Here's how to get ahead of a rise in interest rates

The federal funds rate is set by the US central bank. Borrowing and saving rates are affected by the Fed's moves, even though consumers don't pay that rate.

Financing costs for many forms of consumer borrowing will go up because of this rate hike. As interest rates rise, you're peddling into a stiff headwind.

Credit card rates are the highest since 1996, mortgage rates are the highest since 2008, and auto loans are the highest since 2012)

Savers will earn more money on their deposits and high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit are at levels last seen in 2009.

Credit card rates will go up. As the federal funds rate rises, the prime rate does, as well, and your credit card rate follows suit within a few billing cycles.

Anyone carrying a balance on their credit card will have to pay more in interest just to cover it.

Consumers with credit card debt will spend $5.3 billion more on interest because of the rate hike. Credit card users will pay more in the future because of the rate hikes from March to June and July to September.

As rates rise, the best thing you can do is pay down high-cost debt.

He advised against using credit card debt as a weapon in the fight against rising interest rates.

If you have high-interest credit cards, pay them off with a lower-interest home equity loan or personal loan.

A personal loan can be a good option if you want to consolidate loans as rates continue to climb.

The mortgage rates are going up. Home equity lines of credit are pegged to the prime rate, but 15-year and 30-year mortgage rates are fixed and linked to the economy. Jacob Channel said that the rates are at their highest levels since the Great Recession.

The average interest rate on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was almost double what it was at the end of the previous year.

A 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at December's rate of 3.11% would have meant a monthly payment of about $1,283. The monthly payment is $1803. Over the lifetime of the loan, that adds up to $187,200 more.

Channel said that if you are house shopping, you shouldn't worry about whether or not rates will come down.

He said that if rates fall over the next few years, you may be able to get a new mortgage. If you decide to buy a home in the future, you shouldn't feel like you'll be stuck with the current rates forever.

The cost of an auto loan is higher. Even though auto loans are fixed, payments are getting bigger because the price for all cars is rising along with the interest rates on new loans, so if you are planning to buy a car, you'll shell out more in the months ahead

Consumers with higher credit scores may be able to secure better loan terms if the average interest rate on a new car loan is pushed up by the Fed.

Over the course of a $40,000 car loan, paying an annual percentage rate of 6% would cost consumers more in interest.

Interest rates matter when it comes to auto purchases. They can make or break a deal, and rising interest rates could push consumers past their comfort zone for monthly payments.

There are different types of student loans. Most borrowers will not be impacted by a rate hike immediately. If you are going to borrow money for college, the interest rate on federal student loans is going to go up in the next few years.

As the Fed raises rates, borrowers will pay more in interest, although how much more will vary by the benchmark, if they have a private loan.

Depending on your credit score, private student loan fixed rates can be as high as 13.95% and variable rates can be as low as 1.29%.

Anyone with education debt should check to see if they are eligible for student loan forgiveness.

Savers need to shop around to get the best deals. After a number of rate hikes, the interest rates on savings accounts are finally going up.

The savings account rates at some of the largest retail banks are currently up to 0.1, despite the fact that the Fed has no direct influence on deposit rates.

To lower overhead expenses, top-yielding online savings account rates are as high as 2.5%, which is much higher than the average rate from a brick-and- mortar bank.

The yields will continue to increase as the central bank hikes its rates. Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com, said that they might not increase as much as you would think.

Know your dollar will not pay for as much as it did before.

Tumin said that many banks are still flush with deposits. Savings account rates are lower now than they were early in the year when the federal funds rate was the same.

Money in savings loses purchasing power over time because the inflation rate is higher than all of the others.

Natalia Brown is the chief client operations officer at National Debt Relief.

It is an opportunity to reexamine your finances if you are already having trouble keeping your head above water. Seek help before you take any additional credit.

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