Mortgage rates have been near historic lows for the past few years but recent Federal Reserve rate hikes have them inching back up. As of mid-April, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 4.08 percent, according to Freddie Mac. That’s up a half a percentage point from a year ago, when 30-year home loans were going

Taking out a student loan is easy, relatively speaking, compared to paying it off. Six months after leaving school, repaying your loan becomes a must if you’re former student, and most recent graduates choose to complete the entire process though the basic federal student loan repayment plan.