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3 Reasons to Get a Cash-Back Credit Card for Your Next Trip 07/24/2016 08:00pm • Travel credit cards are a favorite of the regularly jet-lagged, and rightfully so. They typically come with large sign-up bonuses and high rewards, as well as great travel perks. However, travel cards might not be the best option for the majority of American travelers. In fact, a cash-back card migh The Gap Year: Good Idea or Bad for Your Teen? 07/21/2016 08:00pm • All the cool kids are doing it. While that may not quite be true, the concept of a "gap year" got a big lift recently, when the White House announced that Malia Obama would be taking a gap year before attending Harvard University. Ever since, the idea of the gap year, that months-long break between Top College Majors for Finding Full-Time Work 07/20/2016 08:00pm • A college degree -- for many -- is the first major financial decision, and picking a major that is highly employable is one way to improve the odds of making a return on that investment more quickly. There's been a recent push for college students to "know before you go" on understanding labor mark 6 Ways to Handle Pushy Debt Collectors 07/20/2016 08:00pm • Getting calls from debt collectors is unpleasant, especially when the person on the line is aggressive. Instead of losing your cool, follow these tips to handle them and protect yourself in the process: Keep a Level Head Don't let a debt collector threaten or scare you into reacting. Reacting from How to Tell a Company Is In Trouble 07/20/2016 08:00pm • When kids are about to get in trouble, the signs are a cinch to spot. The cookie jar lid is loose. Unfinished homework assignments peek out from notebooks on the hutch, not far from the cookie jar. Fifteen Justin Bieber downloads pop up in your iTunes account. (The trouble associated with picking t How to Invest in Municipal Bonds 07/20/2016 08:00pm • Death and taxes are often said to be certainties of life. But there is a corner of the financial markets where you may be able to avoid at least one. In general, interest paid on municipal bonds is not taxed at the federal level, or by the state or city that issues them as long as the buyer also li 15 Money Tips You Should Ignore 07/20/2016 08:00pm • Not all money advice is helpful. Some so-called tips could even set you up for financial failure. U.S. News spoke to five finance experts and asked them which money tips they think people are better off ignoring. Here's what they said. You should always go for the highest return. Of course you wan What to Do When a Company Buys Back Stock 07/19/2016 08:00pm • Investors in individual stocks are familiar with notices of corporate buybacks -- when a company goes to the open market to repurchases shares it had once sold to the public. Reducing shares in circulation raises earnings per share, which should push share prices up, and buybacks are usually touted The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Financial Advisor 07/19/2016 08:00pm • Making long-term decisions about money can be difficult and even a little scary. Many people turn to financial advisors for help with their financial decisions. Many advisors offer good advice, but deciding whether or not they're worth the price can be difficult. Before you hire a financial advisor, See the Average Debt, Starting Salaries for Business School Graduates 07/19/2016 08:00pm • An MBA can lead to a lucrative career in high-demand fields. Graduates of top-tier business schools usually earn higher starting salaries than their peers who went to lower-ranked schools -- but often leave with more debt, according to U.S. News data.Prospective students who want to attend a top sch Student Loan Relief, Higher Ed Benefits for the Military 07/19/2016 08:00pm • This year, July is Military Consumer Protection month, an awareness campaign to promote good financial education resources for service members and veterans alike, as well as to help guard them against fraud and abuse. First initiated in 2013 by the Federal Trade Commission as Military Consumer Prote 10 Law Schools Where Alumni Have the Least Debt 07/18/2016 08:00pm • The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: Why Your Credit Card Application Was Rejected 07/18/2016 08:00pm • A rejected credit card application stings -- but perhaps not as much as the letter you get afterward, full of vague and unsatisfying reasons for the denial. These letters, called "adverse action notices," are required by law to help consumers understand why their application was rejected. But they What Happens When Your Debt Goes to a Collector? 07/18/2016 08:00pm • You're behind on your debt payments -- big time -- and you know that you should pay what you owe, and that if you don't, your credit score will tank, and your credit report will signal to lenders that you're a risky bet. You know that from here on out, it'll be harder (or maybe impossible) to get a Why Investors Own Private Mortgage-Backed Securities 07/17/2016 08:00pm • Private-label, or non-agency backed mortgage securities, got a black eye a few years ago when they were blamed for bringing on the financial crisis. But they still exist and can be found in many fixed-income mutual funds and real estate investment trusts. So who should own them -- and who should sta