Money market accounts are similar to savings accounts, but offer some checking features as well.
Skip the searching and find your next bank in minutes with BankMatch℠. Production process system
Home equity is the portion of your home you’ve paid off. You can use it to borrow for other financial goals.
Find an expert who knows the market. Compare trusted real estate agents all in one place.
Home insurance doesn't have to be a hassle. Choose the best home insurance company for you.
Life insurance doesn’t have to be complicated. Find peace of mind and choose the right policy for you.
Answer a few quick questions and we’ll show you your top credit card options.
See what the experts say
Read in-depth credit card reviews to find out which cards have the best perks and more.
Start making moves toward your money goals and compare your debt management options.
Boost your business with rewards, perks and more. Compare cards in one place to find the one for you.
Figure out funding for your next car or refinance with confidence. Check out today’s auto loan rates.
Drive with peace of mind when you compare insurance carriers and find the policy that’s right for you.
We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.
The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you.
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money .
Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts, who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy.
Our banking reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most — the best banks, latest rates, different types of accounts, money-saving tips and more — so you can feel confident as you’re managing your money.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU — the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Portions of this article were drafted using an in-house natural language generation platform. The article was reviewed, fact-checked and edited by our editorial staff.
There are three main ways to cool your home: central air conditioning, window AC units and portable air conditioners. If you live in a place that doesn’t have central air conditioning, a window unit may be the way to go. And you can install such an air conditioner yourself, even if you’re not the most experienced DIY-er: It mainly takes a buddy, some basic tools and a little heavy lifting. Here’s how.
Before you purchase and install a window air conditioner, you want to know what type of window you have: standard windows that open by lifting them up, slider windows that open to the side or casement windows that crank open. Second, you need to measure the opening of your window. Finally, make sure you have power outlets nearby to plug in the unit.
You only need a few basic tools and materials for window air conditioning installation. In addition to the unit itself, you need:
Once you’ve followed these seven steps, your window air conditioner is ready to be plugged in and turned on.
Window air conditioning units are usually installed for a certain period of time — the hottest months of the year. When summer ends, you can easily remove the air conditioner and, once again, be able to open and close the window.
Of course, you can leave in the window unit year-round, though that’ll prevent you from opening and closing the window.
Individual AC units can also be installed into an opening cut into a room’s exterior wall. Common in motels and older apartment buildings, this sort of arrangement is more of a permanent solution: The unit stays in place, even when not in use during the winter. However, installing a “through-the-wall” air conditioner is more difficult, and more of a project for a professional to do.
If you don’t want to install your window air conditioner yourself — or you’re able to go with a through-the-wall unit — you have options. If you’re purchasing a new unit, you could have it installed by the retailer. Conversely, you could hire a handyman to install it for you.
Air conditioning installation costs vary by location,but generally, the average range is between $140 and $500 for each unit being installed, according to HomeAdvisor. Here’s how the price breaks down.
When selecting a window air conditioner, it’s important to choose the right size unit for the room or rooms you want to cool. If the unit is too small, it’ll struggle to cool the space and operate less efficiently. If the unit is too large, it will cool the space quickly but will cycle on and off, which is less efficient than running constantly.
While the thought of installing a window air conditioner yourself may be intimidating, it is definitely a do-able DIY project that two people working together can achieve — saving as much as $500 (not to mention the time waiting around for an appointment with a pro).
How to apply for a working capital loan
How to pay for emergency home repairs
How to open a money market account: 5 steps to take
How do smart ovens work?
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Bankrate, LLC NMLS ID# 1427381 | NMLS Consumer Access BR Tech Services, Inc. NMLS ID #1743443 | NMLS Consumer Access
Handmade Mos Clean Room Panel © 2024 Bankrate, LLC. A Red Ventures company. All Rights Reserved.