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1 week ago | 
bankrate.com | Thomas Brock |Rob Watts |Marlese Lessing
With the current presidential administration making sweeping changes across the federal government, the Small Business Administration has undergone a wave of new regulations, standards and criteria impacting how small business owners can qualify for SBA loans. Here’s a roundup of the changes to be aware of, and how they can impact your small business.
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1 week ago | 
bankrate.com | Thomas Brock |Aylea Wilkins |Marlese Lessing
Small loans are increasingly popular with small businesses, according to data from the Federal Reserve’s latest Small Business Credit survey. While the average SBA loan size in 2024 was $443,097, more businesses are seeking financing in the total of $100K, $50K and even $25K as they seek to sustainably scale, manage rising operating costs and manage increased borrowing costs.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Jeff Ostrowski |Alice Holbrook |Thomas Brock
How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. “Expert verified” means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content.
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1 month ago | 
bankrate.com | Mia Taylor |Chris Jennings |Thomas Brock
A flat fee in real estate is a charge that home sellers pay to have their home listed on the market. In a flat-fee model, a real estate agent charges a fixed rate for their services rather than a commission based on the final sale price of your home. Flat-fees can help save money when selling a home but you may not get the same level of service that’s provided by a commission-based agent. What is a flat fee?
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | Karen Bennett |Marc A. Wojno |Thomas Brock
The traditional certificate of deposit (CD) is far from being the only CD product available to savers. Financial institutions offer a variety of CDs, giving savers more flexibility to manage their money when economic winds change. Rates on many CDs rose in 2022 and 2023, after which they leveled off and began declining in the latter half of 2024 — and some continue to decrease in 2025.
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | Kacie Goff |Varo Money |Thomas Brock
A chattel loan is a loan used to buy movable property — including manufactured homes. You can get a chattel loan from a lender to purchase a manufactured home, but you’ll need to figure out how to buy or rent the land to put it on separately.
These manufactured home loans often come with looser borrower requirements but higher interest rates than traditional mortgages. What is a chattel mortgage?
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | Kacie Goff |Varo Money |Alice Holbrook |Thomas Brock
A first mortgage is the primary or original loan on a home, typically used to buy the property. “First” also describes the lender’s lien position on the property. If your home were foreclosed upon and sold, the lender of the first mortgage would have first claim to the proceeds. Generally, first mortgages are easier to qualify for than second mortgages, such as a home equity loan. What is a first mortgage?
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | Jeff Ostrowski |Troy Segal |David McMillin |Thomas Brock
Written by and Edited by Reviewed by How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. “Expert verified” means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content.
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | James Royal |Brian Beers |Thomas Brock |Brian Baker
If you’re an investor, be sure to give special attention to the taxes you’ll have to pay on your investments. In many cases, you have ways to legally reduce, defer or even eliminate taxes on your investment gains and keep more of your profits. So it pays to know the smartest ways to minimize your taxes and keep more of your money working for you. Here are some of the best ways to keep taxes low on your investment income.
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2 months ago | 
bankrate.com | David McMillin |Michele Petry |Thomas Brock
How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. “Expert verified” means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content.
