How Airbnb complicates refinancing

Here are three of the week's top pieces of financial advice, gathered from around the web:

How Airbnb complicates refinancing

"Airbnb is causing headaches for some homeowners looking to refinance their mortgages," said Peter Rudegeair at The Wall Street Journal. Big banks, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo, are subjecting people who rent out rooms through the site to extra scrutiny, rejecting some of their applications for certain kinds of loans or charging them higher interest rates. The reason is that short-term rental services blur the line between residential and commercial property, and lenders see the latter as a riskier investment. Many lenders find out about homeowners' Airbnb activity through income-tax returns. But you may not have to report rental earnings to the IRS. If your home is rented out for fewer than 15 days a year, "the tax code allows that income to be pocketed, tax-free."

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Don't sell those comics just yet

Low on cash? "You may find yourself eyeing your prized fill-in-the-blank collection, wondering, 'Should I sell this?'" said Geoff Williams at US News. If you really need the money, don't rush into selling your stash of comic books or Beanie Babies. Research the value of your collection first, checking sites like eBay to see what similar items have sold for. "If you want top dollar, don't go to a store to sell your stuff." Retailers, which need to make a profit of their own, have to offer less than the resale value. Don't sell your entire collection in bulk, either. Individual collectors often have smaller budgets, but are willing to pay more for a single piece. Besides, "do you really want your buyer to treat your prized collection like a warehouse-store score?"

The catch with credit card rewards

Credit card companies are offering ever more generous sign-up bonuses — but you can't take advantage of them all, said Jonnelle Marte at The Washington Post. Banks have been making it harder for consumers to grab as many rewards as possible by opening multiple cards or by closing and reopening a card to get an offer aimed at new customers. Chase, for example, often rejects applications from customers who have opened five or more credit cards over the past two years. Customers must also wait two years before collecting another sign-up bonus for the same credit card. At American Express, cardholders can earn a bonus only once per credit card, period. So be selective when hunting rewards. "Applying for too many cards may kick you out of the running when an enticing offer comes along."