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Budgeting basics

A budget is a spending plan that helps you understand how much money you're making and where you're spending it. A budget is the cornerstone of a strong financial plan.

Budgeting tips

A couple budgets together.
Bankrate offers 18 ideas for stretching your budget to save money.
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If your discretionary income is low, you could pay $0 on your federal student loans.
Woman sitting on a sofa looking at her laptop
Our guide tackles the basics of disposable income and how you can use it to budget.

Calculate your savings

Use our Savings Calculator to help you quickly and accurately estimate the growth of your investment. Set a goal and figure out how much you need to save each month to hit the mark.

Latest articles

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A savings account can be a great tool to teach your child about money. Here are a few of our favorites.
A Truist Financial bank branch in Miami, Florida, US
Looking for a nearby Truist Bank location or ATM? Here’s how to find the closest ones.
Currently, you can lock in annual percentage yields (APYs) on certificates of deposit (CDs) at and slightly above 4% with many nationally available CDs. Only a select few financial institutions offer promotional [...]
Woman at bank talking to teller
Checking and savings accounts are different. Should you have one, the other — or both?
These expert tips can help keep your bank and financial accounts safe from hackers.
Cash in gloved hand
Depositing cash into someone’s account isn’t always possible, but there are options.
Young worried man working at home
Learn why a bank could close your account and what to about it.
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It’s important to find the right accounts for your emergency savings.
Man using cell phone in living room
It’s important to find the right accounts for your emergency savings.
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Monthly budgets are popular because many expenses, such as rent and bills, occur monthly.
Illustration of construction workers on a roof
An emergency fund is an essential part of a solid financial plan.
Rainy day and emergency funds differ but together provide a sound financial plan.
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Here’s a helpful guide to how much you need in savings over the course of your life.
Calendar of 2023
Use this challenge to stash more cash toward your savings goals.
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Creating a timeline is a useful way to plan and meet all your financial goals.
Young woman using a laptop with credit card while relaxing at home
Financial goals are measuring sticks that apply to any area of your money management skills that you’re looking to improve.
female soldier and her husband use a banking app to check the state of their finances
Savings APYs remain high as the Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady.
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Banks have been loudly touting their multi-billion-dollar investments in artificial intelligence as a breakthrough for consumers. CEOs speak at conferences about AI-powered personalization. Marketing departments [...]
Rainy day and emergency funds differ but together provide a sound financial plan.
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Several banks continue to offer savings accounts well above 4 percent APY.
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These options are great places to stash money from a bonus, inheritance and more.
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Inflation can eat away at your purchasing power, if you’re not keeping up with it.
A man works on his laptop.
Several banks are offering high-yield savings accounts well above 4 percent APY.
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More than half of Americans also say the U.S. economy is on the wrong track.
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