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Debt Help

Credit Card Refinancing vs. Debt Consolidation: How the Two Overlap

Americans collectively carry $1.14 trillion in credit card debt, and the two most common payoff strategies get used almost interchangeably. Here's what separates a refinance from the broader family of debt consolidation, what each one costs, and what each does to a credit file.

Banking

10 Reasons to Join a Credit Union for Lower Fees and Better Rates

Credit unions offer the same checking accounts, loans, and cards as banks, but they answer to members instead of shareholders. Here's what that ownership structure changes about fees, rates, ATM access, deposit insurance, and who's eligible to join.