PayPal was one of the 5 percent cash back bonus categories on the Chase Freedom Flex® card during the final three months of 2024, so I made every effort to maximize my PayPal spending. I had to get creative to hit the $1,500 spending limit for that quarter’s categories (activation…
Key takeaways Interest-only mortgages let you pay just the accruing interest on your loan for an introductory period — but they come with high payments once that period ends. These loans mainly benefit those planning to move or anticipating a big income increase within a decade. Since the Great Recession,…
Michael Hanson/Getty Images Key takeaways Tuition insurance can reimburse educational expenses should there be a covered reason for early withdrawal from college. Typical coverage includes a life-altering or chronic illness or injury, a debilitating illness or a death in the family. College tuition insurance generally costs 1 percent of tuition…
Water damage can cause serious harm to your home, rapidly totaling thousands of dollars in damage and requiring months of reconstruction. You may think it won’t happen to you, but no matter where your home is located or how recently it was built, water damage is a very real possibility.…
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Washington is abuzz over whether Congress will address President-elect Donald Trump’s ambitious policy agenda in one bill or two. But…
TomoCredit, a five-year-old San Francisco startup that claims it boosts consumers’ credit scores, is facing a growing number of problems,…
Millions of student loan borrowers face an uncertain future as a second Trump administration prepares to return to Washington. But…
The 2024 presidential election has ended, and Donald Trump is poised to retake the White House, with big implications for…
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Key takeaways The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers a wide range of benefits alongside its lucrative rewards rate. Cardholders can get a variety of statement credits and also take advantage of the standard benefits that come with American Express cards. Those with…
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Key takeaways Credit repair is a term used to describe the process of restoring your credit rating. You can hire a credit repair…
Banking
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…
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Key takeaways The Southwest Companion Pass is attainable by using Southwest credit card welcome bonuses to meet the 135,000-point requirement. Applying for a…
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Credit Sesame simplifies your financial life with tools to monitor and manage your credit. Life gets busy, and managing finances often takes a back seat until a late fee or missed payment reminds you to pay attention. But simplifying your financial life doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right…
In recent years, a wave of retiring baby boomers and high interest rates have helped fuel record-breaking sales in the annuity market. From 2022 to 2024, annuity sales topped $1.1 trillion, according to Limra, a global research organization for the insurance industry. In 2023 alone, annuity sales increased 23 percent…
Pekic/GettyImages; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate Key takeaways Both mortgages and home equity loans are secured by property. A mortgage is used to purchase the property, while a home equity loan taps the value of that property for various expenses. Compared to other forms of credit, both a mortgage and a…
Key takeaways Credit inquiries can either be in the form of hard inquiries or soft inquiries, and they can happen for a variety of reasons. Hard credit inquiries occur when someone like a landlord or potential creditor is assessing your credit risk, and these kinds of inquiries can lower your…
Richard Drury/ Getty Images; Illustration by Austin Courregé/Bankrate The average rate on a $30,000 home equity line of credit (HELOC) steadied at 8.28 percent this week — close to its lowest level in a year and a half, according to Bankrate’s national survey of lenders. In contrast, the average $30,000…
Key takeaways Most major credit card issuers offer the option to easily lock and unlock cards through their online accounts or mobile apps. Locking a credit card can prevent impulse purchases and keep the account safe from fraud. Recurring transactions will still go through while a credit card is locked.…
Key takeaways The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit card is a no-nonsense card that can help you build credit with no annual fee. Unlike other cards that use your deposit amount as your credit limit, a low security deposit with the Platinum Secured Card could get you up to a…
President-elect Donald Trump plans to create an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, duties and revenues from foreign sources, he said via social media on Tuesday. “I am today announcing that I will create the External Revenue Service to collect our tariffs, duties, and all revenue that comes from foreign…
Applying for a home equity financing is similar to applying for a mortgage. You may wonder, then, do home equity loans have closing costs? And how about HELOCs? While the average home equity loan closing costs can be comparable to primary mortgages — a range of 2–5 percent of the…
Key takeaways You can sell your car online through an online dealer or a private sale marketplace. Check your car’s worth so you know a fair price to ask for your vehicle. To sell your car on a marketplace, prepare an ad, add photos and videos and maintain your vehicle…
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