Gold hit an all-time high this week, reaching $3,819 per ounce — and, for the first time in half a century, topping its 1980 peak in inflation-adjusted terms.The yellow metal is now up 45% this year, making it by far the best-performing asset class of 2025, outpacing Wall Street’s crown…
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FINTECH SNARK TANKThe 2023 launch of instant payments via FedNow was heralded as a milestone in the modernization of US payments infrastructure. Real-time settlement, once a distant goal, was now a reality. Despite the fanfare, most financial institutions have taken only tentative steps toward adoption. According to…
Key takeaways Car prices, monthly payments, and insurance costs all rose during 2024. Good credit scores are key to securing good auto loan rates. APRs are decreasing for super prime and prime borrowers but rising for all other borrowers. Consumers should keep an eye on increased overall costs for new…
Wasan Tita/Getty Images: Illustration by Issiah Davis/Bankrate Key takeaways A down payment is the portion of a home’s purchase price the buyer isn’t financing with a mortgage. The amount is paid upfront at closing. Depending on the buyer’s finances and the type of loan, down payments typically range from 3…
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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…
If a society is going to make intelligent choices in policy, it helps to understand reality, which includes facts and…
New York startup Casap has raised $25 million in new funding to help banks tackle the thorny problem of credit…
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If you need retirement funds for living expenses now, paying taxes on a Roth conversion may cost more than it saves. But, if you plan to keep the money for growth or pass it on to heirs, a conversion can help you avoid future required…
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Key takeaways With debt forgiveness, creditors pardon some or all of your debt. Various types of debt may qualify for forgiveness. Debt forgiveness…
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The collapse of the plastics treaty talks in Geneva was disappointing, but not surprising. Building global consensus on an issue as complex and…
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For generations, pensions have been regarded as the gold standard of retirement security, offering guaranteed income you can count on for life. However, funding gaps, longer life expectancies and economic volatility have put pressure on many pension plans. It begs the question: do pensions run out of money? Understanding the…
Fenton Roman / Getty Images Credit cards aren’t generally seen as the best option for borrowing money due to their high interest rates on unpaid balances. But a credit card can give you a lucrative edge over a personal loan if you need to finance a large purchase around the…
Retirement planning often comes down to one big question. How much money will you really need to maintain your lifestyle once the paychecks stop? Many experts point to the “80% rule” as a simple answer. This rule suggests that most retirees can live comfortably on about 80% of their pre-retirement…
Jimmy Fuentes knows what it takes to buy a home. A licensed mortgage broker and a homeowner himself, Fuentes advises his clientele of real estate investors daily on all aspects of property ownership. But recently, he’s hit a wall when it comes to rising insurance premiums. “I am frustrated,” says…
A group annuity is a retirement savings contract typically offered through an employer that pools contributions from multiple participants to provide guaranteed income in retirement. Unlike individual annuities, these plans are structured for groups, which can lower costs and simplify administration. They are often used in pension plans or other…
Crypto staking allows owners of cryptocurrency to earn a return on their holdings, paying them more cryptocurrency. The easiest way to do that for the owners of major cryptocurrencies is by working with one of the best crypto exchanges for staking. These exchanges make staking easy for everyone and make…
When the going gets tough in the stock market, it can be tempting to just sell and walk away. It’s difficult to watch your investments decline week after week, and getting out — even at a loss — may make you feel better, if only so that you don’t keep…
While some insurers will issue an annuity for as little as $10,000, the reality is it usually takes a six-figure investment to produce a meaningful income in retirement. For the average American, the bulk of their net worth isn’t sitting in cash — it’s tied up in a 401(k) or…
Key takeaways Couples who share expenses can consider a joint bank account to track spending but should understand the pros and cons before opening one. Joint savings accounts can be helpful to save for shared goals or a shared emergency fund. There are downsides to joint accounts, such as the…
Personalization is a hot topic in the marketing world. This is playing out in the credit card space in multiple ways. Here’s what you need to know, and how you can use this trend to your advantage. Have a question about credit cards? E-mail me at [email protected] and I’d be…
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