No, most states don’t require these coverages by law, but lenders and leases often require them until the loan is paid off. People ask this when they’re trying to avoid a surprise bill. A state wants proof you can pay for harm you cause to other people. A bank wants its collateral protected. A lease […]

Most HEERF money has already been spent, yet a few campuses can still send remaining student grants when funds were set aside earlier and are being finished during closeout. HEERF is short for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. It was federal money that went to colleges and universities so they could issue emergency cash

IPOs can pay off, yet early price swings, limited public history, and share access rules mean they don’t fit every investor or every account. An initial public offering can feel like a front-row seat: a private company opens its stock to public buyers, headlines hit, and the first trading day can move fast. That energy

Most safe deposit box contents aren’t protected by federal deposit insurance, so you’ll need your own policy if you want money back after a loss. A safe deposit box feels like the safest spot in town. Steel vault. Tight access rules. A bank name on the lease. Many people take one extra step in their

Fixed deposits are widely seen as low-risk savings because your rate is set upfront, but safety depends on the bank’s strength, deposit insurance limits, and the rules you agree to. Fixed deposits (often called term deposits or “FDs”) sit in a sweet spot: steadier than many market-linked options, usually calmer than chasing the highest yield,

No, most index funds follow preset index rules, while managers handle trading and cash so the fund stays close to its benchmark. “Passive” gets tossed around like a synonym for “hands-off.” Index funds don’t work that way. They’re built to track a benchmark, yet the market throws curveballs: index changes, cash flows, mergers, and trading

No, credit union deposits are usually protected by NCUA share insurance (not FDIC) up to $250,000 per member, per institution. You’re checking one thing: if a credit union closes, do you still get your money. You can answer that fast once you know what the insurance labels mean. Banks and credit unions both use federal

Mortgage interest can lower your federal tax only when you itemize and the interest comes from a qualified home loan within IRS limits. People talk about the mortgage interest deduction like it’s a free perk of owning a home. It’s not. On a U.S. federal return, mortgage interest helps only if you itemize deductions on

Yes, most policies cover household relatives who drive with permission, yet the details hinge on who lives with you, who’s listed, and how often they drive. You buy auto insurance to keep one bad day from wrecking your budget. Then life happens: your spouse runs an errand in your car, your teen starts driving, a

Yes, the app often shows VantageScore, which can run higher or lower than the FICO score many lenders pull. You open Credit Karma, see a number you like, then a lender checks your credit and the score shifts. That doesn’t mean the app is “wrong.” It means you’re looking at one scoring model while the