Kelsey Neubauer

New York

Personal Finance Reporter at CNBC Select

Reporter @CNBCSelect • previously @BusinessInsider, @Bisnow, @vtdigger• @columbiajourn Stabile and UVM alumna • she/her • email me: [email protected]

Articles

Global Entry: What It Is, How to Apply

1 week ago | cnbc.com | Alexandria White |Kelsey Neubauer

Global Entry helps U.S. travelers avoid long lines at customs. Find out how it works, who's eligible and how to get around the application fee.
Should I Use Home Equity To Pay For My Kid's College?

2 weeks ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

College comes with a hefty price tag. If you own your home, you may be considering funding your child's education with a or a instead of taking out student loans. But should you? There are upsides to tapping into your home equity for higher education, but serious downsides, as well.
Longbridge Financial Reverse Mortgage

2 weeks ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Founded in 2012, online lender Longbridge Financial is the third-largest provider of reverse mortgages in the U.S. As of February 2025, it's approved more than $94 million in loans. Longbridge stands out for its lower rates and robust digital presence, which includes a reverse mortgage calculator and an easy-to-use servicing portal. Longbridge is a particularly good option for high-value homes: The Longbridge Platinum offering a line of credit of up to $4 million.
Figure HELOC review: Access funds in five days

2 weeks ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Founded in 2018 by SoFi's Mike Cagney, fin-tech startup Figure is one of the largest providers of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) in the U.S, with more than $14 billion lent to over 200,000 households. We love Figure's speed and efficiency: Customers can get approved in as little as five minutes and get funding in as few as five days. Figure also offers virtual closings in states where it's allowed.
How Much House Can I Afford With a $100,000 Salary?

3 weeks ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Hitting a six-figure salary is a major career benchmark in the U.S., but $100,000 doesn't buy what it used to. In fact, it won't pay for a median-priced three-bedroom home in 34 states. If your household income is $100,000, here's how to figure out the price range you should stick to when house hunting. Start with the 30% ruleAccording to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, your housing expenses should be no more than 30% of your gross monthly income.
How To Get A Mortgage When You're Self-Employed

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Sole proprietors, independent contractors, partners in a business, gig workers or those who own a business part-time are all considered self-employed, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Generally, anyone who brings in income by doing work that's not documented on a W2, is considered self-employed. Most borrowers want to see that you've been self-employed for at least two years before they consider you for a mortgage.
Your Rent Payments Can Earn You Up to $5,000 Toward a Rocket Mortgage Home Loan

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

If you rent, it may feel like you'll never save enough to buy a home. But a new program from Rocket Mortgage is rewarding renters with up to $5,000 to make the dream of homeownership a reality Launched in February, the RocketRentRewards program provides renters with a credit worth 10% of their final year of rent payments that they can put toward closing costs on a Rocket Mortgage home loan. A monthly rent of $1,800, for example, would net you a $2,160 credit.
How Much You Need to Earn in Every State to Afford a House

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

Thanks to elevated mortgage rates and a housing shortage, homebuying is more expensive than ever. In fact, you'd need to earn six figures to afford a median-priced home in all but 15 states, according to a new report from real estate platform Realtor.com. The site's affordability analysis also revealed that, in nearly half the country, an average four-person household doesn't bring home enough to afford monthly mortgage payments on a median-priced three-bedroom house.
Mortgage payment calculator: See how much you'd spend each month

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

One of the most challenging parts of starting the homebuying process is figuring out how much you can afford . With CNBC Select's mortgage payment calculator, you can see how various factors — including home price, loan term, interest rate, down payment and even the state you live in — will change the size of your monthly housing payment.
How to Get Out of a Car Lease

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Kelsey Neubauer

There are a number of ways to get out of a car loan. But if you're leasing your vehicle, the options are somewhat different. CNBC Select walks through four ways you can end your lease before the contract is up. 1. Return the carThe simplest way to get out of a car lease is to just return the car to the dealer. You'll have to pay an early termination fee, however, usually a set dollar amount plus the difference between the balance on your lease and the car's market value.