It’s True: These 13 States Don’t Tax Retirement Income
Where you live throughout your life can often come down to circumstance. You might move somewhere for a specific job or to pursue a career. Other times, people may move simply because they want a change — for example, desiring to experience a big city after a lifetime in a small town (or vice versa). […]
3 Potential Drawbacks of Shopping at Sam’s Club
Image source: Upsplash/The Motley Fool A Sam’s Club membership costs $50 a year, or $110 for a Plus membership that gives you 2% cash back on purchases. For many people, those fees are more than worth paying. But you might fall into certain traps when you join Sam’s Club. Here are a few drawbacks of […]
How 2025’s Updated 30-Year Mortgage Rates Will Affect Your Wallet
Image source: Getty Images The Federal Reserve Board meets yet again on Nov. 6-7, 2024, and with that meeting, another cut to the federal funds rate is expected. Although mortgage rates are not directly impacted by the federal funds rate, they do tend to reflect the movement of this metric. With the federal funds rate […]
These 6 Costco Foods Are Better Than Restaurants
Image source: Getty Images Are you tired of spending money on restaurants, takeout, and food delivery apps? If you want to save money on the everyday costs of feeding yourself and your loved ones, Costco can help. You might be surprised at how delicious and value-packed Costco’s grocery items can be. Some of the best […]
3 Lesser-Known Problems With Having Poor Credit
Image source: Getty Images FICO, the most commonly used credit-scoring model, generates scores ranging from a low of 300 to a high of 850. And Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, defines poor credit as a score of 300 to 579. If that’s what your score looks like, you might pay more when […]
Why Waiting Until 2025 Could Save You Thousands on a New Home
Image source: Getty Images It’s far more expensive to buy a home now than it was just a few years ago. The average 30-year mortgage rate at the beginning of 2022 was about 3%, and it wasn’t unheard of to find a rate in the mid-2% range if you had strong credit. And not only […]
3 Lesser-Known Benefits of Paying Off Your Credit Cards
Image source: Getty Images The problem with carrying a credit card balance is that the longer you do, the more money you waste on interest. So the sooner you pay off your credit cards, the more money you can save. That’s a pretty obvious benefit of paying off your credit cards as quickly as you […]
The One Big Drawback of a Sam’s Club Plus Membership
Image source: Upsplash/The Motley Fool I’ve been renewing my Sam’s Club Plus membership for years, and overall I’ve been happy enough with it that I, you know, keep renewing. My membership has a permanent line item in my favorite budgeting app. That said, there’s one thing I’d absolutely change if I could — and I […]
Business Impersonation Scams Are on the Rise. Here’s How to Protect Yourself
Image source: Getty Images Business impersonation scams are the most reported type of financial fraud. According to a May report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), about 332,000 people fell victim to these scams in 2023, resulting in over $660 million in reported losses. This alarming number highlights the need for individuals and businesses to […]
What’s the Chance of 3% Mortgage Rates Returning?
Image source: Getty Images It wasn’t all that long ago that home buyers had access to some of the best mortgage rates in recent history, as rates fell to 3% and even lower during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, mortgage rates have spiked since then and are currently at about 6.50% for a 30-year mortgage. This […]
