Image by PM Images/Getty Images; Illustration by Hunter Newton/Bankrate Mortgage rates ticked up slightly this week, with the 30-year fixed rate averaging 6.10%, up from 6.09% last week, according to Bankrate’s latest lender survey. Current mortgage rates Loan type Current 4 weeks ago One year ago 52-week average 52-week low…

Key takeaways Look for online banks with features that protect your data, such as multifactor authentication, encryption and fraud monitoring. Other precautions when banking online include avoiding public networks, using a secure password and setting up alerts for suspicious activity. When it comes to protecting your money from a bank…

Excise taxes and sales taxes both generate government revenue, but they work in fundamentally different ways. Sales taxes apply broadly to most retail purchases at a uniform percentage rate, appearing as a line item at checkout. Excise taxes, by contrast, target specific goods, like gasoline, tobacco and alcohol, and are…