Going over the fine print of a mortgage offer is about as enjoyable as a poke in the eye – or maybe both eyes. Even so, it’s important to ensure that any contractual offer that you make on a home has just the right terms you need before proceeding through the home-buying process. Consider these
Borrowing
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a higher credit limit on your credit cards? A higher credit limit could serve as a buffer for an emergency cash flow problem, saving you from searching for short-term loan options. Another advantage of a higher credit limit is a potentially higher credit score through lower credit utilization –
It’s no surprise why many Americans struggle with credit card debt – we spend more on our credit cards than we pay off at the end of the month. What are the expenses that drive that debt? It’s probably not what you think.
Based on a new survey from CompareCards.com by LendingTree, the majority of
There’s no shortage of data on America’s housing market. Analysts constantly review new and existing home sales, building permits, available housing units, and other metrics to gauge the health of the market and to assess its likely direction. ATTOM Data Solutions, a national property data warehouse with information on 150 million U.S. properties, adds another
For the unprepared, the mortgage process can be a whirlwind of unfamiliar terms and procedures followed by stacks of confusing paperwork. Were you truly ready for the process when you bought your first home – or, if you are a prospective first-time homebuyer, are you ready now?
A recent survey by FREEandCLEAR suggests that while
Costs Increase, Defaults Follow Americans owe the government approximately $1.37 trillion in student loans – and, according to recent information from the U.S. Department of Education, student loan debtors are having an increasingly difficult time paying back those loans.
The Wall Street Journal reports that some $631 billion of the $1.37 trillion debt load is
Auto loan defaults have been on a steady decline, except for one segment – the subprime market of loan holders with credit scores below 620. According to the report on household debt recently released by the New York Federal Reserve, almost 10% of auto loans made to borrowers in the subprime market were delinquent by
Does your credit card bill contain a billing error? Did someone use your card fraudulently to rack up unauthorized charges? Have you tried and failed to resolve a credit card dispute with a vendor, such as a defective item that the vendor will not refund? These are situations where the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)
What is the best day of the month to close on your mortgage? Not everyone will have the same answer to that question, as it depends on your specific mortgage situation.
Many homebuyers consider the end of the month to be the best time to close. Data released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR)
The holiday season and New Year’s Eve are known for excesses, and for the subsequent regrets. We cannot help you with the traditional form of holiday hangover, but we can help you avoid the “credit hangover” caused from excessive holiday spending. With some forethought and willpower, you can make it through the holidays unscathed (at
By Kelly Hartog
Is there anyone this side of a Supreme Court Justice who hasn’t signed off on a document without reading or understanding every single word and Latin phrase? When it comes to buying a house, it pays to know the phrase “lis pendens”.
A lis pendens is the Latin term for a Notice
Are the holidays not hectic enough for you? Put aside your gift list for a moment; how about adding a home sale to your to-do list?
Most people avoid selling their homes during the holidays, but you may not have any choice in the matter. If you need to sell your home around the end
Does your Christmas season usually lead to the January blues due to excessive holiday spending? It doesn’t have to be that way. With a combination of planning and willpower, you can enjoy a festive holiday without starting the New Year in a big financial hole. Consider these nine ways to celebrate while staying fiscally responsible.
Billionaires and the impoverished have one thing in common – momentum. Once you achieve high levels of wealth or debt, it’s very easy for either one to continue to grow.
A recent report by the Institute for Policy Studies highlights this point. The study found that three billionaires – Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, and Bill
Moving during the holidays can be a headache with all the seasonal activities and obligations – not to mention unpleasant weather in many locations. However, there are plenty of positives to buying a home during the holidays that may make the headaches of moving worth the effort, including the seven listed below.
1. Less Competition
Holidays are supposed to be a joyous time – but scammers can replace the joy of the season with the headaches of fraud. Help yourself and take some simple precautions to keep the Grinches out of your bank accounts during the holidays.
Phishing emails – Phishing, or emails with fake links designed to get your
Have you ever made payments only using your voice? Most people have at least given their credit card number out over the phone or have used automated phone payment menus – although the latter often leaves people shouting “REPRESENTATIVE!!!” at their phone attempting to interface with a human being.
Significant advancements in voice recognition technology
Should I stay or should I go? With apologies to The Clash, that’s the question many homeowners are asking themselves. Does it make more sense to renovate your current home, or should you look for a home that is a better fit for your current needs?
Data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) suggests
Will your student loan debt put a dent in your holiday spending plans? A recent survey by Student Loan Hero suggests that while student loan debtors may try to save money during their holiday shopping runs, they will not let debt curtail their spending.
According to the survey, one-third of consumers with student loan debt
What’s one of the easiest ways to end a friendship? Loan your friend a significant amount of money. According to a recent survey from Bank of America, money was the fourth greatest cause of stress in a friendship, behind jealousy, gossip, and disagreements. We would rather talk to our friends about family drama, weight, or
Stocks Outpace Housing Few can argue that the stock market has experienced great growth under President Trump. The “Trump Bump” consists of an approximate 20% increase in both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 during the President’s first year in office.
Does the same Trump Bump translate to the housing market? A recent study by
If you are attempting to buy a home on a low or intermediate income, you need every bit of help that you can get. Mortgage credit certificates are one of the lesser-known ways that the federal government can help.
A mortgage credit certificate (MCC) is essentially a form of tax savings. The mortgage interest that
Credit scores are somewhat like IRS tax codes: we know they’re important; few folks fully understand them; and failing to successfully deal with either can cost you a lot of money. While most of the factors determining your credit scores, such as payment history, number of open accounts, and type of accounts, take months or
Home sellers and their agents may be limiting their potential base of buyers by ignoring a growing pool of them.
Inside Mortgage Finance recently noted that loans acquired through the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department are rapidly increasing, reaching a holding level of one-quarter of primary insured home loans. This tops the number of loans backed
Veteran’s Administration (VA) loans are invaluable for homebuyers. Their advantages include little or no money down, qualifying with a lower credit score, competitive interest rates, potentially lower closing and auxiliary costs, and no private mortgage insurance requirements.
VA loans are administered through approved lending institutions, and backed through an entitlement of up to $36,000. This
College may be expensive, but a college degree allows you to recoup your investment by landing a higher-paying job that allows you to pay back your loans in a timely fashion… or does it? The skyrocketing costs of college in recent years, combined with a rough job market, have thrown that basic premise into question.
What’s the best time of the year to rent a home? That depends on what factors are important to you, and how much time you have to act.
People don’t always have the luxury of taking their time in renting a house or apartment. They often have to assess a market in a fairly short
It seems like every time you turn around, there’s news of a new data breach – and the breaches continue to get larger with time. When breaches reach the level of affecting millions and even billions of accounts, it’s only a matter of time before your accounts are affected. How can you keep your accounts
It’s that time of year when the leaves change colors, pumpkin flavoring is crammed into everything imaginable (who needs Eye Drops with Pumpkin Spice?), and scary things come out on Halloween – but will you open your door on October 31 and be confronted by anything scarier than these hair-raising financial horror stories?
They Stole
Where do lower-income Americans turn when faced with immediate bills and no money with which to pay them? Most turn to the payday loan industry, which offers short-term loans in exchange for fees and high interest rates. These loans are generally $500 or less and are called “payday” loans because the borrower is expected to
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- …
- 18
- Next Page »