If strong economic headlines aren’t lining up with the way the economy feels to you, take it from the nation’s top economists: This is one of the strangest economic moments in recent memory (at least since an unforeseen global pandemic brought the gears of commerce to a sudden halt in…
Here’s the kicker about credit card debt — as soon as it starts rolling down the hill, interest charges mean it gains momentum and size. Unfortunately, it’s a slippery slope that many credit cardholders find themselves on… and increasingly stuck there long-term. Credit card interest rates are some of the…
President Donald Trump offered two new proposals this week aimed at the stubbornly complex issue of home affordability. Trump on Wednesday said he would move to ban institutional buyers from the housing market. Then on Thursday, he proposed a mortgage bond program aimed at lowering mortgage rates. Will either achieve…
Photography by Getty Images; Illustration by Bankrate Key takeaways Credit card points are a type of rewards currency that you can earn in exchange for eligible credit card spending. To earn boosted points on your credit card, you’ll need to maximize bonus category spending, earn any available welcome…
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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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Alexandr Dubynin/Getty Images Key takeaways Personal loans aren’t among Bank of America’s product offerings. You can access a small, affordable short-term loan if you’re a current customer and meet the eligibility criteria. You can also explore Bank of America’s HELOC, car loan, mortgage and credit…
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Tip 3: Learn How to Create a Better ‘To Do’ List When we make resolutions, we tend to resolve to do certain things.…
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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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Credit card interest rates resumed dropping in the second half of 2025, closing out the year at 19.7%, about a percentage point lower than the record high set in August of 2024. And while Bankrate expects the rates to continue falling in the new year, it’s not likely that cardholders…
Images by GettyImages; Illustration by Bankrate If you’re considering borrowing a personal loan in 2026, you may be in for some underwhelming — and perhaps unsurprising — news. Personal loan interest rates are likely to remain elevated. That’s the educated estimate from Ted Rossman, Bankrate senior industry analyst. Consider this…
Image by Getty Images; Illustration by Bankrate Mortgage rates are unlikely to return to their pandemic lows in 2026, but they could still deliver some relief to borrowers. It’s possible that rates will even fall below the 6% threshold. “I expect the average 30-year fixed rate to fall below 6%…
Images by Getty Images/Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate In 2024, three Federal Reserve rate cuts spurred declining yields on many deposit accounts, although savers were able to benefit from locking in strong yields on certificates of deposit (CDs). While the best CD rates are expected to drop further in 2025, they’re…
Credit counseling helps you start the year with a plan by transforming vague financial resolutions into a concrete, actionable roadmap. By partnering with a certified credit counselor, you gain a structured budget, a clear understanding of your debt-to-income ratio, and access to tools such as Debt Management Plans (DMPs) that…
Everything Americans thought they knew about personal finance was upended when the Federal Reserve started aggressively hiking interest rates to cool post-pandemic inflation. After more than a decade of ultralow rates, borrowers suddenly found themselves stuck in an unfamiliar, high-rate world — priced out of homes and cars, pushed deeper…
Homeowners tapping their equity in 2026 should expect borrowing to get more affordable, with rates reaching their lowest levels since at least 2023, according to Ted Rossman, Bankrate’s senior industry analyst. Rossman — who has covered the economy, interest rates, consumer debt and the Federal Reserve for more than a…
Returns on certificates of deposit (CDs) saw gradual declines in 2025, before and after three Federal Reserve rate cuts in the second half of the year. Yields are likely to keep falling in 2026 — although the good news for CD savers is you can still lock in rates that…
Top yields for savings and money market accounts are expected to continue the downward slide in 2026. Still, top savings rates will likely outpace the rate of inflation according to the latest forecast from Bankrate senior industry analyst, Ted Rossman. The highest rate for nationally available savings and money market…
Selling real estate can result in a significant profit, but it may also trigger capital gains taxes depending on whether the property qualifies for IRS exclusions, how much was earned and how long you owned the property. In most cases, capital gains taxes are owed for the tax year in…
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