Key takeaways Loss of use reimburses expenses incurred when your home is uninhabitable after a loss. Elective renovations and general maintenance are not covered by loss of use. Pet boarding, parking fees, moving expenses and laundry services are just a few of the expenses loss of use may cover. If…
Illustration by Grant Crowder/Bankrate Key takeaways To find a mortgage lender, first take stock of your finances and decide what type of mortgage you need. You can compare rates and fees by getting a preapproval from at least three mortgage lenders. There are six main types of mortgage providers: direct…
Photography by Getty Images Key takeaways FICO and VantageScore credit scores span from 300 to 850. The higher your score, the more likely you are to secure loans, credit cards and financing options with better terms and lower interest rates. Different factors are considered when calculating your credit score, including…
As a personal finance journalist and a credit counselor, people often ask me for credit card advice. And I’m happy to give it! But I find myself sharing the same set of basic facts because they’re helpful for so many people. And then it dawned on me: Credit cards can…
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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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Key takeaways Both charge cards and credit cards allow you to make purchases that you can pay off at a later date. Credit cards allow users to carry a balance from month to month, but those balances are usually subject to credit limits and interest…
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When I finished graduate school, I had $72,000 in student loans weighing me down. But less than a year after graduation, I’d paid…
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When it comes to selling coconut water to the health obsessed, New York’s Vita Coco has served up a master class, schooling even…
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Key takeaways The most common types of car loans include options from banks and credit unions, dealership financing and — if you don’t have a low rate — auto loan refinancing. Most auto loans tend to be secured, meaning the vehicle is collateral, but there are some unsecured personal loans…
Medical payments (MedPay) coverage is optional insurance in most states, but you may want to consider it for additional financial protection, even if you have health insurance. If you’re involved in an accident, regardless of fault, MedPay covers eligible expenses for you and your passengers. What is auto insurance medical…
One of the biggest questions for those about to retire is when to take Social Security. But when it comes to filing for benefits, cheating off your neighbor may be the worst choice you could make. That’s because most Americans are reducing their total lifetime benefit by filing earlier than…
By age 40, many people begin to evaluate whether their retirement savings are on track. While there’s no single benchmark that fits everyone, national data offers a reference point. Factors like income, years in the workforce and access to retirement plans all influence how much someone may have saved by…
Thomas Barwick/Getty Images Key takeaways The Hilton Honors American Express Card is Hilton’s only no-annual-fee card. This card is a solid choice for people who prefer staying at Hilton properties, but might not do so often enough to justify paying an annual fee. One of the top benefits…
Americans owe a near-record $1.209 trillion on their credit cards, according to the New York Fed’s latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. That’s up $27 billion (2.3 percent) from last quarter and $67 billion (5.9 percent) from a year ago. The all-time record is $1.211 trillion from Q4…
You may be well into your career by age 35 but still years away from retirement, making it a common checkpoint for assessing your 401(k) progress. According to Fidelity, the average 401(k) balance for people in their mid-to-late thirties was $73,200 at the end of 20241. But averages don’t tell…
Key takeaways A collision deductible waiver (CDW) is an optional endorsement that covers your deductible if you’re hit by an uninsured driver and must use your collision coverage instead of their liability insurance to file a claim. CDWs may not cover certain types of situations, such as hit-and-runs, partial-fault accidents…
Nitat Termmee/Getty Images Key takeaways Whole life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance policy designed to provide coverage for the entirety of your life — technically to a maximum age of 95 to 121 — as long as you pay the premiums. The cost of whole life insurance…
Key takeaways Items that are difficult or impossible to replace, such as important documents and family heirlooms, are ideal for safe deposit boxes. It is not advisable to store items that may be needed quickly or in an emergency in a safe deposit box. Safe deposit boxes are not insured…
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