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%…
Maca and Naca/GettyImages The average tax refund tends to be just over $3,000, but that number might climb to north of $4,000 in 2026, thanks to the massive tax bill that became law in 2025. That law included a higher standard deduction amount, more generous tax brackets and other changes…
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…
Christina Zelow Lundquist/ Getty Images; Illustration by Austin Courregé/Bankrate Key takeaways A cash-out refinance replaces your current mortgage with a new, bigger one. The borrower receives the difference between the two balances in cash. The terms of your refinanced mortgage might differ from your original loan, including a new interest…
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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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You’ve heard of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and home equity loans, which let you borrow against the value of your home, getting ready cash for renovations, debt consolidation or anything else. But jumping through the income-qualification hoops that characterize much home-based financing may…
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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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OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FINTECH SNARK TANKBankers wants to discuss AI strategy. They’re excited about chatbots, machine learning models, generative AI tools, and AI…
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Key Takeaways Debt Settlement Drawbacks: Often leads to high fees, unfinished results, and credit score damage leaving consumers still stuck in debt. Advantages of a Debt Management Plan (DMP): A Debt Management Plan with ACCC reduces interest rates, consolidates payments, and provides a clear path to debt freedom. Empowering Personalized…
Key takeaways If you received a store credit card you didn’t sign up for, that means someone else likely signed you up without your permission. Issuing a card without your permission violates the Truth in Lending Act and is considered fraud. You should cancel the card immediately and take steps…
Key takeaways Credit unions may offer lower mortgage rates and fees, but often lack the in-person branches and digital services that banks do. Bigger banks might offer a wider variety of loan products and don’t mandate that you become a member. It may be easier to get a mortgage with…
Crypto charts and all the data that they offer may be confusing and complex at first glance, especially for new investors. But they present information in a systematic way to help traders get an overview of how a cryptocurrency has performed over a specific period of time. So crypto charts…
Key takeaways 7(a) and 504 loans remain a popular funding tool for businesses across industry, revenue and size categories The SBA weekly lending report provides valuable information on loan funding based on specific demographic data The majority of 7(a) loans for working capital are under $50,000, while the majority of…
Key takeaways Claiming Social Security at 62 cuts your monthly check by up to 30 percent, while waiting until 70 boosts it by as much as 32 percent above your full retirement benefit. For anyone born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age is 67. Earlier generations have slightly…
Dan Coplan/Getty Images: Illustration by Issiah Davis/Bankrate Key takeaways An FHA cash-out refinance lets you borrow against the equity in your home by swapping out your current home loan with a new, larger one. This type of refinance is available to qualified borrowers with any kind of existing mortgage —…
Key takeaways Car insurance is mandatory because it provides financial protection for both parties in a motor vehicle accident, thus reducing the need for costly lawsuits. Minimum coverage car insurance costs an average of $806 per year as of September 2025, but personal risk factors, the state you live in,…
ferrantraite/Getty Images If you’ve recently filed a home insurance claim and you’re unhappy with the suggested payout, you may have some recourse. Hiring a public insurance adjuster provides you with a second opinion regarding the damage to your home. Public insurance adjusters may be a useful resource if you think…
Andrii Zastrozhnov/Getty Images Key takeaways A credit reporting agency is a company that compiles information about your borrowing history into a credit report. Also called credit bureaus, credit reporting agencies primarily sell reports to lenders to assess your creditworthiness for loan approval. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are the three main…
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