If the IRS notifies you of an audit, and you expected a tax return, you probably have a lot of questions. Will you ever get your tax refund? Does the audit automatically stop it? The answer depends on the IRS’s review and whether the items under audit affect the refund…
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images Key takeaways Short-term loans provide financing with a brief repayment period and often require collateral to obtain. These loans are generally capped at $2,000 and are often used by borrowers who are strapped for cash or who have a low credit score. Loan funds are…
Holiday spending came in at the high end of projected ranges for 2025 despite numerous economic challenges. According to Mastercard, U.S. retail sales (excluding automotive) increased 3.9% year-over-year from Nov. 1 through Dec. 21, 2025. CNBC and the National Retail Federation published a similar increase, reporting holiday sales grew 4.1%…
ljubaphoto/Getty Images: Illustration by Issiah Davis/Bankrate Key takeaways The interest rate on a mortgage indicates how much interest you’ll pay for the amount you borrow. The annual percentage rate (APR) is the interest rate plus additional fees and any points. When comparing loan offers, it’s best to compare APRs to…
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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…
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Key takeaways An emergency fund helps ensure you can handle unplanned expenses, whether from a job loss or a substantial car repair or medical bill. Saving three to six months’ worth of essential expenses is often recommended, but individual circumstances may require saving more or…
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2. Coaching and Tutoring Take stock of your areas of expertise – maybe you speak a second language or solving math equations comes…
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These entrepreneurs, traders and investors are making an outsized impact in fintech, crypto and traditional financial services.By Jeff Kauflin, Hank Tucker and Nina…
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Key takeaways Social Security likely won’t cover all of your expenses in retirement, and the prevalence of pensions is dwindling. This leaves those planning for retirement to piece together how they will create lifetime income for themselves during their golden years. Annuities are the only product that can provide guaranteed…
Key takeaways With mutual funds, investors can buy a diversified portfolio without an investment advisor, which makes a well-constructed portfolio more accessible. There are thousands of mutual funds to choose from, but not all of them will be a good fit. Consider your investing goals and risk tolerance before buying.…
Binance.US offers a wide selection of cryptocurrencies and zero-commission trades on some Bitcoin pairs. Binance, which we use here to refer to the U.S. arm of the exchange, charges reasonable commissions that decline as you trade more, ranking it among the cheaper places to trade. Stack on one of the…
Key takeaways Your auto insurance declarations page summarizes the key aspects of your car insurance policy. It can serve as a quick reference to your policy if you need to know what is covered and your insurance agent isn’t available. A declarations page can also be helpful if you want…
Key takeaways Construction loans are short-term loans that you can use to build a home. Some construction loans can be converted to mortgages after your home is finished. Construction loans typically have tougher qualifying criteria and higher interest rates than conventional mortgages for existing homes. What are construction loans? Construction…
Image & Illustration by Bankrate Key takeaways Applying for a mortgage and closing on a home can involve a mountain of paperwork. Documentation needed typically includes in-depth information about your finances, such as pay stubs, tax returns and bank statements. To avoid delays, it’s important to keep it all organized…
Image by GettyImages; Illustration by Austin Couregge/Bankrate Key takeaways The first-time homebuyer tax credit no longer exists; the U.S. government offered this program for first-time homebuyers from 2008-2010. A first-time homebuyer tax credit offers a direct reduction in the amount of income tax you owe. President Trump has not specifically…
Image by GettyImages; illustration by Bankrate What is life insurance face value? If you’ve ever purchased a policy or researched doing so, you may have heard this term. Simply put, the face value, or face amount, of your policy is the amount of insurance you buy. So, for example, if…
Key takeaways Applying for a credit card triggers a hard pull, which dings your credit score whether you’re approved for the card or not. New credit applications are only 10 percent of your credit score, so a hard pull may only decrease your score by a few points, although the…
Key takeaways The Used Clean Vehicle Credit, which offers a tax credit of up to $4,000 for the purchase of a qualifying electric vehicle, is ending on Sep. 30, 2025. Before it ends, this tax credit could be a good opportunity for buyers who have done the math and know…
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