J.R. Duren

5 days ago | playusa.com | J.R. Duren

Photo by Shutterstock 3 mins readUpdated: Jun. 2, 2025 BetMGM, one of the leading sportsbooks in the country, has secured a partnership with Century Casino & Hotel Cape Girardeau to offer online and mobile sports betting in Missouri when the state launches sports wagering on December 1. This is the first partnership announced since Missouri opened its sports betting license application window last month.

2 weeks ago | playusa.com | J.R. Duren

Hope seems faint for Minnesota to legalize sports betting this year, as lawmakers have refused to approve a study on the possibility. The intent of the study would have been to “evaluate, provide recommendations, and issue a report on the legalization of sports betting, fantasy sports, or both,” according to the first draft of the Senate’s budget bill, before that section was axed. The decision to amend the study out of the budget bill sparked frustration from committee member Sen. Matt Klein.

1 month ago | cbsnews.com | J.R. Duren |Angelica Leicht

The total collective household credit card debt nationwide hit a new high in the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching $1.21 trillion, an uptick of over $45 billion compared to the prior quarter. The number of credit card accounts that were at least 90 or more days past due also increased during Q4 of last year — a clear sign that credit card debt has become a heavy burden for some borrowers, one that they may not be able to get rid of on their own.

1 month ago | cbsnews.com | J.R. Duren |Angelica Leicht |Matt Richardson

Home equity lending products have come to the forefront of homeowner funding sources as rates for home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) have steadily declined over the past year or so. While both are materially lower than what's available with credit cards and personal loans, home equity loans have higher rates than HELOCs right now, on average: 8.51% for 10-year loans and 8.42% for 15-year loans.

1 month ago | cbsnews.com | J.R. Duren |Angelica Leicht |Matt Richardson

When it comes to borrowing against your home's equity, a home equity line of credit (HELOC) offers some big benefits to borrowers right now — especially in terms of affordability. HELOC rates have been on a steady downward slide since the start of 2025 — so if you're thinking about tapping into your home's equity with this type of product, this may be an optimal time to do so. For example, the average HELOC rate was 8.36% at the start of the year.