MyBankTracker Blog

Best 18-Month CD Rates for Short-Term Savings: 2024 Find out which banks offer the best 18-month CD rates to help you build savings within the short term. Compare certificate of deposits with other CD terms. Thomas (TJ) Porter Lance Cothern SEP IRA: The Best Retirement Account for Self-Employed? If you’re one of the many self-employed individuals in America, you have quickly... Valencia Patrice Higuera When Does a No-Cost Mortgage or Refinance Make Sense? Whether you’re buying a new home or refinancing your existing home loan, getting a... The Best 4-Year CD Rates for Long-Term Savings Growth: 2024 Find the best 4-year certificate of deposit (CD) rates for long-term savings goals while earning a market-leading interest rate. Thomas (TJ) Porter Why You Should Pay Attention to the Expense Ratio on Mutual Funds and ETFs Learn all about expense ratios and the impact on the returns of your investments. Find out what fees are included in the costs. Lance Cothern Valencia Patrice Higuera When Mortgage Rates Fall, Is It Time to Refinance Your Home Loan? Many people see a drop in mortgage rates as the perfect time to buy a home. A... Simon Zhen Study: What Americans Are Most Concerned About as Interest Rates Fall When the Federal Reserve announces changes to benchmark interest rates, it... How to Get Approved for a Mortgage as a Retiree Without Job Income For retirees who no longer have a job for stable income, learn how to qualify for a mortgage based on assets and other sources of income. Aja McClanahan Should You Invest in Dividend Stocks, ETFs, or Mutual Funds? What to Consider Learn about investing in stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds with a high yield for dividend income, including pros, cons, and tax considerations. Kevin Mercadante Thomas (TJ) Porter The Best Personal Loans in Michigan for 2024 A personal loan is a powerful tool that you can use when you need to borrow some... Valencia Patrice Higuera Pawnshop Loans: Should You Use Them for Quick Cash? Whether it’s a car repair, a home repair, or an unexpected bill, there are dozens... The Best High Yield Savings Accounts of 2024 Find out which banks offer the best high yield savings accounts for faster savings growth due to better interest rates than big banks savings rates. Kevin Mercadante How to Calculate and Minimize Capital Gains Taxes on Your Investment Profits Learn how capital gains taxes apply to investment profits and find out how to calculate and reduce short-term or long-term capital gains taxes. Lance Cothern Lance Cothern Dollar-Cost Averaging: An Investment Strategy to Avoid "Timing the Market" Investing can be complicated, especially for someone getting started.  You have... Thomas (TJ) Porter The Best Personal Loans in North Carolina for 2024 Personal loans are highly flexible loans that you can use for almost... How Much Do You Need to Save for Retirement? Learn about the different ways that you can approach retirement savings, whether it is a specific amount, lifestyle, or income stream that is the end-goal. Simon Zhen Should You Use a Home Equity Loan or HELOC to Pay for College? Consider the pros and cons of using a home equity loan or HELOC to pay for a child's college tuition and expenses, in an effort to avoid student loans. Lance Cothern Simon Zhen Worried About a Recession? How to Prepare and Protect Your Finances Recessions don’t happen often, so the first instinct might be to panic when... Kathryn Tretina Should You Invest for Your Family and Friends? 4 Options to Consider "Can I give you money to invest for me?” If you’ve had some success in the past... Rejected for a Student Credit Card Application? 3 Alternatives to Consider Learn what you can do if you've been rejected for a student credit card for better chances of approval and other alternatives to build credit. Rebecca Lake The Best Personal Loans in Georgia for 2024 Find out which local banks and lenders in Georgia offer the best personal loans to borrowers based on interest rates, fees, and borrowing terms. Thomas (TJ) Porter Kevin Mercadante Counter Checks Fees Compared at the Top U.S. Banks Counter checks come into play when you have a checking account, you need to write... Lance Cothern Building an ETF-Only Investment Portfolio: Pros and Cons Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a powerful type of investment.  ETFs offer... Penny Stocks: 5 Reasons to Avoid This Investment Find out why penny stocks are dangerous investments that you should avoid when considering scams, costs, and risks involved. Lance Cothern BrioDirect CD Rates 2025 Review Learn all the details about the certificates of deposit (CDs) offered by BrioDirect, including interest rates, early withdrawal penalties and maturity terms. Valencia Patrice Higuera Lance Cothern Stock Options vs. Restricted Stock Units (RSUs): How Do They Differ? Stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) are both forms of equity... Thomas (TJ) Porter The Best Personal Loans in Illinois for 2024 Everybody can use a bit of extra money sometimes. Whether you’re facing an... 5 Ways to Invest in Gold for Portfolio Diversification Learn about the different ways that you can invest in gold, including physical gold, stocks, mutual funds and more, for the purpose of diversification. Lance Cothern Survey: U.S. Households Paid More than $1 Billion in Checking Account Maintenance Fees in 2018 A 2019 survey found that U.S. households paid $1 billion in checking account maintenance fees in 2018 while overdrafts decreased from the previous year. Simon Zhen