MyBankTracker Blog

Personal Loan vs. Line of Credit: Which is the Right Option for You? Compare the benefits of personal loans and lines of credit to figure out which one is better for your borrowing needs. Thomas (TJ) Porter Valencia Patrice Higuera Should You Pay to Extend a Mortgage Rate Lock? When buying a house, affordability doesn’t only involve the price of a property—it... Valerie Ashton Bring Crisp, Clean U.S. Dollar Bills When You Travel to These Countries The phrase “Cash is King” doesn’t just apply to investment portfolios, it also... Primary vs. Secondary Auto-Rental Collision Coverage on Travel Credit Cards Learn about the differences between primary and secondary auto-rental collision coverage that are provided by your travel credit cards. Find out what is covered and when each one takes effect in the event that your rental car is involved in an accident. See which credit cards offer primary auto-rental coverage. Thomas (TJ) Porter Guide to the Chase 5/24 Credit Card Rule Learn about the 5/24 rule that Chase uses for approving and denying applications for a credit card based on your past history of card approvals. Rebecca Lake Thomas (TJ) Porter 6 Savings Account Fees You Need to Know About Savings accounts are designed to help you save money and earn interest while doing... Nicole Dieker Deducting Student Loan Interest: Everything You Need to Know Although it can be hard to see the bright side when it comes to student loan debt,... 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 Key Questions to Ask Before Refinancing Your Student Loans Learn about the important questions that borrowers should ask themselves before refinancing student loan debt. See the benefits and drawbacks that should be considered as part of your decision process - including the relevance of financial hardship programs and impact to credit scores. Alex Feldler 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,... Thomas (TJ) Porter What is a Flexible Spending Account and Should You Use One? Health insurance and healthcare are some of the most complicated and stressful... 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 Do You Still Earn Credit Card Rewards With Apple Pay & Google Pay? Find out whether you can still earn rewards and cash back when you connect your credit cards to mobile payment wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Learn how these mobile point-of-sale transactions are being coded when the data is sent from merchant to card payment network. Thomas (TJ) Porter 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... Rebecca Lake The Best Checking Accounts for Military Personnel Being in the military can make managing your money a little more... 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 Why Were You Denied a Savings Account? Find out why you could have been rejected for a savings account. Learn about ChexSystems and how banks use it when you submit an application. Valerie Ashton 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... Thomas (TJ) Porter Changing Jobs Before Getting a Mortgage? The Good and the Bad Mortgages can put you in hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and involve a... 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 In Your 20s With a Large Inheritance? How to Manage Your Extra Money Follow this guide when you're young and come across a large sum of money from a windfall, such as a sizable inheritance. Find out what steps you should take to ensure that your finances are set up correctly to avoid spending all the money on useless things. Learn where to deposit your money and how to invest it. Krista Baum 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... Rebecca Lake Discover® Bank IRA CD Rates 2024 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. PenFed Credit Union Personal Loan 2024 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 How To Protect Yourself From The 12 Most Dangerous Tax Scams of 2024 Find out what you need to look for and how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of popular tax scams and different types of identity fraud. Paul Sisolak Valencia Patrice Higuera Unsecured Auto Loans: What’s the Catch? Some car dealerships make the car buying experience easier for customers by... Thomas (TJ) Porter How to Invest for Retirement When You Don’t Have a 401(k) The 401(k) is one of the most common retirement accounts, but not everyone has... 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 What's a Good Credit Score For a College Student? Find out what is considered a good credit score for a college student who wants to ensure that they're a low borrowing risk as they enter adult life. Learn what goes into calculating credit scores to understand how students should manage their debt correctly. See which credit cards are best for college students to build credit. Valerie Ashton