Some people think the United States should cap the interest rates credit card companies are allowed to charge, but the prospect of maximum APRs doesn’t sit well with some lawmakers, not to mention the financial services industry. …
interest rates
Bernanke to Income-Starved Retirees: Tough Luck
If it wasn’t clear already, it is now: securing decent retirement income in a low-yield environment is going to be a problem for a long time. Seniors who have been eking by through temporary measures like drawing down an …
Dividend-Growth Stocks Could Thrive This Year
Shares with above-average yields and rising dividends may well offer the best returns in 2012.
Ouch — Average Credit Card APR Now Tops 15 Percent
We’ve started 2012 on a troubling financial note: credit card interest rates are hovering near record highs.
The $205 You Don’t Know You Have
Given that most families’ budgets are stretched tight during the holidays, would it surprise you to learn that you have a little more than $200 that you’re never going to use? A new study says Americans “throw away” nearly a third of the credit card rewards they earn over the course of a year. Want to be $205 richer? Read on.
A Better Way To Pay Off Debts
‘Tis the season … to accumulate debt, and in that spirit we thought we’d write about a pair of related and timely subjects. The first is a new study, containing findings that could help you pay off loans faster. The second is a …
The Best Low-Interest and Airline Miles Credit Cards
It can be challenging sifting through all the credit card options out there, but website Credit.com has done the legwork and declared its picks for the best low-interest and airline miles credit card offers currently …
The Latest Retirement Strategy: Become A Landlord
With interest rates at historic low levels, an adequate retirement-income stream has become difficult or expensive to secure. Increasingly, baby boomers say they will count on rental income to fill gaps.
Housing Survey: Americans Pessimistic, but ‘Would Buy’ If They Had to Move
Pity the American consumer, especially when it comes to housing. A large proportion of those surveyed (43%) in a recent Fannie Mae poll about homeownership and the economy report that their expenses are “significantly higher” …
A Quirky Way to Earn 5.1% Interest With a Regular Savings Account
Most bank accounts pay little or no interest these days. Consumers seeking an extra (or any) return on their money could, however, check out high-yield checking accounts, some of which pay 2%, 3%, even 6% APY. But such accounts …
With Interest Rates So Low, Why The Heck Are Credit Card APRs So High?
It doesn’t seem to make sense: The Federal Reserve just announced a plan intended to lower long-term interest rates; it’s kept short-term interest rates at historic lows, and says it will continue to do so through mid-2013. So …
Should You Switch to a 15-Year Mortgage?
As 30-year fixed mortgage rates have hit historical lows, there’s been one less-publicized corollary: 15-year fixed rates are low, too.
