Stephen Pounds
Bankrate.com
Palm Beach Gardens, FL, United States
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Past articles by Stephen:
Chris Cornell Net Worth
Chris Cornell was a grunge rock legend. Learn what his net worth was at his death. → Read More
Survey: Americans Saving More For Retirement
Americans are saving more for retirement, Bankrate's latest survey finds. See which age groups are leading the way in retirement savings. → Read More
5 Reasons Americans Should Care About Brexit
NIKLAS HALLE'N/Getty Images Brexit. It sounds like a laundry detergent or kitchen cleaning product. It's actually short-form for British exit, as in an exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union. On Thursday, Britain will hold a referendum on whether it should remain in the EU or leave it. The vote has significant consequences for the island country and for the eurozone as a whole. But… → Read More
Charitable donations set record in 2015
Charitable donations hit a record high for the second consecutive year, with an estimated $373 billion last year. → Read More
Fed bags rate hike after paltry jobs report
The Fed declined to raise the federal funds rate -- the rate at which banks lend reserves to other institutions overnight. It stayed in a range of 0.25% to 0.5% → Read More
The way the wealthy are, and aren’t, like us
The U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth survey of 684 high net-worth individuals shows the wealthy aren't as risky as they are portrayed in movies. → Read More
FOMC Meeting Preview
federal reserve A Fed rate hike likely shifts from June to July or beyond By Stephen Pounds • Bankrate.com Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty The May jobs report poked a hole in the balloon of gossip that surrounds the monthly rate-setting meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. The CME Group FedWatch index, an indicator that predicts the possibility of a Federal Reserve rate hike, dropped to below 4% on… → Read More
CFPB issues rules to stop payday loan abuses
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued new regulations today aimed at ending the recurring cycle of debt from payday loans. → Read More
Fed sees just modest growth in economy
The economy is baby-stepping toward growth at a modest pace in 7 of the Fed's 12 districts across the U.S. as consumer spending edged up since April. → Read More
Deciding the Size of Your Student Loan Debt
Photo courtesy of Nate and Heather Comerford The truth about college is that you can't always attend the one you want. Tuition, fees, and room and board can stand as roadblocks. Many parents and students grapple with whether a particular school costs too much. Usually, the question surfaces when student loans enter the college financing discussion. "You always want to borrow as little as you… → Read More
Borrowers Struggle To Pay Single-Payment Car Title Loans
According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, single-payment car-title loans are offered in: Installment loans are offered in California, Kansas, Illinois, South Carolina, and Virginia. 400,000 borrowers studied The CFPB examined almost 3.5 million single-payment, car-title loan records from nonbank lenders of 400,000 borrowers from 2010 through 2013. Only 12% of borrowers paid off their loan by the… → Read More
New Overtime Rules: What You Need To Know – B
Hero Images/Getty Images The Department of Labor issued new rules to boost the salary threshold to be eligible for overtime pay for most white-collar, salaried workers from $23,660 to $47,476 a year. On a weekly basis, the overtime threshold moves from $455 to $913. The new rule becomes effective Dec. 1. The rule will extend overtime protections to 4.2 million workers who work more than 40 hours… → Read More
Fed minutes: Chance of a June rate boost
Members of the Federal Open Market Committee at its April meeting saw conditions in the labor market improve, even as the economy appeared to have slowed. → Read More
Demand for student loans sizzles
re than half (55%) of parents in a recent study said their children will use student loans to pay for college, up from 50% in 2012. → Read More
Millennials going out more, spending less
Millennials dine out more but spend less than their older brothers and sisters, and their parents. → Read More
Top 10 States Of The Beer Economy
Aaron Ontiveroz/DenverPost/Getty Images Top 10 states of the beer economy The suds serve as a social lubricant, but beer also can be an economic stimulus. The oldest beers date to the 5th millennium B.C. in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Later, European monasteries produced beer in the 7th century A.D. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution that brewing became an industry. Today, 1.75 million… → Read More
Student debt on the rise in 2016
The 2016 average student debt total is $37,173, a bump of 6.05% over 2015 and the largest it's ever been. → Read More
10 Cool Mothers Day Gifts For Millennial Moms
Listen up, Dad. If you're buying a Mother's Day gift for a millennial mom, she's a tough cookie to satisfy. A study this year by Goldman Sachs shows that must-have items for previous generations aren't as important for millennials. When asked about owning a luxury bag, only 10% of millennials said it was extremely important. The largest group -- 30% -- said it's important but not a priority.… → Read More
The Fed hits ‘pause’ again
The Federal Open Market Committee announced today that it will keep the federal funds rate in a range of 0.25% to 0.5%. → Read More
How 4 Former Presidents Benefits Could Change In 2017
Pool/Getty Images What we pay 4 former presidents Keeping a former president out of the poorhouse is a relatively recent legislative act. Before 1958, U.S. presidents received no federal pension or financial help. Before that, some former presidents, such as Ulysses S. Grant and Harry Truman, struggled financially. In 1958, Congress enacted the Former Presidents Act to provide pensions and… → Read More