Marcie Geffner
Real estate. Banking. Credit cards.
Award-winning freelance writer and journalist for banks, real estate and other financial services companies. Featured stories in U.S. News and World Report, Credit Karma, Entrepreneur and many others.
cardrates.com
How to Get a Business Credit Card in 2022
Most people are familiar with personal credit cards. But many don’t know that, if you own a business, you may also be able to get a business card. This type of card can be especially helpful for startups and small businesses that may struggle with cash flow and need financing to cover their expenses until they improve their profitability.
In many respects, business cards and personal cards are similar. But there are important differences as well. You may get bigger signup bonuses, higher cred...
cardrates.com
Which Credit Card Should I Pay Off First?
Unwanted credit card debt can feel overwhelming. Having a plan to pay it off and knowing which card you should pay off first can help you feel more in control of your finances and improve your financial situation.
The first step is to make a list of your cards with your current balances and the annual percentage rates (APRs) you’re currently paying. If you don’t know your APRs, check your most recent monthly statements or contact your card companies for this information. You may be surprised ...
US News Money
How Long Is a Check Good for?
Depositing or cashing a check as soon as you can is the right (and polite) thing to do. That's because an uncashed check can create uncertainty or worry for whomever gave it to you. Depositing or cashing it lets that person know you received the check – and the funds.
Despite your best intentions, you may have a check you forgot about or misplaced and then discovered months later. Can you still deposit or cash it?
Most old checks aren't valid forever. Whether you can deposit or cash yours dep...
US News Money
How to Balance a Checkbook
Balancing your checking account may sound like an old-fashioned and unnecessary chore when you can quickly and easily access your balance online or with a mobile app. Still, balancing is a smart habit that can help you track your deposits and withdrawals and make sure your balance matches your bank's records for your account.
Balancing your account offers a number of benefits. You may be able to:
Find fraud by identifying transactions in your account that aren't yours.
Save money by avoiding ...
US News Money
Why Is Your Money Safer in the Bank?
The double whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic shock waves could make anyone feel unsteady. And perhaps that extends to whether you feel safe about keeping your money in a bank.
But as we gain surer footing, both with COVID vaccinations and a renewed economy, you should know that there is no safer place for your money than a bank or credit union – not the proverbial mattress stuffed with cash, not the locked desk drawer in the den and not even the thick-walled safe hidden in the ...
US News Money
Best Bank Accounts for Students
The pros and cons of any student bank account can vary depending on your needs. With that in mind, here are some benefits of selected student bank accounts that might be a good fit for you.
US News Money
6 Banks That Offer Bonuses for Opening an Account
Banking is a competitive business. To lure new customers, some banks will pay you hundreds of dollars in a cash bonus to open a new checking or savings account.
"As the old expression goes, 'There’s no such thing as a free lunch,'" says Daniel M. Yerger, president of MY Wealth Planners in Longmont, Colorado. "Incentives often require minimum deposits of several or tens of thousands of dollars in addition to minimum balance requirements for weeks or months, or the incentive is pulled back or n...
US News Money
How Long Is a Check Good for?
Depositing or cashing a check as soon as you can is the right (and polite) thing to do. That's because an uncashed check can create uncertainty or worry for whomever gave it to you. Depositing or cashing it lets that person know you received the check – and the funds.
Despite your best intentions, you may have a check you forgot about or misplaced and then discovered months later. Can you still deposit or cash it?
Most old checks aren't valid forever. Whether you can deposit or cash yours dep...
US News Money
How Much Money Should You Have in Savings?
A savings account is an essential component of most people's personal finances. Unlike investments in stocks, bonds or real estate, savings accounts allow you to access your money immediately and easily if you need it for an emergency or to cover expenses due to a short-term job loss.
The amount of savings you should have depends on your personal situation. Single-earner households may need more than multiple-earner households. Retirees may have different savings needs compared with people wh...
homluv.com
Budgeting to Buy a Home Doesn’t Have to Be a Bummer
Budgeting to buy a home might not sound like an exciting activity. But in fact, it can be fun and empowering. The fun comes from setting goals, monitoring your progress and celebrating your success. The empowerment comes from knowing how much you can afford to spend to buy a home and how much you need to save for your down payment.
The first step is to mentally reframe how you think about budgeting.
"People hear the word 'budget' and it's a turnoff, so I talk about 'purposeful saving,'" says ...
blog.opendoor.com
Days on market: what they are, why they matter
Bread. Cake. Data. News.
Sooner or later, they all get stale.
The same can be said of for-sale homes. When you’re trying to sell, stale is one thing you don’t want your home to be.
While there’s no hard-and-fast rule for when a home becomes stale, there is a key metric that tells buyers how long your home has been for sale. Known as days on the market, or DOM, this metric counts up by one every day your home remains unsold.
What does DOM mean
The National Association of Realtors defines DOM a...
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Millennials: Here’s how to save for a down payment
Millennials who are paying high rent and making student loan payments might find it daunting to save to buy a house. For some, it’s impossible. Others might be able to do it if they have the discipline to set aside money rather than spend it.
The biggest mountain for most millennial homebuyers is the down payment, says Karen Carr, a financial planner with Society of Grownups, a financial planning firm in Boston.
Down payment
Money from your savings that you give to the home’s seller. A mortga...
Seattle Times
6 reasons to refinance your mortgage when interest rates are rising
Here are six scenarios that show it can make sense for homeowners to refinance even when rates are going up.
Rising rates tend to discourage homeowners from refinancing, but there are good reasons to refinance even when rates are going up.
“The direction of interest rates shouldn’t impact your decision. Instead, you should refinance when it makes sense to you and based on how long you expect to hold on to the mortgage and property,” says Brian Koss, executive vice president at Mortgage Networ...
HSH
How to buy a home in your 20s
Buying a home in your 20s might seem like a long shot, but in fact, many 20-somethings can -- and do -- make the leap into homeownership.
Millennials, defined by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) as homebuyers up to age 34, made up the largest group of recent homebuyers at 32 percent, according to a recent NAR survey.
Who are millennial homebuyers?
The median age of millennial buyers was 29 years. While that's at the top of the 20-something bracket, the median definition means half t...
HSH
World's most confusing mortgage terms
If you think mortgage jargon is confusing, you're not alone. And it's not only novice homebuyers who are stumped. Some of the terms are so tricky even the experts don't agree about exactly what they mean.
Here's a list of some of the world’s most confusing mortgage terms:
Conforming loan
A conforming loan is a mortgage that adheres, or "conforms," to a set of loan guidelines or standards, explains Bob Walters, chief economist of Quicken Loans, a mortgage company in Detroit.
By far, the most c...