Skip to Main Content

Budgeting basics

A budget is a spending plan that helps you understand how much money you're making and where you're spending it. A budget is the cornerstone of a strong financial plan.

Budgeting tips

A couple budgets together.
Not having success with your savings? A budget can make things a little easier.
Woman using a calculator and examining financial documents
Understanding discretionary income can help you with your budgeting strategy.
Our guide tackles the basics of disposable income and how you can use it to budget.

Calculate your savings

Use our Savings Calculator to help you quickly and accurately estimate the growth of your investment. Set a goal and figure out how much you need to save each month to hit the mark.

Latest articles

Man using a tablet for banking
Online banks offer a number of benefits, and they’re just as safe as brick-and-mortar banks.
A Bank of America branch in New York City.
Bank of America is the latest bank to eliminate NSF fees and reduce overdraft fees.
A cargo ship moves towards the Bayonne Bridge as it heads into port in New Jersey
The principle can sometimes predict where inflation is heading.
Five participants won the Bankrate Drop Your Debt sweepstakes
Five winners won $10,000 each in Bankrate’s first Drop Your Debt Sweepstakes.
Supermarket staff work at a grocery store in medical protective mask
Employers should also restore just about all of their pandemic-related job cuts.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a House Financial Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
Economists say high inflation is forcing the Fed’s hand.
A woman stands beside a gas pump at a gas station in Los Angeles, California
Price increases depend on supply chain and labor shortages.
Pedestrians pass in front of a Capital One Financial Corp. bank branch in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, July 19, 2018. Capital One Financial Corp.
Consumers value the convenience of sticking with their existing banks over changing.
Mother and daughter shopping for vegetables
These six simple moves can help you build a cash cushion.
illustration of money growing on trees
Here’s a helpful guide to how much you need in savings over the course of your life.
young woman smiling on city sidewalk
Creating a timeline is a useful way to plan and meet all your financial goals.
Illustration of construction workers on a roof
An emergency fund is an essential part of a solid financial plan.
Man using cell phone in living room
It’s important to find the right home for your emergency savings.
Calendar of 2023
Use this challenge to stash more cash toward your savings goals.
Young man choosing oranges in the supermarket
Monthly budgets are popular because many expenses, such as rent and bills, occur monthly.
Mechanic uses force to unlock bolt
Rainy day and emergency funds differ but together provide a sound financial plan.
Whimsical illustration of a hand putting a quarter into a miniature but realistic high end safe. As if it were a piggy bank
Comparing savings rates can ensure you get the best return on your savings.
A piggybank floating on a liferaft
Sixty percent of households feel behind on their emergency savings in 2023.
Halloween bucket filled with money
Despite inflation and expenses, there are ways to increase your emergency savings.
piggybank
Here are some of the best savings accounts you can sign up for as a business owner.
Financial manager meeting with couple in bank branch office
Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
man taking money out of a wallet
If you’re struggling to save money right now, you’re not alone. Here’s how a few easy changes can help.
A man uses the Qapital app to save money.
Build up your savings by automatically setting aside small amounts of money.
A couple budgets together.
Not having success with your savings? A budget can make things a little easier.
The trusted provider of accurate rates and financial information
Wall Street Journal
Usa Today
New York Times
Cnn
Bloomberg
Abc