MyBankTracker Blog

The Gift Tax: Do You Have to Pay Them? Find out whether you have to worry about paying the gift tax when you give a large sum of money or a valuable asset to someone else. Learn how the IRS perceives these financial gifts and how you have to report them in order. Understand the rules that revolve around financial gifts to see if you actually have to pay the gift tax. Ben Luthi Alex Feldler Key Questions to Ask Before Refinancing Your Student Loans Bearing a high interest rate on your student loans can make it difficult, if not... Krista Baum Why You No Longer Need to Sign for Credit Card Purchases Using your credit or debit card just got a little easier. Visa, MasterCard,... What is a Flexible Spending Account and Should You Use One? Learn everything you need to know about flexible spending accounts (FSAs), including how to get one and what their purpose is for when it comes to covering healthcare expenses. Find out the benefits and drawbacks of this special employer-sponsored account and compare it to the popular health savings account (HSA). Thomas (TJ) Porter Is It Smarter to Pay Off a Student Loan or Auto Loan First? Compare the benefits and drawbacks of focusing on paying off your student loan debt or auto loan first. Find out how you should go about picking which debt to target when you have extra money. Thomas (TJ) Porter Thomas (TJ) Porter Do You Still Earn Credit Card Rewards With Apple Pay & Google Pay? One of the best features of credit cards is that they often offer rewards for... Thomas (TJ) Porter What to Do If You Haven’t Filed Past Tax Returns Filing taxes can be difficult and stressful. Still, it’s something that every... The Best Checking Accounts for Military Personnel Find out which free checking accounts are best for people in the military considering the many benefits offered to active-duty servicemembers. Rebecca Lake Should You Take Out a Personal Loan to Pay Your Taxes? When you cannot afford to pay the IRS, find out whether a personal loan can help you when you owe taxes. Learn about the costs and penalties of failing to pay your taxes and the IRS payment plan. Compare that situation to borrowing with a personal loan to avoid those higher costs, especially if the interest rates are lower. Valencia Patrice Higuera Valerie Ashton Why Were You Denied a Savings Account? It's fairly common for banks to deny you from certain services they offer, like... Valencia Patrice Higuera Should You Use a 401(k) Loan to Pay Off Student Loans? Depending on your career path, getting the job you want may require a college... Changing Jobs Before Getting a Mortgage? The Good and the Bad Learn about the effects of a job change on your chances of qualifying for a mortgage. Find out what you can do to improve your chances of approval even if you switch careers in the middle of the mortgage application process. Compare the pros and cons of the employment change on how lenders could view your income stability. Thomas (TJ) Porter Compounding Interest Daily vs. Monthly: What’s Better for Your Savings? Learn the differences between daily and monthly compounding interest to determine if it actually matters to you and your savings. Find out how the two terms are related to APR and APY. Understand how the rate of compounding is used to calculate the effective return of your deposits in savings accounts and CDs. Thomas (TJ) Porter Krista Baum In Your 20s With a Large Inheritance? How to Manage Your Extra Money If you receive a large inheritance in your 20s, it's easy for this windfall to be... Ben Luthi 5 Biggest Car Sales Days of the Year The best time to buy a car is when you need one. If you wait too long to try to... Discover® Bank IRA CD Rates 2025 Review Find out whether the IRA CDs from Discover Bank are worth considering for your long-term retirement savings. Learn about the interest rates, early withdrawal penalties, IRA types, a minimum opening deposits. Compare IRA CDs offered by other banks. See how you should go about picking the best IRA CD for you. Rebecca Lake PenFed Credit Union Personal Loan 2025 Review We analyze the features of personal loans offered by Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) to determine whether they're worth your consideration. Find out what interest rates are charged, the fees that may apply, and terms (borrowing terms and amounts). Compare them to the best personal loans available with other lenders. Thomas (TJ) Porter Paul Sisolak How To Protect Yourself From The 12 Most Dangerous Tax Scams of 2024 You go to file your income taxes with the hopes of getting a nice, big refund this... Valencia Patrice Higuera Unsecured Auto Loans: What’s the Catch? Some car dealerships make the car buying experience easier for customers by... How to Invest for Retirement When You Don’t Have a 401(k) Learn how you can still save for retirement when you don't have access to a 401(k) that is normally provided as an employer-sponsored retirement plan by your company. Find out what the other investment options are available to generate long-term returns that are better than a savings account. Thomas (TJ) Porter Overdraft Fees: Different Types, Explained & Compared Find out what a bank will do when you overdraw your checking account and leave a negative balance for several days. You may encounter an extended overdraft fee. Learn about how it works and when it charged depending on the bank. See the alternatives that can help you avoid overdrafts and the expensive fees. Krista Baum Valerie Ashton What's a Good Credit Score For a College Student? College is a great time to make memories, get a once-in-a-lifetime education, and... Thomas (TJ) Porter How to Avoid Having Medical Bills Go to Collections Americans make more than 140 million visits to the emergency room each year, and... The Best Credit Unions for Personal Loans We analyzed the personal loans offered by the largest credit unions that have easy membership requirements - and chose the best options for borrowers. Rebecca Lake Is It a Good Idea to Finance Furniture Purchases? Find out whether it is a wise money move to using financing options when buying new furniture. Learn about the tricks of this particular retail industry to get the best deal. Compare the alternatives to store financing programs that may not be the best for you. Thomas (TJ) Porter Valencia Patrice Higuera Should You Close Your First and Oldest Credit Card? A credit card is an excellent tool for establishing a credit history and many... Thomas (TJ) Porter Capital One 360 IRA CDs 2025 Review Learn all about the detail of IRA CDs offered by Capital One 360, one of the top online banks. Find out whether the certificates of deposit provide the best interest rates and low fees to make them suitable for your long-term retirement savings. Savings Account Monthly Fee Comparison At Top U.S. Banks Find out what the monthly maintenance fees are for the savings accounts at the nation's largest banks--and how customers can waive that fee. Alex Feldler What are the Limits on Chase ATM and Purchase Transactions? Find out what the exact transaction limits are for your Chase ATM and debit cards and how you can access more of your funds after the limits. Thomas (TJ) Porter