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1 month ago | 
money.usnews.com | Jessica Merritt |Emily Hayes |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways Buy now, pay later protections enacted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are at risk as the agency loses its regulatory power. BNPL lenders may revert to practices like predatory fees and aggressive lending, which can exacerbate consumer debt. Borrowers should be cautious and carefully read terms, watch for hidden fees and consider alternative financing options.
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2 months ago | 
money.usnews.com | Dawn Papandrea |Emily Hayes |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways When determining your homebuying budget, be sure to factor in property taxes and home insurance costs. Taxes and insurance costs can increase over time, and cause your monthly payment to rise. Where you buy a home, its condition and your credit status can play a role in how much you'll pay in property taxes and home insurance. Most aspiring homeowners know the importance of figuring out how much home they can afford before they start looking at properties.
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2 months ago | 
usnews.com | John Egan |Mark Evitt |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways Many personal finance apps offer automated saving features. Setting up automated savings can help you increase your nest egg with little to no effort. Some apps even factor in your savings goals and provide tools to help keep you on track. These days, apps can help you with all sorts of financial matters. But some personal finance apps stand out thanks to their ease of use – simplifying and automating tasks that we often overlook or forget.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
usnews.com | Jessica Merritt |Mark Evitt |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways As rates change, consider updating your savings strategy to things like laddered CDs and high-yield savings accounts for steady growth. Shop for competitive savings rates at online banks and at credit unions. Diversifying your savings can help you outpace inflation. Savings yields have nudged lower with the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cuts, and there could be further reductions in 2025.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
money.usnews.com | Dawn Papandrea |Emily Hayes |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways A debt consolidation loan can help streamline your higher-interest debt bills into one payment, ideally at a lower interest rate. Taking the time to research lenders and get quotes can help you get the best loan for your needs. Once you're ready to apply, gather your documents in advance for a smooth and easy process. If you've gotten in over your head with high-interest credit card debt, one strategy that could help you recover is taking out a debt consolidation loan.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
usnews.com | Jessica Merritt |Mark Evitt |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways You could earn $100 or more from bank account sign-up bonuses. Bonuses require meeting activity requirements, such as setting up direct deposit. Planning and organization can help you successfully earn bank account bonuses. Bank account bonuses can help you earn extra cash just for opening and funding a new account. These bonuses don't require much effort but do require organization and available funds or direct deposits.
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Dec 11, 2024 | 
money.usnews.com | Richard Barrington |Gina Freeman |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways Defaulting on a personal loan by failing to make one or more payments has legal consequences that can be costly and time-consuming. A personal loan default could result in you being sued and/or having personal property seized by the creditor to repay the debt. There are alternatives you can pursue that might help you avoid defaulting on a personal loan. Paying back a personal loan doesn’t always go according to plan.
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Dec 3, 2024 | 
flipboard.com | Colin Hogan
1 day agoBofA's stock market strategy for 2025? Pick stocks and buy indicesInvesting.com -- Bank of America analysts outlined a nuanced 2025 stock market strategy, emphasizing selectivity over broad market exposure. Their …1 day agoJacksonville University’s financial woes paint an uncertain futureJacksonville University is planning to cut costs in a fight to regain financial health as the school's breach of a debt covenant has auditors calling …
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
money.usnews.com | Jerry Brown |Emily Hayes |Colin Hogan
Key Takeaways Some personal loan lenders have minimum credit score requirements as low as 550. If approved for a bad credit personal loan, expect to pay more in interest and fees. Improving your credit before applying or adding a co-signer could improve your chances of qualifying. Personal loans can have many benefits, like helping you consolidate high-interest debt or providing quick cash for emergencies. But if you have bad credit, qualifying for one could be difficult.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
cnn.com | Colin Hogan |Katie Lowery
Money Loans / Personal Loans By Andrew Pentis Colin Hogan Katie Lowery, CNN Underscored Money Published 3:00 PM EDT, Mon November 4, 2024 Link Copied! anyaberkut/iStockphoto Personal loan interest rates descended this week with fixed-rate averages for 3- and 5-year terms hitting and , respectively. Especially creditworthy applicants (those with credit scores of 780 or higher) were being quoted the best personal loan rates, with averages of 12.43% for three years and 18.48% for five years. We...
