The COVID-19 pandemic has been disastrous for U.S. employment, but the job market is showing signs of healing due to states reopening partially or fully. The national unemployment rate is currently at 6.9%, which is 53% lower than the peak of 14.7% during the height of the pandemic. However, we might see a slowdown of future growth due to the fact that there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in many states, and some states have either paused their reopening processes or even reinstituted restrictions they previously lifted. It will likely take a long time for the unemployment rate to return to the historic low it experienced prior to the coronavirus crisis. Some cities’ jobs have weathered the storm better than others, though.

In order to identify where workers have been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, WalletHub compared 180 cities based on three key metrics. We looked at the change in each city’s unemployment during the latest month for which we have data (October 2020) compared to October 2019 and January 2020. We also considered each city’s overall unemployment rate. Read on for the results, additional commentary from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.

“Credit pulls” are the same thing as “credit inquiries” and “credit checks.” All of these terms refer to the act of checking a credit report. You can pull your own credit report, for example. As can a lender, employer, landlord or insurance company, under the right circumstances.

Pulling your own credit report will not hurt your credit standing in any way. In fact, self-credit pulls could help improve your score if you notice opportunities for improvement or errors that you can dispute. And you can check your latest TransUnion credit report for free on WalletHub, the only site with free daily updates.

Many parts of the U.S. have been hit by a surge in COVID-19 cases, and different states have reopened at different rates. Some states have paused their reopening plans or have even reversed course and issued new restrictions. Despite that, new unemployment claims decreased week-over-week on November 23, which shows that we’re making progress toward recovery. Some states experienced an especially large recovery, with claims lower than last year. Those states are Oklahoma and Wyoming.

There are currently 11.1 million Americans unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in total. Last week, there were 712,000 new unemployment claims nationwide, which is a lot fewer than the 6.9 million during the peak of the pandemic (a 90% reduction).

Driving without insurance is illegal – not to mention, financially risky – but that doesn’t stop some drivers from doing it. A study by the Insurance Research Council found that approximately one out of eight U.S. motorists in 2012 lacked any insurance coverage.

The penalty for driving without insurance can be steep – hundreds of dollars in fines and the revocation of your driver’s license, for example – but that’s nothing compared to the potential out-of-pocket costs of an accident without proper protection.

A balance transfer is when you repay existing debt with a new credit card. This moves, or transfers, your balance to the new card but does not reduce the amount you owe. Instead, the point of a balance transfer is to get a lower interest rate, save money on finance charges and pay off what you owe much faster. In fact, the average household – which owes more than $8,000 to creditors – could save well over $1,000 with one of the best 0% balance transfer credit cards.

Compare Balance Transfer Credit Cards

You have been injured in an automobile accident, leaving you with medical bills and perhaps other costs such as lost income. Maybe you were at fault in the accident, maybe another driver was. How will you be compensated for these losses?

That depends, in part, on where you live.

Property damage liability coverage helps pay for damage to someone else’s car or other property due to an accident you caused, up to the policy’s limits. It will also cover damage you may cause to structures and stationary objects, including houses, stores, offices, trees, fences, guardrails, lamp posts, telephone poles, and more.

Property damage liability insurance does not cover damage to your own car. To repair that damage, you will need the physical damage coverage of your collision and comprehensive policies.

You can pay rent with a credit card, but it probably won’t be easy or cheap. Many landlords do not accept credit card payments directly, forcing renters to rely on third-party apps that charge fees in order to pay rent with a credit card. Plenty of people still do it, though. Paying rent with a credit card can help keep a roof over your heard if you’re short on cash. It also provides the benefits of fraud protection and rewards.

Below, you can find out the different methods for paying rent with a credit card. You’ll also find a discussion of the pros and cons of doing so, so you can make an informed decision on whether to pay by card or use an alternative payment method.

Car repair insurance, or mechanical breakdown coverage, is available from a few insurance companies such as GEICO and Mercury Insurance. Adding this coverage to your car insurance can save you from bearing the cost of major repairs like a blown engine or transmission on your own. But for most people it’s just not a good value.

So that you can decide for yourself, we summarize below how this insurance works. We’ll also offer some better alternatives that can help protect you from expensive car repairs.

A balance transfer fee is a fee charged for transferring a debt from a credit card or loan to a different credit card. More than 7 in 10 0% balance transfer credit cards charge a balance transfer fee, according to WalletHub data. The average fee is equal to about 3% of the amount transferred, with a minimum of $5 or $10. A balance transfer fee of 3% would cost the average household over $270, if they were to transfer their roughly $9,000 in credit card debt.

A balance transfer can be a great way to pay down debt with a lower interest rate, but balance transfer fees can add up. Needless to say, they are important for anyone with debt to consider. That includes the millions of Americans with credit card debt, plus people with high-cost auto loans, personal loans, private student loans, etc. You can use a balance transfer credit card to repay most types of consumer debt, after all.