Key Takeaways: Transition Challenges: Veterans face unique financial challenges when transitioning from military to civilian life, including employment hurdles, healthcare costs, and housing instability. Employment and Economic Stability: Despite strong leadership skills, veterans often encounter unemployment or underemployment due to skill mismatches. Support from programs like VETS and the GI…
Key takeaways Most unemployment payment delays happen due to missing information, fraud checks, or system backlogs. You can often fix the issue by verifying your ID, submitting missing documentation, or updating your payment profile. While you wait, contact lenders to negotiate temporary relief and use savings accounts or short-term loans…
Good news for those looking for more affordable housing: Rents keep falling. In October, rents fell for the 27th straight month year-over-year and the third consecutive month-over-month according to Realtor.com’s October Rental Report. The median asking rent for a 0-2 bedroom property in the 50 largest U.S. metros was $1,969,…
PeopleImages/Getty Images Key takeaways CDs are among the safest places to keep your money, but early withdrawals or inflation can erode returns. FDIC or NCUA insurance protects up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution. Smart CD strategies — like laddering or using no-penalty CDs — can help you avoid losses…
Personal Finance
The nation’s 75 million Social Security recipients will receive a 2.8% cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase in their benefits…
Historically Black colleges and universities are on the frontlines of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s new limits on parent…
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…
Featured Articles
When your financial life involves more than one country, taxes can get complex. This is true for expats, dual citizens, digital nomads and business owners with activity abroad. A cross-border tax accountant can help you handle international filing rules and reporting obligations. They work with…
Dept Managmnt
The Downsides of Credit Card Churning and Why It Is Risky You may be asking yourself, “Those benefits sound great, why is credit…
Banking
The fundamental flaws in the way the Federal Reserve operates these days were on full display Wednesday when Jerome Powell talked to the…
Credit Cards
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HELOC rates drop to lowest level since March, as Fed cuts rates for the first time in 2025
Image by GettyImages; Illustration by Bankrate A split decision for home equity rates, as the Federal Reserve delivered an expected quarter-point interest rate cut, the first rate reduction this year. The average rate on a $30,000 home equity line of credit fell five basis points to 8.05 percent, according to…
Image by PM Images/Getty Images; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate Mortgage rates fell this week, with the 30-year fixed rate averaging 6.30 percent, compared to 6.38 percent the previous week, according to Bankrate’s latest lender survey. Current mortgage rates Loan type Current 4 weeks ago One year ago 52-week average 52-week…
Certificates of deposits (CDs) continue to be worth considering as a component of your savings strategy in 2025. Yields on the best CD rates increased to highs not seen in years, thanks to the Federal Reserve raising its benchmark rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, yields dipped…
Key takeaways The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) sets the benchmark rate, which impacts the rates auto lenders set. When the federal funds rate fluctuates, so will the cost to finance a vehicle. The Fed increased the benchmark rate 11 times between 2022 and 2023, but the central bank paused…
When the Federal Reserve changes interest rates, consumers feel the ripple effects in all sorts of ways. For savers, banks offering top interest rates tend to pay more when the U.S. central bank hikes rates and less when it cuts them. “Regardless of what the Federal Reserve decides to do,…
Getty Images / Win McNamee / Staff Key takeaways The Federal Reserve’s September rate cut is likely the beginning of lower yields on CDs and other deposit accounts. Locking in a CD now can secure today’s higher rates, which are still outpacing inflation. Don’t rush to put money into a…
A 403(b) plan is common in public schools, nonprofits and religious groups. It is a defined contribution plan where employees add money to a pre-tax or Roth account. The money is usually invested in mutual funds or annuities. Growth depends on contributions, investment performance, fees and time. Some employers may…
Bloomberg Creative/Getty Images Key takeaways The federal funds rate impacts how expensive it is for lenders to loan money, so consumer loan rates typically change when the federal funds rate changes. During the Federal Open Market Committee’s July meeting, the regulatory body announced it would hold the federal funds target…
When the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates even by just 0.25%, it will have a direct impact on your finances. While a quarter of a percent may sound small, even slight changes in rates can ripple through the economy affecting everything from credit card payments to mortgage rates (more on…
Life throws curveballs. And often those curveballs mean you’re spending your hard-earned savings or you’re borrowing money instead. It can feel like a catch-22: Creating savings should help you avoid costly borrowing, but spending it equals losing it and going back to square one. So what is a saver to…
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