Real estate investing is perennially popular, and while high interest rates may be softening the market now, investors are likely to storm back to real estate with a vengeance, if and when rates fall. In fact, 24 percent of Americans said that real estate was their top pick for investing…
Key takeaways The American Express Membership Rewards program has 18 airline partners and three hotel partners to choose from. Transfer ratios for Amex travel partners vary, yet most of them can be transferred at a rate of 1:1. Remember that not all American Express credit cards earn Membership Rewards, and…
Key takeaways The average auto loan interest rate for new cars in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 6.35 percent, while the average used car loan interest rate was 11.62 percent. Your credit score plays a significant role in determining your interest rate, but other factors such as the lender,…
Options have become an increasingly popular way to trade the financial markets, and 2024 marked the fifth straight year that options volume on U.S. exchanges rose to a new all-time high. In 2024, the volume on equity options surged to nearly 11.2 billion contracts, according to the Options Clearing Corporation,…
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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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There are plenty of times when haggling can score you a good deal, but shopping for car insurance isn’t one of them. Contrary to popular opinion, car insurance cannot be negotiated. However, that doesn’t mean you’re locked into a policy with a rate you can’t…
Dept Managmnt
Debt settlement is when you negotiate with creditors to reduce the amount you owe in exchange for a lump sum payment. It might…
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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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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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Key takeaways You don’t need to put 20 percent down to get a mortgage, and some mortgages don’t even require a down payment. You can get a conventional mortgage with 3 percent down, but with anything less than 20 percent, you’ll have to pay mortgage insurance. Making a larger down…
As a business owner, your company’s financial health depends on smart money management. Whether you’re building an emergency fund or setting aside cash for new equipment, choosing the right savings vehicle is crucial for your business’s growth and stability. From standard savings to high-yield options, each type of business savings…
Key takeaways A business line of credit gives companies a reusable form of credit that they can access whenever they need it Eligibility criteria for lines of credit can be more lenient than other types of business loans, making them an accessible form of funding You might consider a business…
Credit Sesame explains why credit in 2025 matters more than ever, how emerging financial trends impact your score, and what you can do to stay ahead in a changing credit landscape. The evolving role of credit in 2025 Credit in 2025 is more than just a number—it’s an important factor…
Slashed rates. Discounts on future purchases. Speedy delivery. No, these are not the promises of an auto dealer or eager e-retailer start-up. They’re coming from mortgage lenders. The incentives reflect the harsh reality of the residence-financing scene. Since 2021, mortgage rates have more than doubled. The predictable result: American consumers…
fizkes/Getty Images: Illustration by Issiah Davis/Bankrate Coming up with a down payment on a home can feel impossible — especially if it’s your very first home. The good news is that there are many first-time homebuyer grants available that can help you bridge the savings gap to get into a…
Key takeaways A gift letter for a mortgage verifies the source of a homebuyer’s gifted down payment funds. The gift letter proves that the funds are in fact a gift and don’t have to be repaid, and that the giver isn’t involved in the purchase or ownership of the home.…
Key takeaways Getting preapproved for a mortgage usually means undergoing a hard credit pull, which causes a dip in your credit score. While a soft credit check mortgage preapproval is hard to come by, an alternative called a prequalification can help you explore loan options without the credit score hit.…
If you’ve ever paid money to Uncle Sam, you’re probably familiar with Form 1040. The 1040 is the foundation of tax filing in the U.S. and, along with various accompanying schedules and supporting forms, is where you calculate whether you owe money to the IRS or will get a tax…
How two Chinese women turned their Ph.D. theses into machine learning that makes connections between seemingly unrelated events to discover emerging fraud schemes. By Hank Tucker, Forbes Staff Back in 2006, after earning her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon, Yinglian Xie wasn’t thinking about whether she wanted to make her career…
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