For those seeking to buy a home, a good place to look for help with loans is through the federal government. Some of the more useful and common loan programs that are currently being offered follow:
There are three government agencies that insure mortgages for homebuyers. The first is the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban...
There are times when consumers need help with their debt. While there are many ways to get help, one of the most effective is to use consumer credit counseling services. These organizations and agencies can go by different names. You may hear of them as debt consolidation or debt management companies.
These types of consumer debt agencies and companies have been around since the early 80's...
There has been a lot of talk in the news lately about sub-prime mortgages and how they are affecting the housing market as well as some of the other economic sectors. Many consumers may be wondering just what are sub-prime mortgages. It is a fair question to ask, but a somewhat difficult one to answer.
One reason it is difficult to define sub-prime mortgages is because they can vary, and...
Debt collection has become an issue with some consumers. Generally, debt collection procedures do not begin until after the lender has tried a variety of ways to get paid what is owed them. Some of the more common methods that lenders use include sending letters of delinquent payment and perhaps placing phone calls to the borrower's home. When these methods have proven to be futile, the lender...
What do you think is the most expensive aspect of owning a new car? You might answer gasoline, insurance, new tires and you would be wrong. The greatest expense to owning a new car is depreciation. Depreciation is the single most expensive part of car ownership. When you are thinking of that new vehicle, when you are thinking of that new car loan, think about depreciation as well.
If you are...
Many consumers know that they have a credit score but they may not know what the score is. As well, many consumers know that there are some actions or inactions that they can take that will help or hurt their score. Again, they know the broad picture, but not the details. Here are some of the things that consumers do that all but massacres their credit score.
First of all, consumers should...
Just like a regular savings account, a money market account is a type of savings account that is offered by banks and credit unions. The main difference is that money market accounts will usually pay higher interest, have higher minimum balance requirements, and often they only allow three to six withdrawals from the account per month. With most market money accounts you are also allowed to...
Active duty military personnel who are having financial problems with their mortgage payments have some avenue of help under the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act which can be very beneficial to them and to their families.
Who is eligible for this program?
The provisions of the SSRA apply to active duty military personnel who had a mortgage obligation prior to enlistment or prior to being...
Cosigning on a loan can be a great way to help a family member or close friend when they need help, but it can also be a great way to ruin your own credit if things do not work out.
Before you decide to cosign on a loan, you should always read the cosigning agreement that lenders have for these. By law, the lender must show you a copy of the agreement before you sign for the loan. In some...
Most consumers are aware of the current problems that some financial institutions are experiencing. This has caused some concern for large investors, those with CD investments over the maximum amount that is covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Currently, the maximum allowed is $100,000 per account.
The simple answer to this problem is to spread your certificate of deposit...
