If one of your personal or financial goals is to get out of debt this year – or at least eliminate your debt as soon as possible – now is a great time to get started. Becoming debt-free takes work. But it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming chore. Simply following proven strategies below to […]
How to Get Out of Debt Now Read More »
After owning your home for some time, you might start to consider whether or not you should refinance your mortgage. If interest rates have dropped considerably as they have in recent years, or if your credit has improved dramatically, it’s possible you might be able to get a much better deal on a new mortgage
Do’s and Don’ts When Refinancing Your Home Read More »
When you think about the assets you own, does your house immediately spring to mind? It should, if you made any down payment on the house. That down payment – whether it was from funds out of your own pocket or money secured elsewhere – represents equity in your house. Your equity in a home
Is My Home an Asset or a Liability? Read More »
Excerpted from Your First Home: The Smart Way to Get It and Keep It Proven Strategies to Slash Your Property Tax Bill Almost everyone hates to pay taxes, and it doesn’t matter whether they’re federal income taxes, state taxes, or local taxes on the house you own. Americans dread property taxes more than any other
How Can I Lower My Property Taxes? Read More »
Missing mortgage payments isn’t the only way you can lose your home. Falling behind on your property taxes – no matter whether you owe thousands or just a few hundred dollars – also puts you at risk of foreclosure. In fact, tax lien foreclosures take place every day in America. When you don’t pay property
Can I Lose My Home Because of Overdue Property Taxes? Read More »
If you need a loan, especially a mortgage, we all know that your application will be viewed more favorably if you can demonstrate a good savings track record, and show that you have great credit. But did you also know that, just like there are tangible and intangible ways you can impress a banker, there
Red Flags That Mortgage Lenders Hate To See Read More »
A subscriber to my newsletter went to Half.com, a division of Amazon.com and ordered a book. When she got her Discover card statement, she found a bogus charge described as Amazon.com. She wanted to know what to do. This sounds like a case of identity theft (i.e. use of your credit card number without your
What To Do When You Are a Victim of Identity Theft Read More »
One of my lucky readers just got $5,000 from a family member — not for her, but for her young daughter’s college education. Her question: what to do with it? My answer: Put it in a 529 Plan. A 529 Plan is a state-sponsored college savings program. In my opinion, these are hands-down the single
The 529 College Savings Plan Explained Read More »
One of my newsletter subscribers had a question about how to best dispute a medical debt. She found out that a collection account for $1,879 appears on her Equifax credit report, based on a $2,000 surgery she had back in 2004. This individual (who is also unemployed) said she’d paid monthly on the bill at
How to Best Dispute a Medical Debt Read More »
Another financial scam is making the rounds. This one involves Walmart. And it’s happening just in time for the holidays. Here’s the con: Some no-good thieves are calling people on the phone and saying: “You’ve won a $200 Walmart gift card!” To collect your gift card, they say, you just have to pay $1 for
Another Financial Scam: This One Involves Walmart Read More »
A Facebook fan read about some local banks closing, and wanted to know how – as an account holder – this will affect her. Here’s what you need to know if your bank fails. So far this year, 115 banks have collapsed in the U.S., and many of them are local banks. The Federal Deposit
What to Expect if Your Bank Closes Read More »
A Facebook fan who is about to get married had asked me whether there is a limit in the amount of income to be able to qualify for FHA. It seems that they were advise to only put the fiance’s name on the mortgage as their combined income would disqualify them from getting the FHA
FHA Loan Guidelines Read More »
The owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Frank McCourt, is in divorce talks with his wife Jamie, the CEO for the team. This power couple is one of 1.2 million husband-and-wife teams who run a business together, according to the National Federation for Independent Business. And when couples split, often so can the business. John
Tips for Splitting Assets: When Entrepreneurs Divorce Read More »
A Facebook fan had heard that a bad credit rating could keep him from getting a job. He wanted to verify whether this is true and wanted to know where he find out about his credit rating. It is true that having a bad credit rating can impact a person’s ability to get a job.
How Credit Rating Can Affect Your Ability to Get a Job Read More »
A Facebook fan has asked whether the National Mortgage Help Center is a legitimate company. I’ve never had any dealings with National Mortgage Help Center, nor have I heard anything about them from consumers or in the media. So I can’t really comment with any authority or insight into whether this particular company is “legitimate”
Are Mortgage Help Centers Legitimate? Read More »
