Key Takeaways Despite market volatility and economic uncertainty, top high-yielding savings accounts still offer competitive rates. A group of major banks lowered APYs on their high-yield savings accounts by 10-15 basis points last week. The highest rate on a savings account today is 4.45 percent, offered by BrioDirect. A minimum…
Getty Images/Illustration by Bankrate Many investors look to gold as a way to preserve wealth against economic uncertainty and inflation. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to gain exposure to the precious metal, such as gold ETFs and physical gold. Another way to add gold exposure…
Lucy Lambriex/Getty Images Key takeaways Secured loans are popular for startups because they can be easier to qualify for and come with lower interest rates Unsecured loans are harder to obtain for new businesses and often require a personal guarantee Alternative financing options such as crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending, business grants,…
Key takeaways Popular assumptions about credit and repayment are often wrong. Interest rate changes do not affect loan payments as much as you might think. Student loan consolidation and refinancing your student loans aren’t always financially beneficial. Most students need a cosigner to qualify for private student loans. Many misconceptions…
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While there has been much conversation on not buying from companies with poor diversity, little has been said about investing…
Lifestyle inflation occurs when your expenses increase as you earn more income. It can start subtly—dining at pricier restaurants, upgrading…
Chime, the largest digital bank in America, grew its revenue to $1.7 billion in 2024, an increase of roughly 30%…
Technology has transformed some parts of the daunting homebuying process–making it easier to search and compare properties online, to prepare…
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Key takeaways Millions of homeowners with high mortgage rates are hoping for rates to come down so they can refinance. Rate movement is notoriously difficult to predict, though, especially in today’s volatile economic environment. If you’re anxiously awaiting lower rates, here are some economic bellwethers…
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Level 2: Discover the Fastest Way to Pay Off Debt With Rules and Challenges When looking for the fastest way to pay off…
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Apple, FedEx and Oracle all got loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. But rules and red tape keep many banks from making…
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When your revenue relies on generating transaction fees, your customers’ moods have an outsize impact on your business prospects. While you might think that this dour environment is good for brokerage firms — with traders frantically placing more orders, even if they’re selling — the opposite is actually true. Brokerage…
ATM fees are among several kinds of bank fees that can eat into your account balance over time if you don’t look out for them. ATM fees can quickly add up, taking a significant bite out of your budget if you’re not careful. The average combined ATM fee now at…
Key takeaways A mortgage loan estimate is a standard three-page document detailing the estimated costs, structure and other terms of a loan. Mortgage lenders are required by law to provide borrowers with a loan estimate within three business days of receiving the loan application. The loan estimate helps borrowers understand…
Key takeaways Annual travel credits are a perk offered by some travel credit cards. Travel credits vary in terms of coverage and requirements, but generally cover travel expenses like airline fees and upgrades. Using a credit card with an annual travel credit can potentially offset the annual fee and offer…
Key takeaways Fidelity and Charles Schwab are industry standard-bearers for low-cost, high-quality, well-rounded brokerage offerings. Both offer a treasure trove of advice and education for newcomers and advanced trading tools for seasoned investors. Minor differences in product offerings will determine which broker best serves your needs. Fidelity is known for…
Images by GettyImages; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate Key takeaways Your loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is the balance of your mortgage loan divided by the value of the property you’re buying, usually expressed as a percentage. A lower LTV ratio can help you get a lower interest rate on your mortgage. Lenders…
A weeklong Amazon boycott, driven by a viral grassroots movement’s call for an “economic blackout,” ended Friday. But the boycott seemed to have little impact on the price of Amazon (AMZN) stock throughout the week. After the boycott’s launch Friday, March 7, Amazon stock underwent a transient 2.12 percent dip,…
It’s Spring Break season and the weather is only starting to warm up across much of the country, but it’s actually now or never if you want to plan a summer trip. That’s particularly true if you’re hoping to score free travel with a credit card sign-up bonus. It pays…
Doing taxes isn’t exactly easy, and “tax deduction” brings to mind piles of receipts and complicated calculations, just to save a few bucks. Here’s the good news: You don’t need to itemize deductions to take advantage of valuable tax breaks and reduce your taxable income. Every year at tax time,…
staticnak1983/GettyImages With the right tax software, you can file your taxes quickly and accurately. If you’re looking for great value in tax software, TaxAct is a strong choice. TaxAct offers affordable prices compared with other software providers, such as TurboTax and H&R Block. Plus, it offers an easy-to-use platform that…
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