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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Key takeaways Avoid taking out a longer or larger personal loan than you need. This will help you to avoid spending more money on interest than is necessary. Shopping around for the best offer will help you to ensure you get the best rate and the lowest fees. Consider your…
Key takeaways In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, creditors can seize certain assets to repay the debts you owe. However, exceptions allow debtors to retain some of their assets (or at least part of the asset’s value). Chapter 13 bankruptcy is more about restructuring debts than forfeiting assets. Under Chapter 13…
Morsa Images/Getty Images If you’re one of the many Americans who freelance or own your own business, you might find a business credit card a useful addition to your wallet. They’re a handy financial tool for separating your personal and business expenses. While business credit cards typically cater to large-…
Key takeaways Because the Fed’s decisions to change interest rates affect the pricing of bonds, bond investors closely monitor Federal Reserve interest rate moves. The Fed lowered rates in late 2024 but paused rates until its meeting on Sept. 16-17, 2025, when it decided to lower rates by 25 basis…
Image by Getty Images; Illustration by Bankrate If you’re planning for retirement, one of your key questions is how much you can earn from Social Security — what’s the maximum you can get? As of January 2025, the maximum benefit you can receive at full retirement age is $4,018 per…
Key takeaways Uniformed service members and federal employees can borrow against their retirement plans with a TSP loan. You can borrow a minimum of $1,000. You can borrow a TSP loan for general purposes, and you can use funds to construct or close on a home. TSP loans come with…
Investors who have held onto long-term bonds throughout the past few years might finally have their chance at seeing gains in a lower interest rate environment. Rate cuts by the Federal Reserve could push long-term bond prices higher after a period of declining values. However, as exciting as falling rates…
Key takeaways Looking at the past four decades, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage peaked in 1981, rising just above 16 percent. The average 30-year fixed rate bottomed in 2021 at just under 3 percent. So far in 2025, the average 30-year mortgage rate has fluctuated between 6.38 percent…
Key takeaways If you have a FICO score below 580 or a VantageScore credit score below 600, you have poor credit. You can still get access to a credit card with a score in this range, but your options will be limited. Credit cards for bad credit include both unsecured…
While Bitcoin spent the last decade soaring and making millionaires out of many people, other owners of the world’s largest cryptocurrency have missed out. Why? One major reason: They’ve lost access to their account. In fact, more than $400 billion in Bitcoin is estimated to be lost — but some…
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