Filing for bankruptcy can feel like you’ve hit the financial equivalent of rock bottom. While it does wipe out your old debt, bankruptcy stays on your credit report for seven to 10 years, hurting your long-term chances of qualifying for a mortgage or other credit…
A midyear financial review is often a good idea. This year, it’s almost essential.
With people going back to offices, travel resuming and Congress making significant changes to various laws affecting your finances, consider taking some time to check in on your money. You might be able to make some...
Contactless payment options are nothing new. They’ve been used for close to 10 years in countries such as Australia and Canada, says Suresh Palliparambil, CEO of Purewrist, which sells a contactless payment bracelet. However, it is only in the last year or two that credit card issuers have begun to embrace the technology in the U.S. market…
Transferring a balance from a high-interest credit card to a balance transfer card with an introductory zero percent interest rate can make it easier to pay off your credit card debt. However, just because you apply for a balance transfer card, there’s no guarantee that the transfer itself will go through to the new card. Credit companies may refuse a balance transfer…
When you shop for a big-ticket item like a refrigerator, computer or television, a retailer may offer no-interest financing with a loan or credit card. While merchants market these offers as “no interest,” the more accurate description is deferred interest. If you don’t pay off the entire balance by the end of the promotional period, you will be charged all the interest…
An emergency loan is a loan that covers your expenses in case of an emergency. There are a few kinds of emergency loans, but they almost always come with very short terms (usually weeks or months) and high interest rates and fees…
It can be tempting to use a credit card to pay for expenses you usually wouldn’t (or couldn’t) pay for with cash or a debit card. But, whether you’re working to pay off debt or want to stay out of credit card debt, it’s best to avoid using your card for anything you can’t pay off before you begin…