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Bypass or credit shelter trust: Like a marital trust, married couples establish this type of trust to reduce or eliminate the estate tax for heirs. Or, you can have your trust fund managed by a corporate trustee or trust company. Trust funds — Frequently asked questions (FAQs)Can anyone set up a trust fund? However, remember that trust funds involve high fees, so only folks able to afford these expenses should open a trust fund. How long a trust fund lasts depends on the terms of trust.

Persons: Jaime Eckels, Plante Moran, Totten, grantors, Grantor, Cash, You'll, There's Organizations: Plante Moran Financial Advisors Locations: Chevron

What is a Master Promissory Note (MPN)? A Master Promissory Note, or MPN, is a legal document that outlines the terms and conditions of your federal student loans. Note: You'll only have to fill out one Master Promissory Note for all the federal student loans you take out while you're in school, provided your enrollment is continuous. Why the MPN mattersIt's important for student loan borrowers to sign and understand an MPN for the following reasons:It's Not Optional: Required to receive federal student loans. Defaulting on a federal loan will cause you to lose eligibility to receive federal student aid.

Persons: Mark Kantrowitz, You'll, Stacey MacPhetres, Andrew Pentis Organizations: Parent PLUS, Department of Education, Bright, Borrower's, Loan, Federal, Aid Locations: Chevron

Read Business Insider's guide to the best travel rewards credit cards. But the smartest award hounds are using these popular tools to maximize their rewardsWhy use a credit card rewards tracking app? But no such tool exists as of today, so many dedicated award hounds use a combination of the apps below to track all of their credit card rewards. Top credit card rewards tracking appsAwardWallet: Best for tracking multiple loyalty programsCardPointers: Best for managing your wallet and maximizing credit card offersTravel Freely: Best for couples earning points togetherMaxRewards: Best for monitoring credit alongside of rewardsAwardWalletCost: Freemium — Free version works for most. However, MaxRewards sets itself apart with a running progress bar of the credit card balance you're carrying, and your credit utilization ratio.

Persons: CardPointers, Chase, Amex, You'll, MaxRewards, Read, it's, you'll, point.me, Roame, Seats.aero Organizations: Read, Citi, Security, Amex, Chase, MaxRewards Gold, Google, American, American Express, Business Locations: Amex, Japan, Aeromexico, Asia, North America, Singapore, Chevron

Mortgage rates are down this week, with 30-year mortgage rates averaging around 6.30%, according to Zillow data. This should remove some of the upward pressure off of mortgage rates and allow them to trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit. Once the Fed starts cutting rates, which may happen this year, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Waller, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Fed, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

An income-driven repayment plan may be a good choice if you can't handle your monthly payments. Student loan payments have started up again, and you might not be ready to keep paying the amount you've previously been able to going forward. The SAVE Plan is a simplified income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, which aims to provide more affordable student loan payments for borrowers with low to middle incomes. The loans eligible for the SAVE plan are:Direct Subsidized LoansDirect Unsubsidized LoansDirect PLUS Loans made to graduate or professional studentsDirect Consolidation Loans that didn't repay any PLUS loans made to parentsThose with Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans (from the FFEL Program), Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans (from the FFEL Program), graduate students with FFEL PLUS Loans, FFEL Consolidation Loans, or Federal Perkins Loans, are only eligible for the SAVE plan if consolidating these loans into a direct consolidation loanAs for income requirements, there is no income limit to qualify for the SAVE plan. To apply for the SAVE Plan, the process will likely be through the Student Aid website.

Organizations: SAVE, Federal Stafford Loans, Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, FFEL PLUS, Federal Perkins Loans, Student Locations: forbearance, Unsubsidized, Chevron

Why scammers target student loan borrowersStudent loan scams are common, especially as confusion remains over student loan forgiveness. There are currently forgiveness programs in place for federal student loans, like Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and accommodating repayment options, like Income-Driven Repayment Plans. What are the real student loan forgiveness programs? Real student loan forgiveness programs include Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) forgiveness, teacher forgiveness, etc. Student loan scams: ConclusionDon't let scammers profit off your student debt.

Persons: Scammers, Biden, I've, you've Organizations: Public, of Education, Social, Federal, Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Education, Chevron, Real

When you complete the FAFSA, your school may offer you any one of three types of federal loans: subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, and Direct PLUS Loans. You will have to pay those back, and these should be your last option as private loans often come with worse terms and protections than federal loans. The earlier you submit your FAFSA, the more likely aid will still be available — the pool of money is finite. The FAFSA is your application for federal financial aid. However, federal student loans received through your FAFSA do have to be repaid with interest after you graduate or leave school.

Organizations: Loans, Chevron Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, Chevron

Credit cards offer better purchase protection and less fraud liability compared to debit cards. Most credit cards earn at least 1% back on everyday purchases — and you can often earn much more. Tips for using credit cards to build creditYou can build credit with a credit card by following a few crucial steps. If you have a low credit score, you may consider a secured credit card for rebuilding credit. Frequently asked questions about paying with a credit cardShould I keep paying with a credit card to earn rewards if I already have credit card debt?

Persons: You've, Chase, takeout, it's, you've, they've, that's, You'll, Taylor Swift, It's Organizations: Business, Chase Travel, PayPal, Chase

Our comprehensive guide explores the best ways to redeem credit card points without traveling. This guide will help you understand why and when to consider doing so, and the most innovative uses for credit card rewards beyond flights and hotels. Our guide to the most popular travel rewards credit cards can help you make sense of each loyalty program and its reward "currency", while our guide to the best credit card rewards apps help you track how many points you have, and when they will expire. Credit card rewards can have somewhat complicated tax implications, especially if you choose cash-back rewards instead of for products, services, or experiences. Use credit card rewards for Amazon purchasesMany major credit card issuers including American Express, Capital One, and Chase let you use your rewards to pay for purchases on Amazon.

Persons: you've, Chase, cardholders, Mags, Miles, Taylor, Swifties, Miles4Migrants, Miles Citi Organizations: Business, Amazon Visa, Schwab, American Express, IRS, Visa, Mastercard, Amazon, American, Capital One Entertainment, Foundation, United, JetBlue, United Airlines MileagePlus Air, Alaska Airlines, Air France – KLM, Blue, Delta, Lufthansa Miles Locations: Olive, Alaska, Delta, United Airlines MileagePlus Air Canada, Chevron

View at AmazonThere are even more options for Prime Day Apple Watches, and Prime Day iPads still available in our other guides. For an extensive breakdown divided up by size, see our full roundup of Prime Day TV deals. View at AmazonThere are even more sleep deals where those came from — check out our roundups of the best Prime Day mattress deals and Prime Day pillow deals. Do I need to be an Amazon Prime member to buy Prime Day deals? Amazon Prime Day deals are comparable to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with the main difference being that Amazon is the only participating retailer.

Persons: Siri, They're, you’ll, Jonathan Adler, it's, dehumidifier, vacs, Fryer, Foodi, Fry, fryer, MagSafe, Kate Spade, they're, Bose Smart, Ray Soundbar, Ray, Anker, Amazon Nathan James Hugo Wood Nightstand, Nathan James, Inaba, waddle, Dyson, ”, Gabrielle Chase, “, we've, haven't Organizations: Business, Amazon, Apple, Amazon Apple, Apple Health, Amazon LG, Amazon Samsung, Sony WH, Sony, Amazon Sony WH, Amazon Anker, Amazon Bose, Amazon Beats, Samsung, Clarks, Casper, Pillow, Morris, Morris & Co, Toshiba, LG, Dell, Galaxy, Alexa, Amazon Alexa, Hatch, Amazon Belkin, Apple Watch, Nintendo, Nova, Nova Pro, Logitech, Lightspeed, Mac, lounging, Amazon Canada, packers, Amazon Fisher, Prime, Chatelet Air, Dyson, Amazon Philips, Philips, Amazon Prime, Deal Locations: PopSockets, York

The annual and lifetime borrowing limits on subsidized loans are more rigid than unsubsidized loans. Year Dependent Students Independent Students First-Year Undergraduate Subsidized: $3,500 Unsubsidized: $5,500 Subsidized: $3,500 Unsubsidized: $9,500 Second-Year Undergraduate Subsidized: $4,500 Unsubsidized: $6,500 Subsidized: $4,500 Unsubsidized: $10,500 Third-Year and Beyond Undergraduate Subsidized: $5,500 Unsubsidized: $7,500 Subsidized: $5,500 Unsubsidized: $12,500 Graduate or Professional Student N/A Unsubsidized: $20,500 Aggregate Loan Limit Subsidized: $23,00 Unsubsidized: $31,000 Subsidized: Undergraduate: $23,000Graduate or Professional Students: $65,500 Unsubsidized Undergraduates: $57,500Graduate or Professional Students: $138,500Time limitsFor subsidized loans taken out after July 1, 2013, there is a limit to how many academic periods you can receive funds. Interest rates and feesFor undergraduate students, subsidized and unsubsidized loans charge the same interest rate. Subsidized and unsubsidized loans: ConclusionBoth subsidized and unsubsidized loans can be crucial tools for financing your education. Prioritize subsidized loans, understand the implications of unsubsidized interest, and make informed borrowing decisions.

Persons: You'll, they're Organizations: Education, Department, Federal Student Aid, Chevron Locations: deferment

You can see the amount of aid you may receive using the Federal Student Aid Estimator. The more financial need you have, the higher likelihood you have to qualify for more financial aid. Types of financial aid you might qualify forYour financial aid package will be broken up into several parts: grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. Work-studyWork-study is a type of financial aid that provides part-time positions for students with financial need to earn money for academic expenses. Financial aid amount through FAFSA: ConclusionThe amount of financial aid you receive can vary greatly depending on many factors.

Persons: It's, you'll, Pell, aren't, —, I'm Organizations: Federal, Aid

Prime Day TV dealsThis Prime Day, we're seeing some of the biggest price drops of the year on top TV models from our favorite brands. Prime Day laptop dealsLaptops go on sale year-round, but Prime Day is traditionally the best time of year to make a purchase. Prime Day mattress dealsMattresses go on sale several times a year, but few sales offer as lucrative mattress discounts as Prime Day. Prime Day Amazon device dealsDuring Prime Day, many of the best Amazon devices see their lowest prices ever. Prime Day travel dealsSummer travel is underway, and so are the best Prime Day deals on luggage and backpacks.

Persons: We've, AirPods, we've, Siri, Samsung's, They're, you’ll, He's, Jonathan Adler, it's, dehumidifier, Dyson, vacs, Crisp, we're, Fryer, Foodi, Fry, fryer, they're, Bose Smart, Ray Soundbar, Ray, Anker, You'll, iPhones, MagSafe, Kate Spade, scoped, Amazon Nathan James Hugo Wood Nightstand, Nathan James, waddle, Inaba, haircare, ”, Gabrielle Chase, “, haven't Organizations: Business, Apple, Amazon Apple, Apple Health, Amazon, Amazon LG, Amazon Samsung, Sony WH, Sony, Amazon Sony WH, Amazon Anker, Amazon Bose, Amazon Beats, Samsung, Clarks, Casper, Pillow, Morris, Morris & Co, Dyson, Upright, Toshiba, FlexBrew, Hamilton, LG, Dell, Alexa, Amazon Alexa, Hatch, Amazon Belkin, Apple Watch, Logitech, Seagate, ASUS, Meta, Nintendo, Nova, Nova Pro, Lightspeed, Mac, Google, Galaxy, lounging, packers, Amazon Fisher, Prime, today's, Chatelet Air, Amazon Canada, Amazon Philips, Philips, Amazon Prime, Deal Locations: November's, PopSockets, York

The best Prime Day deals are the ones that let you fill a need in your life while saving a few bucks. Read on for our editor's personal picks from this year's sale, and catch the remaining sales in our main Prime Day deals hub. Amazon Prime Day deals our experts bought themselvesI'm moving from a huge home in Kansas to a tiny apartment in New York City. I used Prime Day as an opportunity to downsize to a smaller model that was recommended by our air fryer expert. Check out our roundup of all of the best Prime Day deals, or browse Amazon's website for more.

Persons: you've, Read, fryer, — Lauren Savoie, I've, It's, Samantha Crozier, Gabrielle Chase, Sam, Sally Kaplan, TCL, Brendan Griffiths, Anker, — James Brains, — Sally Kaplan, Dot, — Christopher Meinck, They're, it's, — Jaclyn Turner, Lauren Savoie, I'm, I'd, — John Lynch, They've, Mandolines, NoCry, Les Shu Organizations: Business, Amazon Prime, Sony, Microsoft, Taco Bell, Lenovo, Echo, Commerce, JW, JW PEI, Love Locations: Kansas, New York City, Taco, Crystal City, Hawaii, Brooklyn, Europe

☆ Taylor Swift U.S. tickets cost $1,832. I saw The Eras Tour in Amsterdam for $384. Credit card points covered almost everything else.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Katherine Fan | Sarah Silbert | Senior Editor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex®. I saved over $5,000 with points and milesThis trip was only possible because of my stash of credit card points and miles. Katherine FanMy Sheraton Amsterdam hotel room would have cost $405.48 in cash Katherine FanI booked the room using a free night award I earned from a new customer bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card credit card. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application. You can use credit card awards to book luxury vacations, seek out gritty adventures, and do everything else in between.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Taylor, would've, Johan Cruijff Arena, neve, I'm, Katherine Fan, Chase Travel ℠, Chase, redemptions Organizations: Business, Independence, Sheraton, Marriott, Amazon Prime, Visa, KLM, American, Marriott Gold, Google, Chase Sapphire, Chase Travel, Sapphire, TSA, FDIC Locations: Amsterdam, Texas, Europe, Netherlands, North America, U.S, Canada, Austin, Sheraton Amsterdam

This card is the "best travel card for beginners" in our best travel rewards credit cards guide. This is one of the most generous credit card offers we've ever seen, especially for a credit card with such a low annual fee ($95, rates and fees). Other credit cards offer higher rewards in certain categories of spending Insider’s Take If you want an easy, no-fuss travel rewards credit card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great fit. The current Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card bonus, however, comes with an automatic $250 welcome credit as soon as you open your account. Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement creditWelcome bonus aside, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is Business Insider's top-choice travel credit card for beginners for many good reasons.

Persons: hasn't, Here's, Miles, TSA PreCheck, you'll, Taylor, cardholders Organizations: Capital, Travelers, TSA, U.S, TSA PreCheck Locations: Grandma's, U.S

☆ Team USA has owned the Olympic swimming pool — is that about to change in Paris?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Nicole Auerbach | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Its anthem played, over and over again, as the Americans received their gold medals atop the podium. AdvertisementU.S. swimmers have won the overall medal count and the gold medal count so often over the years that it almost has been taken for granted. Heading into the Paris Games, the Australians will be favored to win the most gold medals in the pool. Of the nine swimmers who won multiple individual gold medals, Katie Ledecky was the only American swimmer to do so. Still, USA Swimming president and CEO Tim Hinchey III has said the organization’s goal is to win the total medal count and the gold medal count.

Persons: Michael Phelps, wasn’t, Todd DeSorbo, we’ve, —, ”, Cate Campbell, ” Campbell, Katie Ledecky, Bob Bowman, Caeleb Dressel, Simone Manuel, Sarah Stier, Campbell, Phelps, he’d, we’ll, ” Phelps, Mollie O’Callaghan, Dressel, he’s, Bobby Finke, Ryan Murphy, Gretchen Walsh, Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Walsh, Smith, Kaylee McKeown, Maggie Mac Neil, Summer McIntosh, Zhang Yufei, Douglass, McIntosh, McKeown, Alex Walsh, breaststroker Lilly King, Katie Grimes, breaststrokers Nic Fink, Matt Fallon, Carson Foster, Frenchman, Léon Marchand, Ryan Lochte, Ledecky, Lochte, Tim Hinchey, ” DeSorbo, “ We’re, Dan Goldfarb, Tom Pennington, Al Bello Organizations: Paris Games, Team USA, ” Count, “, Australia’s, NBC, Ledecky, Games Locations: Barcelona, Tokyo, United States, East Germany, Fukuoka, Japan, Paris, U.S, “ Australia, China, Britain, Rio de Janeiro, Ledecky, USA, Croatia

Mortgage rates are the lowest they've been since March in response to cooler-than-expected inflation data. This could help mortgage rates fall even further than currently expected, potentially boosting affordability for homebuyers later this year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This is a significant slowdown compared when it peaked at 9.1% in 2022, which means mortgage rates should start trending down soon. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

The best Prime Day AirPods deals include the big discounts on the brand's wireless earbuds and high-end over-ear headphones. The best Prime Day AirPods deals are expected to last through July 17, but certain models could sell out before the event ends. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. View at Amazon What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Apple sells three earbud-style AirPods: the second-gen AirPods, third-gen AirPods, and AirPods Pro.

Persons: Max, AirPods, you've, they're Organizations: Business, Amazon Prime, ANC, Apple, Apple AirPods, AirPods

As long as inflation continues to slow, mortgage rates should ease throughout the remainder of 2024, improving affordability for hopeful homebuyers. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Down (-0.41%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 5.66%, 41 basis points lower than last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates Decrease (-0.39%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 7.45%, 39 basis points down from last week. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Federal, of Labor Statistics, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Opinion | We Need to Decide Which Beaches to Save — and Which Ones to Abandon
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Sarah Stodola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last December a surprise storm passed through Florida’s Pinellas County, ripping away beaches and wiping out half of the sand dunes from St. Petersburg to Clearwater. Beach communities around the world are spending staggering sums replacing sand as big storms and rising seas wash it away. For many communities, engineering the beach is worth the hefty price tag to protect properties and tourism. But as climate change hastens beach erosion, trucking or shipping huge quantities of sand to replenish beaches is likely to become economically untenable and logistically impractical. Beaches were intended to move around, and they’re better off when they do.

Persons: they’re Locations: Florida’s Pinellas County, St, Petersburg, Clearwater, Beach

Mortgage rates dropped last week and remain low today. This should remove a lot of upward pressure off of mortgage rates and allow them to trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched down to 6.17% last week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates increased dramatically over the last two years, but they're expected to go down at some point this year.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: May's, Chevron

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.89% last week, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 6.17%, an eight-basis-point decrease from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: homebuyers, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

Average 30-year mortgage rates fell to 6.89%, down six basis points from the week before, according to Freddie Mac. As inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to trend down. This would remove a significant amount of upward pressure off of mortgage rates, allowing them to finally trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

Persons: Freddie Mac Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Zillow, Fed Locations: May's, Chevron

If you could use a free hotel stay this year, consider signing up for the no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card. This is the best offer we've ever seen on the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card , which is the only option out of six Marriott Bonvoy credit cards that doesn't come with an annual fee. Marriott credit cards only earn Bonvoy points, so they're not a good fit for anyone seeking a well-rounded travel rewards credit card. Only offers strong rewards for Marriott purchases Insider’s Take The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card comes with an increased limited-time welcome bonus and good perks for a no-annual-fee card, but unless paying an annual fee is a dealbreaker for you, other Marriott cards — like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card , Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card — are a better deal. Marriott Bonvoy earning ratesSpeaking of earning Bonvoy points, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card cardholders can now earn twice as many rewards on several common household categories.

Persons: Bold, Cardholders, they're, cardholders, Marriott Organizations: Business, Marriott, Gold Locations: Marriott, Maldives, Regis New York

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