Aly J. Yale

1 week ago | cbsnews.com | Aly J. Yale |Angelica Leicht

With inflation lingering and the prices of many goods and services rising, finances have been hard for many Americans these past few years. The one silver lining, though, has been high savings account and certificate of deposit (CD) rates, which have allowed savers to earn more interest on the cash they've stowed away. The tables have turned recently, though, and rates on CDs have started to fall.

1 week ago | experian.com | Aly J. Yale

Quick AnswerA fiduciary is a professional who manages assets for other parties and is required to act in their clients’ best interests. A financial advisor is someone who provides finance-related guidance and can have a number of credentials or specialties. A financial advisor may also be a fiduciary, but that’s not always the case. When you need help in your financial life, there are several professionals you might seek guidance from. Fiduciaries and financial advisors are two of them.

2 weeks ago | cbsnews.com | Aly J. Yale |Matt Richardson

Despite recent efforts toward medical debt reform, many Americans still deal with piles of medical bills. A 2024 analysis from Peterson-KFF shows that about 20 million adults — nearly one in 12 — have unpaid medical debt. Around 14 million of those owe at least $1,000, while 3 million owe $10,000 or more. "Most people don't worry about medical bills — until they do," says James Lambridis, CEO of debt relief platform DebtMD.

2 weeks ago | experian.com | Aly J. Yale

Quick AnswerA HELOC can be a smart way to pay off credit debt for some homeowners, but it also comes with risks to consider. It may not be right if you worry about making your payments on time or you may be tempted to rack up debt again. When you own a home, you build equity as your property gains value and you pay down your mortgage. If you build enough equity, you can borrow from it using various financial tools, like a home equity line of credit (HELOC).

2 weeks ago | cbsnews.com | Aly J. Yale |Matt Richardson

Interest rates aren't great right now — at least on most consumer borrowing products. If you're a homeowner, though, you actually have access to some of the lowest-rate options around: Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). Both these options offer fairly affordable interest rates, specifically when compared to high-rate alternatives like personal loans and credit cards. And they're fairly easy to get, as long as you have enough equity built up in your home.