Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com What would you do if you signed a contract for a house but then changed your mind?

Homebuyer hoping for 3-day grace period
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In most states, there is no automatic grace period to cancel a sales contract without penalty. Compare the best mortgage rates at Bankrate.com today!
11 hours ago · Comment ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Labor Day weekend is fast approaching! Would you ever volunteer while on vacation?

Volunteer vacations let you unwind, help
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If you unwind best by working, take a volunteer vacation, where you help others and get tax breaks, too. Learn about taxes at Bankrate.com!
Yesterday at 1:15pm · Comment ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com How much would you save if you brought your lunch instead of going out to eat?

Lunch Savings Calculator
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The best way to increase personal savings is to spend less money. Even a simple change such as bringing a lunch to work can make a big difference in the amount saved.
Yesterday at 6:47am · Comment ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Would you ever borrow from your 401(k)?

4 good reasons to borrow from your 401(k)
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Sometimes it does make sense to tap your retirement account. Just be sure to understand the tradeoffs.
Wednesday at 12:40pm · Comment ·
    • Tim Morgenthaler Bad idea...
      Wednesday at 1:58pm ·
    • Jeff Thrall I borrowed from mine to pay off credit cards and other bills with higher interest... I pay myself back with 3.5 percent interest.... Best thing I ever did
      Wednesday at 6:22pm ·
    • Cathy Valdez nope..
      Wednesday at 9:38pm ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Which is smarter: Repairing an old car or buying a new one?

Whats best, repair an old car or buy new?
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Our treasured family car, a 2003 Honda with 125,000 miles, needs a new transmission. We own the car and have had great luck with it thus far. Our current financial situation is not favorable and we are trying to avoid a car payment. Should we spend the $2,500 to $3,200 to fix the Honda or do somethi...
Wednesday at 7:01am · Comment ·
    • Larraine Formica Drive it till it dies...
      Wednesday at 4:51pm ·
    • Gina Mojica Better no car payment. My 99 honda cr-v has about 134,000 on it. She is SOOOO faithful! Got her new brake job a few months ago but she deserves what ever she needs in her old age!
      Yesterday at 2:44am ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Are you ready for some football? Have fantasy football insurance?

Fantasy football insurance? Yes! | Bankrate.com
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Fantasy football insurance is simple compared to homeowners insurance, auto insurance and health insurance. Learn more about insurance at Bankrate.com today!
Tuesday at 12:00pm · Comment ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Is homeownership the way to build wealth anymore?

Does homeownership build wealth? | Bankrate.com
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Part of the American Dream promised that a home was more than a home -- it was an investment. Does that theory still hold true today?
August 30 at 12:04pm · Comment ·
  • Sharon Metzler and Meagan Bandy Bell like this.
    • Brad Couvillon
      I absolutely do think it is still a way to build wealth. A primary way? No. But, still a good way. . . assuming your ducks are in a row.

      You should not buy a home out of your price range, and of course you can really only build wealth if y...ou plan to stay for a while. The interest rate on the mortgage loan needs to be reasonable, too.

      Case in point: the home that we recently bought is nicer, has a larger lot, is newer, and was cheaper than a house we were renting before. With a mortgage rate in the 4's, our monthly payment is almost 10% less than our rent payment was in the rental house. A win-win situation for us. Did I mention we didn't put anything down? If we had put something down, it would've been even lower.

      My point is this: if you can find a house that you plan to stay in for a similar monthly payment to what you would otherwise be renting for, it would be almost silly NOT to buy the house and build equity, even if it's only $100 - $200 per month, that's wealth that you are building for no added out-of-pocket monthly cost.

      Your Mileage May Vary, of course, but I think it is definitely a good way to build wealth assuming a few qualifying factors are in place.       See More
      August 30 at 4:58pm ·
    • John Sawczak Owning a home is a great way to build your net worth. Although, owning is always more expensive than renting. Even if the mortgage is similar to what you could pay in rent, there are numerous expenses that go along with a house. Taxes, homeowner's insurance, and maintenance to name a few. When you own a home and a pipe breaks or your furnace breaks, you can't just pick up the phone and call a landlord. It is all on you!..... Just be sure you are prepared.
      August 30 at 5:21pm ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Do you carry your Social Security card in your wallet or talk on your cell phone in public? You might be exposing yourself to ID theft.

5 ways to expose yourself to identity theft
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ID theft can make a mess of your financial life. Bankrate.com has tips for how to protect your identity.
August 30 at 8:19am · Comment ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Which is more important, saving or paying off debt?

Stop saving to pay off credit card debt?
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Holding some credit card debt is not necessarily bad if you have a plan to repay it. Compare credit card rates at Bankrate.com.
August 29 at 9:59am · Comment ·
  • Maya Torres, Christian Sifuentes, Dane Bell and 8 others like this.
    • John Sawczak No debt is good to have hanging around! Why would you continue to put money in a 401k while you are paying the bank 14% interest?! Come on Bankrate, get your head out if your ass.
      August 29 at 6:41pm ·
    • Terrenie Walton I think it's important to have a emergency saving of at least 1000.00, then tackle the debt,and then continue building your saving to at least 6mths+ of living expenses. The Dave Ramsey plan.
      August 30 at 6:28am ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Do you think you'll come out ahead when you sell your home?

Extra equity wont boost home sale profit
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Not sure if making extra mortgage payments will increase the profit or loss when the home is sold? Get more home equity tips at Bankrate.com today.
August 28 at 10:18am · Comment ·
  • Scott Shumate, Tamiko Phifer and Keith Jones like this.
    • Tommye Johnson-Posey Sold our home a couple of months ago. Pretty much broke even but did have to come out of pocket a little bit to pay closing and agent costs. We're so glad to not have the home anymore! We still monitor sales in our old neighborhood, and things have gone even further south in just 4 months.
      August 28 at 12:44pm ·
    • Jared Fine We did ok selling our home a year ago. If it wasn't for the extortionist fees of realtors we may have actually done ok.
      August 28 at 5:50pm ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Would you ever use second-hand or reclaimed materials in your home?

Remodel for less with reclaimed materials
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Home remodeling can cost you a bundle. Learn how you can save by using reclaimed materials at Bankrate.com today!
August 27 at 11:07am · Comment ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Would you ever want to own a piece of your employer?

What you need to know about ESOPs
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ESOPs are risk free to employees, unless they exclusively rely on the plan for their retirement. Learn more about retirement planning at Bankrate.com today!
August 27 at 7:39am · Comment ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Have your credit card rates gone up recently?

Rates up despite Credit CARD Act | Bankrate.com
www.bankrate.com
Despite all the consumer protections in the new credit card law, rates on existing cards are on the rise.
August 26 at 12:12pm · Comment ·
    • Jacki Bailey Gallion Yes they've gone up and we have excellent credit ratings, plus the offers that we get for transferring ballances are worst. Used to get offers for 0% for 1 year with 3%fee, now they offer 9.9% interest with 4% fee. Looks like the banks are doing well and the consumers are being penalized..
      August 26 at 3:06pm ·
    • Domanic Ledbetter Sr I am with Neighbor's Credit Union. Their Platinum card is 9.95%. In the midwest I guess that is desent.
      August 27 at 5:06am ·
Bankrate.com

Bankrate.com Do you dread dealing with the IRS?

What to do when you owe IRS back taxes
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The IRS has 10 years from the date the tax is assessed to collect any unpaid balance, penalties and interest. Learn all about taxes at Bankrate.com!
August 26 at 7:49am · Comment ·
  • Claes Bell, Luverta Bullocks Landrum and Dee Breaux like this.
    • Jimmy Kirchman I don't dread dealing with the IRS and I understand the importance of paying taxes. I just wish that taxes were not my second largest expense each month after my mortgage.
      August 26 at 8:02am · 1 personLoading... ·
    • Garrett Mickley I still owe on last year's taxes =(
      August 26 at 10:19am ·
    • Brian Morris I once got into trouble with the IRS, and that's not something I plan to repeat. To say they handle everything great and small with an iron fist is an understatement.
      August 26 at 11:16am ·