Is an Adjustable Rate Mortgage Right for You?
Cape or Colonial? Three bedrooms or four? Hardwood floors or wall-to-wall carpet? Use a realtor or handle the negotiations yourself? Make a 20 percent down payment or not? [cta button=”text for button” image=”http://override-default-image-url” link=”http://override-default-link/”]Get your free monthly credit score! No credit card required![/cta] To say that there a ton of decisions to make when buying […]
10 Things You Should Be Doing to Protect Your Identity
In a moment, identity theft can cause you huge expense and massive headaches. What an identity thief accomplishes in an hour or day can take years to unravel. It can happen to anyone, and the perpetrators are not always strangers. Take a few simple, basic precautions to protect yourself. Shred everything. Not just last month’s […]
5 Steps to Take Immediately If You’ve Been a Victim of Identity Theft
The discovery of identity theft is bound to be one of the most anxious and stressful moments a person can experience. When an identity thief gets his (or her) hands on your personal information, they gain the power to wreak havoc on your finances, credit and reputation. Minimize the chance that you will fall victim […]
What Happens If You Only Make Part of Your Mortgage Payment?
We asked our Facebook fans and Twitter followers to share their most pressing personal finance questions, and this week we’re talking mortgage payments — or more specifically, unintentional partial mortgage payments that end up being reported as a 30-day late payments. John Ulzheimer, Credit Expert for Credit Sesame, weighs-in. “John, I received a notice of […]
Credit Repair Services Guide
If you are struggling to pay off your debt or want to build your credit, or even if you just need some help understanding how to improve your credit score, you may want to seek credit repair services. Not sure where to begin? Here’s a quick overview of the services that are offered, what to […]
When is a Personal Loan Better than a Credit Card?
We’ve all been there. We need to buy something but we don’t have the cash. And while your immediate reaction may be to charge it on your credit card, another option to consider is the more traditional, but often overlooked, personal loan. As a financial planner, I often have clients come into the bank to […]
4 Rules for Buying a Home (and How Far You Can Bend Them)
When it comes to buying a home, few rules are hard and fast. Government programs have allowed people at all financial levels to realize this basic American dream. Long gone are the days when only the most affluent members of society could become landowners. So what are the rules today when it comes to home […]
Can I Get a Mortgage if I’m Retired?
Obtaining any loan depends on your ability to show the lender that you’ll be able to repay it. Retired people don’t earn the bulk of their income through work. Excellent credit and substantial assets may not be enough to qualify for a mortgage, but that doesn’t mean the loan is out of reach. Qualifying for […]
When You Should Opt for Credit Over Debit
You’ve probably heard numerous financial experts say that you should always opt for debit over credit. Their reason? By only making purchases with your debit card (or cash), you don’t spend more than what’s in your bank account. While that’s true, if you’re financially responsible, using a credit card is often the wiser move. Here, […]
Can a First-Time Buyer Get a Jumbo Loan?
What is a jumbo loan? In most parts of the U.S., “jumbo” means a mortgage larger than $417,000. In some high-cost areas like New York, the threshold is $625,000. This is not a limit on purchase price, but rather on the loan amount. So to buy a home for $500,000 with 20 percent down, a […]
Rent Your Home and Let the Tenant Pay the Mortgage? What You Need to Know Before You Go
Homeowners are motivated by many different factors when considering whether to sell or rent their home. Rather than sell at a loss, some homeowners are choosing to rent the home and continue to pay the mortgage. The Wall Street Journal calls them “reluctant landlords.”
5 Tricks to Save Cash on Realtor Commissions
The average 6 percent sales commission that most real estate agents get is a high price to pay, especially if you believe economists who say that realtors don’t sell homes for significantly more than the asking price.
How Credit Cards Impact Your Net Worth
Your personal net worth and your credit worthiness are two completely separate (but equally important) parts of your financial well being. Having many credit cards doesn’t necessarily equate to high net worth.
Dummies Guide to Disputing Credit Card Charges
Disputing a credit card charge isn’t rocket science, but if you’ve never done it before you might not know where to begin. We hope you never have to use this guide, but in the event you do – we’ve got you covered.
Guide: How to Fix Your Credit
If you would like to jump down to specific topics then use the following table of contents to take you to the part of the page you need more information for: – What is credit repair? – How does credit repair work and is it effective? – What to do for fast credit repair – […]
