If you like playing the lottery and need a checking account, a chance at prizes might be just enough to entice you to open one at a particular bank. Prize-linked checking is designed for the game player ...

Dear Driving for Dollars, I want to turn in my leased car early because I have a new job that is requiring me to drive more miles than the mileage allowance. I'd like to replace it with a used car. How ...

Dear Dr. Don, I was recently informed that I could inherit a large sum of money. I am not wealthy now and am inexperienced in such matters. The sum could be as much as $500 million. Obviously, I'm feeling ...

Dear Dr. Don, I am making payments on a Parent Plus loan that is under my mother's name. Unfortunately, I will be the only one continuing to pay for this loan. Since the loan is under my mother's name, ...

If you invest $10,000 in a good stock and get a 20 percent return, you'll make $2,000. But what if you could have borrowed another $10,000 to buy more stock and doubled your profits? When investors borrow ...

Hidden fees can slowly eat into your 401(k) returns, potentially robbing you of thousands of dollars in retirement savings. New disclosure forms are supposed to alert you to the presence of these hidden-fee ...

Taxes Employment Taxes Tax Help For Business, Pleasure Trips You really need a break, but it's been a tough year for your business and you're not comfortable spending money on vacation travel. Let Uncle ...

Dear Credit Card Adviser, About eight years ago, I refused to pay charges on two separate small bills (less than $100 each). Both went to collections, which I have never paid and refused to settle. It ...

Dear Dr. Don, I recently purchased a new home with a 30-year mortgage fixed at 3.375 percent. I hate the idea of paying for a home for 30 years, not to mention the added interest over time. So, I have ...

Dear Tax Talk, Is a mortgage for a house rental tax-deductible? I know mortgage interest is, but how about the monthly payment I make? I report the rental income as income; why not the mortgage as expense? ...

Dear Bankruptcy Adviser, I filed for Chapter 7. I received a deficiency notice to file a Chapter 7 Individual Debtor's Statement of Intention, but I do not have any secured debt. Do I still have to file ...

Insurance Tornadoes Will Your Home Insurance Take On A Tornado? It seems to appear out of nowhere and is gone within minutes, but in that short time a tornado can devastate a home. The vital question is: ...

Bankrate's monthly survey of six questions measures how secure Americans feel about their personal finances compared to 12 months ago. From May 2-5, 2013, telephone interviews (on landlines and cellphones) ...

Financial Security Index Charts Americans' Spending Guarded But Optimistic The slowness of the recovery is keeping Americans' optimism in check, according to mixed indicators from Bankrate's May 2013 Financial ...

Dear Dr. Don, A recent column said that a $250,000 annuity would generate a monthly payment of $2,268, which would be a return of 1.7 percent. However, I calculate that $2,268 monthly would be $27,216 ...

Financial Security Index Charts Financial Security Index Riding Positive Waves Americans are feeling positive about their financial security -- and that's a good thing for the slowly recovering economy. ...

Dear Insurance Adviser, I'm in my late 20s. Because of my ignorance on the matter and despite the fact that I'm a single adult with no dependents, I selected term life insurance as one of the benefits ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I'd like to pay off about $5,000 in credit card debt over the next one to two years. This is an old debt, and I will not be incurring other charges in that time. I have recently received ...

From the relatively exotic to the seemingly mundane, certain occupations carry an underlying danger that can reach up to 117 fatalities per 100,000 workers.

Dear Dr. Don, I got a reverse mortgage on my home, but my wife was not on the loan. I was hoping to add her name through refinancing the reverse mortgage. But, I've called some places and have been told ...

Money may not be able to buy you happiness, but happy children are more likely to grow up and earn more than their unhappy peers, according to a new study. The multiyear study, which was published in November ...

Dear Driving for Dollars, Will my credit score go up if I pay off the remaining balance on my car loan? -- Stacey Dear Stacey, Paying off an installment loan -- a loan that is for a fixed amount for a ...

Once you negotiate the price of your new car, you may be surprised when you're presented with a final sales number that is hundreds, perhaps even thousands, higher than you originally negotiated. The bulk ...

Dear Tax Talk, I withdrew $38,000 from my Roth IRA last year due to unemployment to pay living expenses, medical premiums and bills. Is there a way to avoid paying an early withdrawal penalty? -- Janet ...

Life Insurance How To Track Unclaimed Life Insurance Money While some people leave records behind in a superbly organized "in case of my demise" file, it's not unusual for others to pass away ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best mortgage rates in your area. Mortgages 3.71% (30-year fixed) 0.34 (average points) Mortgage rates climbed for the second ...

Dear Retirement Adviser, I typically make about $55,000 a year. I will turn 66 years old in September 2014 and will retire the following year. Can I get Social Security starting in January 2014 and avoid ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Compare CD rates nationally and in your area. CDs 0.25% (1-year CD yields) 0.78% (5-year CD yields) Rates on certificates of deposit ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best auto rates in your area. Auto Loans 4.12% (60-month, new car) 4.69% (36-month, used car) Auto loan rates were flat ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best credit card offers available. Credit Cards 13.02% (all fixed) 15.24% (all variable) Credit card rates were unchanged ...

Mortgage interest rates popped up again this week. 30 year fixed rate mortgage 3 month trend The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.71 percent compared with 3.6 percent last week, according ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I make pretty good money, but my credit score is low. What's the fastest way to raise my score? I've looked for help through credit repair places, but I haven't decided whether they're ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best home equity rates in your area. Home Equity 5.12% (line of credit) 6.1% (loan) Rates on loans backed by home equity ...

One of the most frequently cited admonitions to individual investors is, "Don't try to time financial markets." To time the market means trying to buy assets in it near the end of a slump and ...

Taxes Investment Taxes When It's Ok To Tap Your IRA You've been saving diligently for your retirement, but now you need some of that cash to cover today's expenses. Can you get to it without incurring ...

Dear Dr. Don, Do employer contributions to a 401(k) plan count against the maximum limits you can contribute to the plan? Do they affect the amount you can put into a traditional or Roth IRA? -- Pat Plans ...

Good manners are at the root of our civilization, yet they're often viewed as overly restrictive, involving old-fashioned notions such as charm school and ballroom dancing classes. In fact, your behavior ...

As health insurance transforms itself, patients will feel the side effects.

When you book a vacation, you hope the worst will never happen. But travel insurance and assistance companies will tell you the worst happens almost every day. "In about 90 percent of our cases, something ...

Dear Bankruptcy Adviser, A woman at my bank said I should buy a car to build credit after my bankruptcy. Is this a good idea? What is the best way to rebuild my credit? -- Jamie Dear Jamie, While you can ...

Is your bank snooping on you? Increasingly, the likely answer is yes. Banks are harnessing new tools to dig into your financial psyche. Credit bureaus and software companies are rolling out more data-digging ...

Dear Dr. Don, My sister co-signed a Sallie Mae student loan for her daughter. Unfortunately, this student did not finish school, apparently is not working, and we don't even know where she is. My sister's ...

Dear Tax Talk, We are in the process of being foreclosed upon on my primary home and our one and only rental house. Our tax adviser said that we may be able to claim insolvency. Otherwise we will probably ...

Auto Leasing A Car Better For Senior Citizens? Leasing a car may not be on a senior citizen's radar screen, but it may be a better option than buying a new car for some. Seniors on fixed incomes who want ...

Dear Retirement Adviser, I have a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.99 percent, and it will be paid off in 2018, right before I turn 65. I should have no debt by the time I retire if things go as I plan. ...

Dear Debt Adviser, I own my home and have no mortgage or note. I have no debts except a student loan of about $11,000, and I can pay that off right now. I've always wanted to be debt-free, and I could ...

Planning for your passing can make it easier for everyone.

Dear Insurance Adviser, My neighbor's pool and pond have made a trench in my backyard. Whenever he drains them, we cannot use our yard. Is this something my home insurance can cover? -- Noreen Dear Noreen, ...