Key takeaways You can refinance a home equity and, with rates currently in decline, now might be a good time to do it. Refinancing a home equity loan can lower monthly payments and lengthen or shorten your loan term. Drawbacks to refinancing a home equity loan include prepayment penalties…

Key takeaways Wire transfers cost more but provide familiar bank security. Crypto moves faster and costs less but requires some technical know-how. Bank fees often hit you twice — when sending and receiving. Crypto platforms charge one transaction fee, usually under $5. Bank wire transfers used to be the only…

Key takeaways Money stored in payment apps often lacks federal deposit insurance protection. Basic security practices significantly reduce the risks of fraud or theft. Apps earn interest on user balances while paying nothing to customers. Different apps serve different needs — personal, business or international use. Peer-to-peer payment apps have…

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s annual letter to investors continued the firm’s shift away from politically controversial topics like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as well as environment, social and governance (ESG) policies. Fink released his annual chairman’s letter to investors on Monday, and the 2025 edition of the letter omitted…