Cara Smith is a lead writer at NerdWallet. Before joining the team in 2021, she wrote about commercial real estate, housing and general business for CoStar News, Houston Business Journal and other publications. She studied journalism and psychology at the University of Houston, where she served as the editor-in-chief of its student newspaper.
Commercial real estate is property used for business or investing purposes. Many different property types, including offices buildings, warehouses, retail stores and even laboratories, fit under the broad umbrella of…
A special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, is a company set up by investors with one purpose: to help a private company go public. SPACs have helped companies like DraftKings,…
In investing, standard deviation is a way to measure the volatility of a stock, bond, fund or other financial instrument. Sometimes referred to as “volatility,” it’s one of the most…
You can get a car loan after filing for bankruptcy. While some lenders may not consider you at all, others will. Because bankruptcy filings negatively affect your credit score, securing…
You pay sales tax on the purchase of a used car, just as you do a new vehicle. If your state has a sales tax that applies to vehicle purchases,…
Medicare Cost plans are health plans offered by private insurers that contract through the federal government. They’re attractive plans, as beneficiaries maintain their Original Medicare coverage and are able to…
Social Security is a federal program that pays out retirement and disability benefits to qualifying residents. Established during the Great Depression (1929-1939), the program was designed to provide financial security…
A trade-in will almost certainly reduce the sales tax you pay when you buy another car. That’s because your old car’s trade-in value is typically used to reduce the amount…
Inventory refers to both the goods and products a business sells, as well as any raw materials that the business uses to make those products. Of course, no two companies’…
Dozens of mobile apps and online marketplaces allow you to buy a car — or finalize most parts of the process — from the comfort of your couch. Convenience aside,…
