How to Avoid Unnecessary Banking and Credit Card Fees
Even small fees can take their toll on your finances, so try to avoid fees whenever you can. To avoid getting dinged for unnecessary fees, follow this advice: [more…]
Working with a Credit Counselor to Deal with Debt
After you have chosen a credit counseling agency to help you get out of debt, your assigned credit counselor will spend time becoming familiar with you and your finances. Your initial face-to-face meeting [more…]
How to Use Home Equity to Consolidate Debts
If you have credit card debt, a second mortgage, or other loans in addition to your first mortgage, debt consolidation can take a chunk out of your monthly expenses, freeing up money to cover other bills [more…]
Defining Differences between Bad Debt and Good Debt
Whether your debt is good or bad depends on the type of debt, the reason you owe it, and whether you can afford to repay it. When used the right way, debt can help you manage your finances more effectively [more…]
Laying the Groundwork for Credit Rebuilding
If your credit history is poor, you can rebuild it over time so that when you apply for credit, creditors who evaluate your application see an improved credit history and a higher credit score. [more…]
Comparing Credit Card Terms before Accepting Card Offers
The federal Truth in Lending Act makes it easy to compare credit card offers, because it requires credit card companies to provide written information about the credit card terms. Do a comparison of credit [more…]
How to Take Control when Foreclosure Looms
If you sense that your financial situation has taken a turn for the worse and foreclosure may be on the horizon, deal with possible foreclosure as best you can. You and the rest of your household need [more…]
Go Car Shopping with Your Loan Options in Order
Shopping for car financing in advance can mean a better car loan. Compare the Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) of different loans. If all other things are equal, the car loan with the lowest APR is the best [more…]
Prioritize Repayment of Your Unsecured Debts
Not paying unsecured debts can result in loss of assets. If you cut your budget to the bare bones and still can’t pay all your debts and living expenses, you have to decide what you will pay. Unsecured [more…]
Get to Know Types of Credit
All credit is not created equal. There are many forms of credit available, and getting familiar with credit types can help you become a better credit consumer. [more…]
How to Keep Tabs on Your Credit
Checking your credit is easy, and a lot rides on your credit score. Lenders use it to determine the interest rate you will pay on a home mortgage, a car loan, and your auto insurance premiums and it may [more…]
How to Improve Your Credit
You want to be sure your credit score is as high as you can make it because if your credit score is below 750, you may have to pay higher interest rates on loans or even have trouble borrowing money. But [more…]
How Much Debt Can You Afford?
Just because a mortgage or credit-card company will give you money doesn’t mean you should take it. According to your lender, you may qualify for more debt than you can afford in your current situation [more…]
How to Review Your Monthly Credit Card Statement
Look over every one of your credit-card statements every month. You may be surprised to find charges on your account that aren’t yours, changes in your interest rates that you don’t understand, or how [more…]
How to Stop Credit Solicitations
By eliminating credit-card and loan offers, you will be less apt to apply for easy credit. One way to minimize the number of solicitations you receive from would-be lenders is to get your name added to [more…]
Assessing Your Current Debt Situation
To begin assessing your debt, you want to get all your debt listed in the same place so that you can see it all at once. The first step is to list all mortgage and consumer debt, including credit cards [more…]
Tracking and Reducing Your Credit Card Debt
Are you losing sleep because of debt? Are you wasting money on finance charges and feel like you can’t get ahead? With an aggressive debt-reduction plan and persistence, you can wipe out that debt — sooner [more…]
Borrowing Money for Your Child’s College Education
After you’ve tapped out all other options, borrowing money to pay for college is your last resort. Your student should exhaust her borrowing options before you consider taking on any debt to pay for her [more…]
