Bankrate

1 day ago | bankrate.com | Mandy Sleight |Aylea Wilkins

The right business structure can protect your personal assets and impact how much you pay in taxes. Sole proprietorships and partnerships are simple and low-cost, while LLCs and corporations offer liability protection and potential tax benefits. Your choice affects your legal responsibilities, startup costs and how profits are distributed. Choosing the right ownership structure is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make when starting a small business.

3 days ago | bankrate.com | Linda Bell |Troy Segal

Home equity rates are on an upward course again. In the most recent week, the average rate on a $30,000 home equity line of credit (HELOC) rose 13 basis points to 8.27 percent, close to the highest level we’ve seen since the beginning of the year, according to Bankrate’s national survey of lenders. Meanwhile, home equity loans ticked up too, but much more modestly — just one basis point.

3 days ago | bankrate.com | Marcos Cabello |Kristen Kuchar

“Focus on facts, not emotions.” I wrote that once, but I’ve come to realize that sometimes saving money is as much about contending with your emotions as it is about budgeting. Here’s what I mean. I usually have this gnawing guilt anytime I spend a few hours at home doing “nothing.” To be clear, I don’t mean staring at the wall, but doing something that isn’t immediately productive.

3 days ago | bankrate.com | Rick Sharga |Michele Petry

There’s no escaping the fact that homes in the U.S. have been getting less and less affordable. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median price of an existing home sold in April was $414,000. That’s up almost 3 percent from the March price, and almost 2 percent from April 2024. Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the median price of a new home sold during the month was $407,200, almost a full percentage point more than in March.

3 days ago | bankrate.com | Linda Bell |Troy Segal

In 2018, Shannon Martin and her husband snagged a deal on a rundown Victorian Era home. Recently, the couple decided to tackle some much-needed renovations to it. Phase one: They took out a $20,000 personal loan to repair the roof, fireplace and chimney. Phase two: Pay off the personal loan by taking out a larger home equity line of credit (HELOC) at a lower rate later this year, and use the extra funds to tackle additional fixes, like their failing fence. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong.