Heating up the grill 1 of 5It might be physically impossible to have an American summer without participating in at least one barbecue.Every time we fire up the grill, we seem to be reliving that universal ...

Anchor intro: Consumer confidence, job security and gas prices all correlate to how positive or negative Americans are feeling about their overall financial security. For the first time since December ...

Financial Security Index Charts » When Gas Prices Rise, Consumers Cut BackGas has been pricey this spring and the pain at the pump has caused some consumers to change their spending patterns, a new survey ...

Marina Orlova of Hot for Words: Hello my dear students, I've just gotten the most interesting email! It's from the wife of a former prince in a very poor country, who knows of this huge stash of gold All ...

After three years of record-low interest rates, few advisers are pushing their clients to build CD ladders. It's a method of opening numerous certificates of deposit that will mature at various times, ...

Hot for words » Find The Facts On Fraud Download PDF More From Bankrate.com Fly first class for free? Defining 'fraud' Gas prices drive economy

Dear Debt Adviser,Your article, "Old debts won't hurt new loan," had a lot of valuable information I forwarded to my daughter. Twelve years ago, she was one of those 18-year-olds who was offered ...

Now departing? Slide 1 of 6Today's overcrowded planes, high-priced flights and extra fees for everything from luggage to a bag of chips mean air travelers don't often feel like they're on cloud nine.But ...

A mortgage application serves a simple purpose: to help the lender decide whether to lend money to the borrower. But the industry standard Uniform Residential Loan Application, also known as Fannie Mae ...

Dealer options are part of car sales pitch 1 of 7Let's face it, when you buy a new car , you deal with experienced sales professionals who use a variety of time-tested methods to sell you add-on products ...

Dear Driving for Dollars,I am a full-time student, and I have no credit. I would like to buy a car, but I'm worried I'll be faced with a ridiculously high car loan rate. My parents aren't around to co-sign ...

It's time to allocate some more dollars to your car budget -- even if you own your car outright. The 2012 Your Driving Costs study by AAA has found that the cost of owning and operating a car in the U.S. ...

Some consumers may like the convenience and rewards of using a credit card -- but don't want to revolve debt from month to month. If you fit that description, consider another payment choice: the charge ...

These days, vacations don't come cheap. It can cost a family of four close to $1,000 just for seven nights of lodging. And that doesn't include meals and amenities such as Wi-Fi.To combat that, travelers ...

Dear Dr. Don,I'm looking at a particular bank and am wondering if it's a good place to have a savings account because of the interest rate. I have about $20,000 that I want to place there for the sole ...

Monty Python member Terry Jones has kept busy with a great variety of non-Python-related projects over the years, including writing books about medieval history and creating comedic health advice videos ...

Intro: What is meant to help stave off credit card fraud might actually hinder Americans traveling abroad.EMV chip card technology is used in more than 80 countries around the world. Instead of a magnetic ...

Save money on lawn care 1 of 10When people think of saving money around the house, they think of things that happen inside, such as utility usage and family meals. But your lawn care and gardening habits ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best credit card offers available. Credit Cards 13.81% (all fixed) 14.45% (all variable)Credit card rates didn't budge this ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Compare CD rates nationally and in your area. CDs 0.33% (1-year CD yields) 1.12% (5-year CD yields)Longer-term rates on certificates ...

Interest Rate Roundup Mortgages CDs Auto Loans Home Equity Credit Cards Find the best auto rates in your area. Auto Loans 4.47% (60-month, new car) 5.13% (36-month, used car)Auto loan rates were flat this ...

Auto » 7 Sporty Cars With Great Fuel Economy Sporty cars that save you money 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >You don't have to sacrifice the performance, style and sharp handling of a sports car for fuel economy. ...

Disasters come in many forms and can strike virtually anywhere at any time. We all need to be ready for the worst, says Don Lauritzen, a spokesman for the American Red Cross."It's important for households ...

Go 'opaque' and saveIf you didn't reserve your last hotel room through Priceline or one of the other "hidden" hotel deal sites, sorry -- you just overpaid.

Mortgage rates stayed near all-time lows this week, as the housing market showed signs of life and sent potential homebuyers a message: If you want to buy low, it doesn't get any better than this. 30 year ...

Dear Dr. Don,I'm been putting $200 per month into a 401(k) at work. The only thing is that my employer doesn't provide a matching contribution. So, my question is: Do I keep putting money into the 401(k), ...

Dear Debt Adviser,Is it better to pay off many items with small balances that are reported on your credit report? Is it better to pay off the oldest ones first? Is it best to pay off the larger amounts ...

If you're looking for a new job, you've probably heard about the value of volunteering. It's solid advice that really can help you land a job, says Charles Purdy, Monster.com's career expert and author ...

Dear Tax Talk,I hear the Internal Revenue Service is all over medical marijuana clinics, trying to put them out of business. What can the IRS do if the state allows these clinics and even in some places ...

-Intro-[Begin VIDEO with Kristin Arnold on camera introducing the video topic]As gas prices continue to rise, more consumers are looking at hybrid and alternative fuel cars. It's not just the fuel efficiency ...

Until the right "help wanted" ad appears, today's pink-slipped workers may benefit from posting their own "help wanted" appeal.Creditors may agree to ease loan terms when workers need ...

Checking » High-Yield Checking: A Good BetWhen the economy is seemingly stuck in neutral and the federal funds rate is hovering between zero percent and 0.25 percent for the foreseeable future, you could ...

Kristin's intro: In this record-low interest rate environment, savers are looking for whatever additional interest earnings they can find. Well, listen up savers because Bankrate.com is out with their ...

Debit Cards » Best Prepaid Debit Cards » 4 Risky Places To Swipe Your Debit Card Debit cards are different Slide 1 of 5Would you give a thief direct access to your checking account?No? Unfortunately, you ...

Dear Dr. Don,I am a 34-year-old New Yorker who works in the banking industry. I own a small studio apartment that I bought when I was 27. I have $134,000 left on the mortgage at 5.625 percent interest. ...

Between inflation and consistently pitiful yields, retirement planning has become a Herculean task. Investment is tough when working with low returns. But there's a bigger problem on the horizon -- a large ...

Checking » High-Yield Checking » What Happens When You Write A Check?In an age of plastic money, many people have forgotten about or never learned to use the paper checks that come with most bank, brokerage ...

Auto » 5 Fuel-Efficient Cars To Replace Your SUV SUVs in a smaller package? 1 2 3 4 5 6 >It's a common misconception that you need to drive a sport utility vehicle to get more space for rear-seat passengers ...

Declining house values create great opportunities for homeowners to contest their property tax bills and potentially save big money.Each jurisdiction has its own rules, procedures and deadlines to appeal ...

Dear Credit Card Adviser,I am 76 years of age and retired. Currently, I live on a pension and Social Security, which amount to about $3,400 per month. I owe $5,000 for a personal loan and $15,000 in credit ...

Checking » High-Yield Checking » High-Yield Checking Rates Still Rockin'Apologies to Dickens, but if you were to write a novel called "Rate Expectations" right now, it would be almost as melancholy ...

Checking » High-Yield Checking » 4 Warnings For High-Yield Checking Chasers Lessons for yield chasersLet's face it: It's not a friendly financial environment for anyone looking to earn income from liquid ...

Checking » High-Yield Checking » Survey Bankrate surveyed 158 banks, thrifts and credit unions to find the best high-yield checking accounts across the country. This year, 57 institutions offer such accounts.This ...

Key credit report indicators 1 of 7You've pulled one of your credit reports . Now what?As you've probably heard by now, you're entitled to free copies of your credit reports. Federal law gives you the ...

7 ways movers can save 1 of 9Whether heading across the country or down the street, movers can make the journey to a new house or apartment cheaper than they might think."The key to making your move ...

Dear Dr. Don,I am embarking on a simple savings plan as I climb out of debt. I recently got an extra job that will bring in about $250 per month. I was thinking about beginning to build a certificate of ...

Kristin's intro: Americans are showing their first indications of improving financial security. In the monthly Financial Security Index, Bankrate.com found that, relative to one year ago, consumers feel ...

TV chefs dish recipe for job interview successBig job interview coming up?Imagine that you're a "cheftestant" on a reality TV cooking show.If you take the millions of viewers out of the mix, ...