
How to use autopay to manage your finances
Keeping track of bills and payments can be difficult, here’s how to make it easier.
Karen Bennett is a senior consumer banking reporter at Bankrate. Her expertise lies in finding the best savings accounts, checking accounts and CDs, as well as all things personal finance. She’s been a reporter at Bankrate since 2021, and she holds a master’s degree in Journalism and a bachelor’s degree in English.
Karen’s writing experience spans topics including bank accounts, saving money, budgeting, and credit cards, as well as lifestyle and health. She also spent time as a writer of product reviews and a reporter for local newspapers in Chicago, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C. In addition, she worked for over a decade as a writer and product manager for CoolSavings, a website devoted to saving money on groceries, travel and other products.
Karen stays on top of the latest in banking and personal finance. Topics she writes about for Bankrate include how to choose the best high-yield savings account, the latest statistics on checking account fees and ways to protect yourself from bank fraud.
On the personal finance front, Karen has covered topics such as progress for women in banking and the pitfalls of spaving deals (spaving is the act of spending more money to qualify for money-saving promotions).
When she’s not working, Karen enjoys working on her novel, as well as reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with her family.
The pillars of smart money management include having an emergency fund in a high-yield savings account, paying down debt, following a budget and living within your means.
— Karen Bennett
Keeping track of bills and payments can be difficult, here’s how to make it easier.
Emergency savings depleted? Here’s how to start replenishing it.
The National Credit Union Administration is similar to the FDIC, which covers banks.
Explore the top CD rates today and learn how economic trends can affect your rate. Bankrate provides valuable insights to find the best CD products to maximize your savings.
Callable CDs can offer a higher yield than traditional CDs, but there’s a catch.
Explore the top CD rates today and learn how economic trends can affect your rate. Bankrate provides valuable insights to find the best CD products to maximize your savings.
Take these simple steps to jumpstart your savings plan for a new car.
Explore the top CD rates today and learn how economic trends can affect your rate. Bankrate provides valuable insights to find the best CD products to maximize your savings.