CD Early Withdrawal Penalties

Early Withdrawal Penalties at Major Banks bank One-year CD penalty Five-year CD penalty Ally 60 days of interest 150 days of interest Bank of America 90 days of interest 365 days of interest Capital one Three months of interest Six months of interest Chase 180 days of interest 365 days of interest Discover six months … Read more

What Is Tax-Loss Harvesting?

Key Takeaways Tax-loss harvesting involves offsetting capital gains with capital losses so that little or no capital gains tax comes due. Investors might intentionally sell some securities at a loss to achieve this when they have significant gains. Losses can offset regular income by up to $3,000 when they exceed gains. Any losses over the … Read more

What Is Amortization?

Definition and Examples of Amortization Amortization is the way loan payments are applied to certain types of loans. Typically, the monthly payment remains the same, and it’s divided among interest costs (what your lender gets paid for the loan), reducing your loan balance (also known as “paying off the principal loan”), and other expenses like … Read more

High-Value Home Insurance: What Is It?

Definition and Examples of High-Value Home Insurance High-value home insurance is a type of homeowners insurance that is designed for homes with high market value. A high-value home is defined as property worth $750,000 or more. Homes that fall into this group might include heritage homes, or homes with special architectural or interior design elements. … Read more

What Is Title Insurance?

Key Takeaways Title insurance can protect both buyers and lenders from financial losses that may occur after a home sale. Lenders require borrowers to purchase title insurance to help protect their investment. A homebuyer must purchase separate owner’s title insurance to protect their legal rights to a property. Your title insurance company will handle future … Read more

Leveraged ETFs: What Are They?

A leveraged exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a type of financial product designed to track an underlying index at higher rates of return. It can offer returns as high as 2-3 times the returns of a traditional ETF, but that also makes it a riskier investment option. Leveraged ETFs are quickly becoming one of the most … Read more

What Are Series HH Savings Bonds?

Key Takeaways Series HH savings bonds were a type of Treasury bond that directly deposited interest payments into an investor’s account. These bonds matured after 20 years and paid interest every six months, but investors could cash in their bonds for the full face value at any time after a required holding period. This bond … Read more

Peter Lauria – The Balance

Highlights Has more than 20 years of experience as a business writer and editor, covering everything form the business of media to high-level economics Former editor in charge of technology, media, and telecom at Thomson Reuters You have managed, built, and led teams at some of the world’s largest corporations and media organizations, including New … Read more

Terri Huggins – The Balance

Highlights More than 10 years of experience as a journalist covering topics like personal finance, parents, and mental health Former marketing and communications professional at a real estate company Host of local workshops discussing financial and contractual advice for freelance professionals Has writing expertise focused on the intersection of personal finance, race, and culture experience … Read more

What Is an Unrecaptured Section 1250 Gain?

Key Takeaways A higher unrecaptured Section 1250 tax rate applies to long-term capital gains for which a taxpayer has previously claimed depreciation. The IRC requires that claimed depreciation must be factored back in to arrive at an adjusted cost basis for calculating the amount of a capital gain. The Section 1250 rate is usually 20%, … Read more