Energy stocks can be hot and cold, but when they're hot, they can move as quickly as any tech stock. And it's a popular sector to trade when oil prices skyrocket or geopolitical tensions ratchet up, as prices can become highly volatile and traders jump into the action. Because of that volatility, a list of the best performers won't tell...

Key takeaways A home equity loan allows you to borrow a lump sum against your home's equity, usually at a fixed interest rate that's lower than other forms of consumer debt. The amount you can borrow with a home equity loan is based on the current market value of your home, the size of your mortgage and personal financials like...

Key takeaways A portfolio loan is a type of mortgage that a bank or lender creates and retains -- keeps in its portfolio -- rather than selling in the secondary mortgage market. Portfolio loans sometimes have more flexible credit and financial requirements compared to conforming mortgages, but also tend to come with higher interest rates and upfront costs. Portfolio loans...

When policymakers and investors seek economic insight, they often use a tool called the yield curve. A yield curve measures the spread between yields on short- and long-term maturity bonds over time. It's plotted as a line on a graph, and the slope is sometimes used as a forecaster of economic growth. In a normal environment, longer-term bonds have often...