Getty Images/Greg Hinsdale You hear a lot these days about tapping home equity – borrowing against the worth of your home – for cash. Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOC) have become popular ways for homeowners to access their available equity to pay for expenses like…
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%…
Trending
Spotlight This Week
More Articles
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
Would you be upset if you found out your partner had a credit card you didn’t know about? On the flip side, have you ever fudged the numbers with your spouse about a recent shopping spree? Romantic relationships can come with mixed feelings about money.…
Dept Managmnt
2. Coaching and Tutoring Take stock of your areas of expertise – maybe you speak a second language or solving math equations comes…
Banking
These entrepreneurs, traders and investors are making an outsized impact in fintech, crypto and traditional financial services.By Jeff Kauflin, Hank Tucker and Nina…
Credit Cards
All News
Key takeaways Growth ETFs may generate better long-term results, but they also carry more risk. Value ETFs are less risky and may perform better in unstable markets, but come with less potential to grow. It is important to determine your financial goals and risk tolerance when evaluating which ETF style…
Key takeaways The child and dependent care credit helps you recoup some of the costs of paying for care while you’re at work. The value of the credit is a percentage of the expenses you paid. That percentage varies depending on how many dependents you have and your household’s adjusted…
Image by GettyImages; illustration by Bankrate There are two main ways to use tax deductions to lower your tax bill: either claim the standard deduction or itemize your deductions, which means add up a list of your qualified expenses. Then you subtract t hat amount — either the standard deduction…
Key takeaways While credit card companies technically have the ability to pursue your home for unpaid debt, it’s rare. A debt collector must go to court and get a judgment before it can place a lien on your home. There are limits and exemptions to how much of your home’s…
The Good Brigade/Getty Images Key takeaways The private mortgage insurance (PMI) deduction will be available again for homeowners in tax year 2026 — the first time since the end of 2021. The full PMI deduction will be available for homeowners earning less than $100,000 per year. Most borrowers pay mortgage…
Key takeaways You can get home equity loans on investment and rental properties, though they may be harder to obtain. To get this type of loan, you’ll usually need a stronger-than-average financial profile and substantial assets. A rental or investment property home equity loan could come with tax benefits, depending…
Air France and KLM’s joint Flying Blue program is part of the SkyTeam alliance and offers some of the cheapest international flights using miles. The program partners with five transferable rewards programs, making it easy to save up miles for an award flight. Network coverage: 5/5 Flying Blue has a…
Key takeaways The Amazon Prime Secured Card is geared toward cardholders with bad credit, so you’re required to put $100 to $1,000 down as a security deposit to get this card. Despite the security deposit requirement, this card offers unique benefits, like no annual fee with a Prime membership…
Artfoliophoto/ Getty Images; Illustration by Austin Courregé/Bankrate Key takeaways Mortgage recasting lets you reduce your mortgage payments and total interest paid over the life of the loan by making a lump sum toward your loan principal. When you recast a mortgage, your interest rate and loan term stay the same.…
Images by Getty Images/Illustration by Bankrate For many people, charitable giving often involves writing a check or donating online. But what if there was a way to weave your generosity into your retirement plan while generating income for yourself at the same time? Charitable gift annuities (CGAs) offer a strategic…
Editor's Pick
