Here are the subjects we'll cover in the checkups. Each is designed to help you take a close look at one specific area of your finances.
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| Mortgages |
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Should you refinance? Taking out a second mortgage? Which
is best for you -- a home equity loan or line of credit? Are you paying
PMI -- and if so, can you get rid of it? Read
more
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| Take Care of Yourself |
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Thoughts turn to ... vacations and holidays ... buying that
second home in the mountains or at the beach ... or maybe an expensive
toy such as a motorcycle or an RV. How do you expect to pay for it? We'll
help. Read
more
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| |
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| Back to School |
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Reaching high for top-rung schools is great;
being buried under a mountain of debt isn't. We'll tell college-bound families
how to plan for the high cost of higher learning. For the parents, stories
about planning ahead and the tough choices in using equity to pay for a
college degree. For the students, straight talk about student loans and
the dangers of falling for easy credit on campus. Read
more |
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| Car
Loans and Leases
|
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You may know everything that's under the hood of your car,
but are you as smart about auto financing? Car buyers face so many choices:
new vs. used, lease vs. buy, dealer financing vs. private financing. Regardless
of your vehicular particulars, we have what you need to get rolling. Read
more |
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| Check
your Bank |
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The banking world is changing fast -- and it's easy to get
stuck with bad deals if you don't look occasionally at what's out there.
Bankrate gives you the tools to make the right choices with our exclusive
Safe & Sound bank ratings, our coverage of online banking and our checking
study that names the best and worst deals for consumers. Read
more |
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| Credit
Cards |
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These days, money isn't the only thing that can burn a hole
in your pocket -- your plastic can, too. Bankrate's database of credit card
rates is the world's largest -- and you can use it to find a card that suits
you. In addition, consumers will learn how and when to switch cards, the
tricks of balance transfers and how to avoid tripping up on late charges
and fees. Read
more |
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| Saving
on Your Tax Bill |
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The really smart tax moves are made by year's end, not in
April. We'll show consumers the steps to take to reduce their tax bills
when it really counts. Read
more |
| |
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| Investing
Basics |
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After turning the page on the calendar, many consumers use
the start of the year as a signal to reshuffle their investments. We'll
help with easy-to-understand reports on choosing a financial planner and
reallocating a portfolio to build that nest egg. Read
more |
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| Manage
Your Debt |
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Oh, no, the holiday credit card
bills are in! Repentant debtors will want to mend their wicked charging
ways in February with a financial first aid package -- loan consolidation,
credit reports, paydown plans, what to do about problem credit. Read
more |
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| Retirement
Basics |
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An ever-growing number of people
are eyeing retirement. Whether it's near or far off, we have tools, calculators
and planning guides to help maximize the odds that retirement will be a
happy experience. Read
more |
| |
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| Savings
Basics |
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Savings
should be a part of every portfolio -- whether it's emergency cash in a
money market account or an intricately laddered CD portfolio. Like the rest
of the financial world, the once plain-vanilla certificate of deposit market
has become more complex. We'll help individuals sort out the smart choices
-- and find the very best rates. Read
more |
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| Take (the Right) Cover -- Insurance |
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Basic,
no-nonsense advice, free of bias or hype, that explains what consumers need
to know on insurance policies for your life, auto and home -- and on getting
the most out of your policies. Read
more |
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