Natalie Todoroff

Choosing a mortgage lender is one of the biggest financial decisions, and your real estate agent can help you make it.

Three homeowners refinanced their mortgages six times combined — and learned some lessons the hard way.

Buying a home is as much about life as it is about math. Recent Bankrate research shows Americans overpay on mortgages by $65 billion a year. But three homebuyers — Maameefua Koomson, Sean Stoyanowski and Garrett Duyck — each scored lower mortgage rates with one simple move: they compared more than one lender before signing.

When a lender tells you how much you can borrow, it feels like permission to spend. But eligibility and affordability are completely different things. First-time buyer Khyrunnessa Rabbini learned this early: she rejected a $250,000 prequalification to borrow half. That one decision gave her the financial footing to build a six-property real estate portfolio.

Breaking into the Los Angeles housing market, 32-year-old Benny To found a creative path to homeownership by buying a multifamily probate property. Despite being told the sale would be easy, a family dispute forced him into a nine-month court battle. Ultimately, his perseverance paid off, securing an income-generating asset that cushions rising living costs.

For Ebony Martin, southern New Hampshire is home, but the housing market made it feel impossible to stay. Facing fierce competition as the region became one of the country's hottest real estate hubs, Martin was repeatedly outbid.

The path to homeownership is growing longer, with the median first-time buyer age now reaching a record high of 40. For Asia Ore, a 28-year-old widow and new mother, the journey requires a disciplined approach to stability.

At 24, Jocelyn Becerra ditched the rental grind for a mortgage in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Philadelphia housekeeper Ayesha Garnett is defying the housing market's grim math.

When Coya Davis sought help for her $27,000 debt, she thought she found a lifeline. Instead, she entered a predatory scheme where debt settlement firms "rent" law licenses to charge illegal fees.

From $2 bills to billionaire dreams, here’s what you couldn’t stop reading in 2025.

Rising home prices shift the American Dream as renters seek freedom and flexibility.

Holiday stress and New Year reflection fuel a rise in divorce filings each January.

Here's exactly why it's taking so long.

Meet the women who left corporate life to redefine success on their own terms.

When women ask for more, the answers aren't always the same: one got a new title without the raise, one lost the offer, and one got the pay bump — but not without fallout.

Bankrate’s Georgia Farm Bureau insurance review gives an overview of the carrier.

Although Safeco no longer writes policies, Direct Auto covers high-risk drivers.

This NYCM insurance review can help you determine if the company is right for you.

Is Lemonade Insurance the best option for you? Bankrate investigates.