8.56 percent, a new 52-week low, according to Bankrate’s national survey of lenders. Meanwhile, the…

Short on cash? Need a loan to renovate your kitchen? Upgrade says they can help (for a fee, of course). Upgrade personal loans and credit cards may seem like an easy, risk-free way to borrow money. But don’t be fooled by the name—doing business with Upgrade won’t actually upgrade your…

Tetra Images/Getty Images For most investors, the majority of their portfolio will be made up of stocks and bonds. These two assets may be held in the form of mutual funds or ETFs that invest in underlying stocks and bonds, or you may hold positions in individual stocks or bonds…

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Opening a Roth IRA might be the single best retirement decision you can make. While the Roth IRA doesn’t offer immediate tax gratification like other types of retirement accounts do, it does give you tax-free growth and you’ll never have to pay any taxes on…

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Nothing says “I’ve reached adulthood” like opening up your own checking account. Maybe you just got your first real job and have to set one up for the direct deposit of your paycheck, or maybe you just realized you’re sick of carrying around your life’s savings in your sock all…

Technology is becoming more integrated into daily life, and mobile banking apps are proof of that. Your bank’s app may offer advanced personal finance hubs, providing insights into spending habits, tracking savings progress and even making a budget for you. Unlike older systems of manually tracking and recording your expenses,…

Not sure which funds to invest in for retirement? We hear you. You’ve probably heard a lot about S&P 500 index funds. It’s a bit of an investing buzzword. But what are S&P 500 index funds and are they a good place to invest your money? Basically, the S&P 500…

10’000 Hours/ DigitalVision/ Getty Images Key takeaways If a credit card payment is returned, it is most likely due to insufficient funds or incorrect bank account information. A returned payment can result in fees from both the card issuer and the financial institution, potentially impacting your credit score. To avoid…

It feels like everything’s just way more expensive these days, doesn’t it? Yeah, that’s because it is. With inflation at the highest level we’ve seen in 41 years, one of the top things on the “costs more than it used to” list is gasoline. Paying for gas just to make…

Key takeaways If you have poor credit and are interested in a new credit card, check your credit score first and consider which type of card would be best as you work toward using credit responsibly. Secured credit cards are typically accessible to those with lower credit scores. You can…

Ahh, sweet summertime. I don’t know about you, but summer at my house is filled with snow cones, pool parties, trips to the lake and cookouts. When Winston and I decided to host our first cookout, I was a tad nervous. First off, I’m no grill master. And second .…

A smart personal finance strategy often involves earning some interest on your money while not taking on too much risk. These days, high-yield savings accounts are one viable option, as some are outpacing inflation. In addition to savings accounts, there are plenty of other relatively safe ways to get a return…

Did you know the national average cost of car insurance is $1,342 for full coverage?1 (That works out to about $112 for your monthly car insurance bill.) But remember, that’s the average. Car insurance costs vary a lot depending on a bunch of factors. So, how do insurance companies figure…

Christmas is the season of giving, but that doesn’t have to mean giving more of your money to your insurance company. Yes, we’re going to talk about insurance at Christmas because nothing fills the heart with good cheer like thoughts of dying, crashing your car, your house catching on fire,…