MyBankTracker Blog

Can You Use a Personal Loan for a Down Payment on a Home? Find out if you can use a personal loan for a down payment toward a home purchase and how it may affect your chances of qualifying for a mortgage loan. Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Should You Pay Off an Old Debt with a Collections Agency? Millions of people have collections on their credit reports. They can often... Thomas (TJ) Porter Best 18-Month CD Rates for Short-Term Savings: 2024 Everyone has goals in life, but many of those goals require money. If you have... SEP IRA: The Best Retirement Account for Self-Employed? Learn how SEP IRAs work and how they can help self-employed individuals save for retirement -- with tax advantages -- without typical income from a job. Lance Cothern When Does a No-Cost Mortgage or Refinance Make Sense? Learn how no-cost mortgages or refinancing works to help avoid the costs and fees of closing on a home loan. Also, find out if it is actually worth considering. Valencia Patrice Higuera Thomas (TJ) Porter The Best 4-Year CD Rates for Long-Term Savings Growth: 2024 You have some extra cash that you want to set aside for a specific reason, but you... Lance Cothern Why You Should Pay Attention to the Expense Ratio on Mutual Funds and ETFs Investing isn’t the easiest concept to wrap your head around. When you first get... When Mortgage Rates Fall, Is It Time to Refinance Your Home Loan? Find out whether it is the right time to refinance a home loan when mortgage rates fall, especially if there's speculation that interest rates drop even more. Valencia Patrice Higuera Study: What Americans Are Most Concerned About as Interest Rates Fall Find out what Americans are most concerned about as the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, which can affect savings, loans, and investments. Simon Zhen Aja McClanahan How to Get Approved for a Mortgage as a Retiree Without Job Income Knowing how to get approved for a mortgage as a retiree without joint income can... Kevin Mercadante Should You Invest in Dividend Stocks, ETFs, or Mutual Funds? What to Consider Investments can help you grow wealth in many ways. One way that you may have heard... The Best Personal Loans in Michigan for 2025 Find out which local Michigan banks and lenders offers the best personal loans to borrowers based on interest rates, fees, and borrowing terms. Thomas (TJ) Porter Pawnshop Loans: Should You Use Them for Quick Cash? Find out how pawnshop loans work and learn about alternatives that can get you cash or loan in a short period of time. Valencia Patrice Higuera Kevin Mercadante The Best High Yield Savings Accounts of 2024 Check the interest rate on your savings account -- especially if you opened it at... Lance Cothern How to Calculate and Minimize Capital Gains Taxes on Your Investment Profits Investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can... Dollar-Cost Averaging: An Investment Strategy to Avoid "Timing the Market" Learn about the dollar-cost-averaging investment strategy for long-term growth that doesn‘t worry about the ups and downs of the stock market. Lance Cothern The Best Personal Loans in North Carolina for 2025 Find out which banks and lenders in North Carolina offer the best personal loans to local borrowers based on interest rates, fees, and borrowing terms. Thomas (TJ) Porter Simon Zhen How Much Do You Need to Save for Retirement? Retirement is a lingering financial goal that many people have on their... Lance Cothern Should You Use a Home Equity Loan or HELOC to Pay for College? If you want to help your children pay for college, it generally isn’t cheap.... Worried About a Recession? How to Prepare and Protect Your Finances Learn how you can prepare your finances - especially your savings and investments - for a recession, when your job and income may be in danger. Simon Zhen Should You Invest for Your Family and Friends? 4 Options to Consider If you want to invest on behalf of family or friends, learn about the serious risks involved, including the legal and tax implications. Kathryn Tretina Rebecca Lake Rejected for a Student Credit Card Application? 3 Alternatives to Consider A student credit card can help you build credit in college. Getting one can be... Thomas (TJ) Porter The Best Personal Loans in Georgia for 2025 At some point in your life, you’re likely to be in a situation where you need a... Counter Checks Fees Compared at the Top U.S. Banks Find out how much banks will charge for counter checks, which are available at branches when you need a temporary personal check urgently. Kevin Mercadante Building an ETF-Only Investment Portfolio: Pros and Cons Learn the pros and cons of creating an investment portfolio made up only of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which have become alternatives to mutual funds. Lance Cothern Lance Cothern Penny Stocks: 5 Reasons to Avoid This Investment Penny stocks are sometimes seen as a way to get rich quick. They don’t cost much... Valencia Patrice Higuera BrioDirect CD Rates 2025 Review When your savings account isn't enough for your money, you can turn to... Stock Options vs. Restricted Stock Units (RSUs): How Do They Differ? Learn the differences between stocks options and restricted stock units -- both of which are equity compensation for employees of publicly traded companies. Lance Cothern The Best Personal Loans in Illinois for 2025 Find out which banks offer the best personal loans in Illinois based on interest rates, fees, and borrowing terms -- compared to online personal loan lenders. Thomas (TJ) Porter