Imagine, if you will, a pickle barrel at a grocery store. It’s filled with pickles you can take out, put in a bag and pay for. Of course, you only pay for the pickles you take out. And once you eat the pickles you bought, you can buy more pickles – again and again –
Loans
You’re ready to add a deck to your home. Maybe you want a place to relax, a place to party, a play for the kids to play or you simply want to add value to your home. You’ve done your homework. You figured out how much it will cost to build your deck, considered design
The internet has given us countless innovations over the last several years. And these days, you can buy just about anything online, including your next home. With an eMortgage (also known as an electronic mortgage), borrowers can potentially move through the entire home buying process, including closing, without ever getting off their couch. Given the
Who among us is immune to the occasional big expense? Sure, it’s great when you’re financially prepared to deal with the cost of a big-ticket item or service. But sometimes you’re blindsided by the unexpected: a costly medical procedure, a home repair, a sick pet or your car breaking down. When your life needs financing,
Applying for a business loan can be a great way to get the financing you need to grow your business. But did you know that it can affect your personal credit and may make it harder for you to borrow money for things like getting a mortgage? We’ve put together a guide to help you
Whether you’re buying your first car or looking for an upgrade, you may need an auto loan to get behind the wheel. A lender will use a borrower’s credit history and credit scores to determine how reliable they are at repaying debt. Without that history, it’s harder for lenders to determine creditworthiness. However, lenders can
Federal student loans are one of the most accessible ways to fund an education. But that doesn’t mean making those monthly payments after graduation will be easy. It’s important to stay on top of your payments because even a single missed payment can hurt your credit score. This can make it harder for future you
Things change when you leave school. Suddenly there are more bills to pay, including your monthly student loan payment. Meanwhile, if you want to take out a loan to buy a car, rent an apartment or get a mortgage to buy a home, you’ll need to know what your credit score is and how to
While having a credit card that two people share can help fund larger expenses you don’t have the immediate cash for, borrowing limits can be low and interest rates can be high. This is where a personal loan can help. And if you’re looking to get a personal loan with more than one borrower, you
As a small business owner, if you’re looking to grow your business or fund a startup, a small business loan may help you. There are two types of business loans to choose from: a secured business loan and an unsecured business loan. While each offers its own benefits, there are quite a few differences between
When it comes to investing, real estate crowdfunding is the newest kid on the block. Crowdfunding sites are popping up on the web, promising a revolutionary take on making money in real estate. Targeted at new and seasoned investors alike, real estate crowdfunding is a great way to break into a game that’s typically reserved
So you started a business – and business is booming! Now you’re in the happy situation of needing more capital to fund your business’s growth. This is where a business credit card can come in handy. We’ve put together a guide outlining what you need to qualify for a business credit card, how to apply
When your parents bought their first home, they probably had floors covered with wall-to-wall carpet. These days, more homes feature hardwood floors instead of carpet. Carpets are easier to install, but a wood floor looks beautiful, is built to last and is easier to clean than carpet or linoleum. It can also be a great
Life brings most of us occasions when a little extra money would be helpful. Maybe you’ve been hit with unexpected medical bills, or your home’s air conditioning unit literally gave its last gasp. Or maybe you’re planning a wedding and need to put a deposit down to reserve the venue. If you have good credit
Financing can help your business grow and help you reach the goals you’ve set for your business. But it’s important to know what kind of debt is helpful and how it can impact your business, especially when you’re trying to climb out from under already existing debt. Our guide will clarify the difference between good
You can borrow money through a personal line of credit or a personal loan. You won’t need collateral (aka an asset that secures a loan) for either loan. And both are repaid over a set period of time. Either one is a great option for making large purchases or financing big projects. And you can
If you need some financial help, payday loans and personal loans are two ways to borrow money. You typically don’t need any collateral for either loan, and you can use the money any way you like. Payday loans work well for quick cash – but they can be very dangerous and very expensive in the
Need some extra cash for a home repair and have equity in your home? You might want to look at a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit, also known as a HELOC. Both are second mortgages and both are great options. You’ll find some differences between a home equity loan and a
You might see the word ‘debt’ and think it’s a bad thing to have. But the truth is, life happens. A sudden emergency room visit or a costly home repair can squeeze your pocketbook. Or you may have lots of credit card debt you’d like to consolidate. We get it – sometimes finances become stressful.
Loans are part of how most of us live our lives. Loans help people get educated, buy a car, buy a home, pay for emergency medical bills and much more. The list of reasons why people need loans is a long one. And, thankfully, there’s an equally long list of loans available for our diverse
Are you considering a kitchen repair, starting up that small business you’ve been dreaming about or trying to figure out how you’ll scrape by in the summer months with your seasonal job? An unsecured line of credit may be just the thing. A line of credit is a type of revolving credit, meaning you can
Life happens. And despite making savvy money moves and routinely growing your savings, unforeseen expenses – like medical bills, big emergencies or car repairs – can derail even the most well-planned budget and savings plan. When life happens, you may need to take out a personal loan to cover the cost. But how can you
Picture yourself sipping a cool refreshment as the sun beams down on you and there’s the sound of water lapping against the side of your boat. Ahh, that’s the life, isn’t it? Well, this daydream may be easier to make your reality than you thought! We’ve put together five of the best ways to finance
Refinancing your personal loan is a great tactic to manage financial change. Whether you’re making the shift from a two-income to a one-income household, adding a significant expense, paying off credit card debt or sending children off to college, you may need to adjust your personal loan payments to be more affordable. Consider these scenarios:
Sure, your home’s main purpose is to give you and your family a place to live. And you might even use your home as a kind of real estate investment. But if that’s all you think your home is good for, you’re missing out on some other ways to use your homeownership to your advantage,
Going to college and buying a home are both important milestones, but student loan debt might make them feel like conflicting goals. Luckily, you can pursue both higher education and homeownership by understanding how loan debt might affect your mortgage. Read on to learn how student loans factor into getting a mortgage and get some
Paying for higher education tends to be expensive. And student loans are a popular way to pay for college, graduate school and other types of education. Over 40 million people get help paying for higher education with federal student loans.[1] Sometimes, life gets in the way of people paying back their student loans. You may
If you have a student loan, you’re a member of a really, really big club. Over 40 million people have student loans to help with the expenses of higher education.[1] But what does having student loan debt do to your credit score? Student loans can make your credit score go down, but they can also
As the clock ticks toward the May 1 restart of federal student loan repayments, you may be wondering how to make your monthly payments more affordable. And even if you weren’t able to take advantage of the pause on student loan payments because you have private loans, you might be wondering the same thing. Consider
There are two main types of credit accounts: revolving credit and installment credit. When it comes to revolving credit, think credit cards. When it comes to installment credit, think mortgages or personal loans. Our guide covers the ins and outs of installment credit: what it is, how it works, how it affects your credit score