What to Do If You Can’t Pay Your Utility Bills
In recent weeks, families around the world have been thrown into a new normal. For many, this time has also introduced a new season of financial hardship. Maybe your hours were reduced to part-time as your company works through these unsettling times. Or, perhaps you...
60-Day Foreclosure Moratorium: What To Know
If you're struggling to keep your head above water because of COVID-19, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The federal government issued a foreclosure moratorium in March 2020 to help everyone affected by COVID-19. HUD Secretary Ben Carson will oversee the new mortgage...
Average Cost To Paint Your House
There's nothing like giving your house a little facelift by doing some painting. Whether you want to add some curb appeal to the exterior or give one or more of the rooms in your house a new look, paint can works wonders to give your home a refresh or a new look. Are...
What Credit Card Is Best For Retirement?
I’ve been studying the credit card industry and writing about it for over 10 years. And while I’m not approaching retirement, I’ve often asked to help retired friends, family members, and readers with their credit cards. Can you keep your credit cards when you retire?...
SR-22: Everything You Need To Know
Did you know that one in eight motorists in the US drives on the country's roads even if they don't have car insurance? Not only is that illegal in most states-- it also puts other drivers and pedestrians at severe risks. On top of that are those who drive while...
Buy Low, Sell High: What You Need To Know
Tales of investors getting rich by buying low and selling high on the stock market don't always tell the full story. During the Dotcom boom in the early 1990s, stock traders made millions from tech companies by 'getting in early.' Others lost money by holding on to...
What Are The Top Surveys For Money?
An astonishing 6 hours and 42 minutes a day -- that's the average amount of time people all over the world spend online. On a long-term scale, that translates to about a quarter of their lives! In the US alone, mobile internet usage has risen -- 20 minutes more in...
How To Find Money Orders Near Me
Money orders may not be the most common form of payment, but they're underrated. Using a money order offers you more privacy, safety, and even an extra layer of theft protection. Everyone can benefit from using money orders, the only problem is -- where do you even...
Refinancing With Poor Credit: The Complete Guide
Having poor credit is not a death sentence for your mortgage refinance dreams. That being said, it won't be easy. Yet, with 20.5% of homeowners who refinanced in January 2019 having FICO scores between 650 and 699, it's doable. The solution would be thoroughly...
Should I Sell or Refinance My House: Your Definitive Guide
Almost 40% of homes in the U.S. are free of a mortgage, but there are still the other 60% that have decisions to make about financing. If you are trying to decide on whether to remodel your home or sell your current home and buy another one, we are going to help you...
How Much Can You Be Saving From A Refinance?
Americans are averaging a mortgage debt of $201,811 across the country according to a recent report by Experian. Many will argue this is rather too low or too high depending which state and city you live in. Although Americans have such high mortgage debt, they often...
Reverse Mortgage vs. Cash Out Refinance
There are many differences between a reverse mortgage and a cash out refinance. While both programs use home equity to get cash back, the reverse mortgage is specifically for senior citizens. What is a Reverse Mortgage? Home Equity Conversion Mortgage is the formal...
Why Should I Refinance My Mortgage?
With all the ads urging homeowners to refinance their homes, it makes people wonder if they should and how exactly would it benefit them. Refinancing your mortgage means that you are paying off the remainder of your existing loan and replacing it with a new one, or...
The Federal Reserve Dropped Interest Rates to 0%: What Does it Mean To You?
In light of recent events, the Federal Reserve announced that they would drop interest rates to zero. While this number may sound appealing initially, it can actually create a ripple effect on many different markets, including the mortgage sector. What do these...
Understanding the Freddie Mac Enhanced Relief Refinance Program (FMERR)
If you own your home but have little equity or even no equity whatsoever, you might think that refinancing is out of reach. Thankfully, there are programs available that can get you out from being underwater and back on track with lower payments. The Freddie Mac...
Cash-Out Refinancing: Best Reasons to Take Cash Out
Cash out refinancing is when you refinance your home and take out a loan for more than what you currently owe, and then you take the difference in cash. You can use this cash for whatever you want, but a cash out refinancing can be useful when used carefully and...
USDA Home Loan Requirements Explained
Millions of people buy homes each year. More than 5.34 million houses sold to new owners in 2019 alone. While many of those buyers financed their homes with conventional mortgages, others turned to federally-backed loans to help them get into the house of their...
How to Prepare to Buy a House in One Year
59% of Americans consider home ownership to be part of the American dream. You don't just want to purchase a property eventually, though. If you are interested in buying a house in one year, read on for the tools to make that dream a reality. Here's how to save and...
Should I Sell or Refinance My House: Your Definitive Guide
Almost 40% of homes in the U.S. are free of a mortgage, but there are still the other 60% that have decisions to make about financing. If you are trying to decide on whether to remodel your home or sell your current home and buy another one, we are going to help you...
What does COVID-19 mean for the housing market?
There are many questions on our minds during this difficult time. And this one is particularly important to anyone who is planning on buying or selling a home soon. Many plans have indeed come to a screeching halt as a result of COVID-19. But in some circumstances,...
Tips When Buying a Home During COVID-19
Market analysts expect home sales to fall by 35% for 2020. This would mean that the total home sales for the year would be around 4 million, a number that hasn't been this low since 1991. These may sound like bad things, but as a buyer, this makes it a market prime...
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae: COVID-19 Update
U.S. unemployment swung from a 50-year low in February to 4.4% in March 2020, which reflects a huge jump in newly unemployed people. Unfortunately, most unemployment is the product of layoffs caused by the COVID-19: 10 million people applied for benefits in the last...
How Your Credit Score Affects Your Mortgage Rate
Buying a home involves numerous steps that can make the whole process extremely wearing. Choosing to work on your credit is as vital as making sure your credit score is at a good level. Americans have a credit score averaging out to 687, according to Experian’s most...
How to Host a Successful Virtual Open House
With shelter in place orders affecting almost 10 million Americans, virtual open houses can assist people in buying and selling real estate without leaving their homes. COVID-19 has pushed mortgage rates lower, and this creates a prime opportunity for both buyers and...
What Are The Top Surveys For Money?
An astonishing 6 hours and 42 minutes a day -- that's the average amount of time people all over the world spend online. On a long-term scale, that translates to about a quarter of their lives! In the US alone, mobile internet usage has risen -- 20 minutes more in...
How To Find Money Orders Near Me
Money orders may not be the most common form of payment, but they're underrated. Using a money order offers you more privacy, safety, and even an extra layer of theft protection. Everyone can benefit from using money orders, the only problem is -- where do you even...
How To Make Money Donating Plasma
In the US, around 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily. As you can see, there's a huge need for donations. If you're short on cash, you may have been doing things like searching "donation for plasma near me." What's great about doing this is that you get some...
How To Get A Credit Card With Poor Credit
Getting credit card offers in the mail or online doesn't guarantee that you'll be approved for a card. To get a credit card in your name, you must meet a basic set of qualifications. Other requirements vary by card, and they'll generally get tougher as you move into...
When Is Balance Transfer A Good Idea?
Are you fretting over a high credit card balance that's taking forever to knock down? If so, you might be able to create a little breathing room by stretching out payments and saving money on interest with a credit card balance transfer. With a balance transfer, you...
7 Tips On How To Build Credit History
Building your credit history is an essential part of personal finance. Without a good credit history, you can’t develop a good credit score. Without a good credit score, you’ll pay higher interest on mortgages, auto financing, and other loans, and be limited to more...
Best Coupon Sites: What You Need To Know
There's an old saying you may have heard before: Money doesn't grow on trees. The older you get, the more real this saying rings. You have no choice but to spend money, but sometimes it feels like you're just throwing money into the trash paying full price for...
Top Sites Like Craigslist to Buy (or Sell)
It can be hard to consider selling that old bike in your garage or buying a new kitchen table without considering sites like Craigslist. Instead of paying full price, you can "inherit" someone else's table set they're looking to offload before a significant move. The...