So you want to go to college (or maybe continue on to grad school). But you feel like the only way to make it happen is by taking out student loans. Hold it right there! Let me speak to you real quick before you sign on the dotted line. Hey,…
Do you ever see people who are living their retirement dreams and wonder, What the heck did they do to get there? There’s joy in their voices as they talk about their plans to travel the world or be outrageously generous. And it’s contagious! Market chaos, inflation, your future—work with a pro…
The world of budgeting and personal finance is all abuzz with the news: Mint is shutting down this year. If you’re currently a budgeter with Mint, we know you’ve got lots of questions. Many of them probably start with, what the heck? (or something stronger). Let’s answer at least two…
Taking out student loans to pay for college seemed like a great idea at the time (hey, everyone was doing it!). But now you’re out of school and struggling to make your loan payments. Maybe you’ve already defaulted on your student loans—or it’s just a matter of time before you…
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Last year, on the day before Tax Day, my mom was scheduled to fly into Philadelphia International Airport to stay…
The nation’s 75 million Social Security recipients will receive a 2.8% cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase in their benefits…
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Key takeaways Direct deposit allows your employer to electronically send your paycheck directly to your bank account. Many banks offer perks for direct deposit customers, including waived monthly fees, early paycheck access and higher interest rates on savings accounts. You can split your direct deposit…
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If you need some inspiration, common goals among Canadians include retirement planning, saving for a vacation, paying down debt, and setting aside money…
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For fintech startups, the first five years of the decade have been a roller-coaster ride. At the outset, companies were awash in easy…
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Holiday scams have become more challenging to spot than ever, especially with the rise of AI in 2025. Even though the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the time when fraudsters and cybercriminals are most active. Inboxes are flooded with “flash sales” and…
Key takeaways If you’re looking to increase your credit limit, the best place to start is on your issuer’s mobile app or website. If that’s not an option, call your issuer directly and talk to them about the process. If your issuer denies your credit limit increase, find out why…
Key takeaways The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decisions have a wide-ranging influence on your personal finances, affecting more than just your financing costs but also your job security and purchasing power. When the Fed’s key interest rate falls (or rises), the borrowing costs you pay follow suit, influencing the cost of…
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that…
Key takeaways Most major credit issuers no longer allow co-signers, although a few issuers allow you to create joint accounts with another person. Becoming a credit card co-signer comes with significant financial risk and should not be taken lightly. There are many alternatives to applying for a credit…
Citi is an advertising partner. Key takeaways Getting preapproved for a Citi credit card reveals your odds of being approved without requiring a hard inquiry on your credit. There are several steps you can take to boost your chances of preapproval, such as monitoring your credit reports and improving your…
If you dream of owning a home, you’ll have a much easier time achieving it in certain parts of the U.S. A new Bankrate analysis finds that Pittsburgh, Detroit and Birmingham, Alabama offer the largest selection of homes that the typical homebuyer can afford. Affordability is much rarer in coastal…
Julia Sheers and her boyfriend want to buy a house. The housing market in Charlotte, N.C., just won’t let them. They’ve run into the same wall as millions of other Americans: too few homes they can afford and too much competition for the ones that are in their price range.…
Jordan Perkins, 36, could be a homeowner, but for now, he chooses to rent. He earns a comfortable salary from his sales job and is close to a seven-figure net worth — the product of an aggressive savings strategy he’s had since his late 20s. It just makes more sense…
Jeremy Nunes calls it the “money pit.” The three-bedroom, ranch-style home in central Illinois looked like a dream when Nunes and his wife purchased it in 2017, needing what appeared to be little more than a $10,000 bathroom remodel to be perfect. Then came the unexpected. A cascade of problems…
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