Investing
What a fund's expense ratio is, and how to find yours
It never shows up on your statement, but it is taken every year. Here is what the percentage covers, what it costs in dollars, and where the number is…
Author
Fatima Al-Rashid
Independent editorial contributor covering personal finance, investing method, payments and consumer money decisions.
Articles by Fatima Al-Rashid
Finance News
What FDIC deposit insurance covers, and how to protect more than $250,000 at one bank
The $250,000 FDIC limit applies per depositor, per bank, per ownership category — here's what that means in practice, what accounts qualify, and how credit…
Investing
Invest or pay off debt first? How to decide
Compare the debt's guaranteed interest rate against investing's expected — uncertain — return: the 24% card wins every time, the 4% mortgage usually does not.
Investing
What is a target-date fund, and when should you use one?
A target-date fund is an all-in-one portfolio that mixes stocks and bonds and de-risks automatically as your retirement year approaches — the one-fund answer…
Budgeting
What are sinking funds — and why they rescue December
A sinking fund spreads a known future expense into small monthly saves — turning the car registration, the holidays, and the insurance bill into planned lines…