The only thing holding Bob Warren back from refinancing his mortgage is a debt he no longer owes. A few years back, Warren lost his job and had to let the credit cards go. When he got back on his feet, he settled one debt and paid back another. To his surprise, one of his … Read more
A woman in Maine came home to a funny sight earlier in March when her mailbox was stuffed with more than 300 envelopes, each containing a credit report. Here’s what’s not so funny: None of them belonged to her. Katie Manning contacted a local news station (WGME 13 TV in Portland, Maine) after she realized she … Read more
When consumers use an ATM, the most they may worry about is forgetting to grab their debit card or the money out of the machine. However, with the increasing risk of fraud, you have more to fear as you may not notice ATM skimmers secretly working in the background. ATM skimmers, or devices that read and … Read more
Foreclosure activity in the U.S. declined 9.39% from February 2014 to February 2015, with one in every 1,295 housing units in some stage of foreclosure last month. That’s the lowest the national foreclosure rate has been since July 2006, according to RealtyTrac’s monthly report on the foreclosure market. The analysis looks at how many homes … Read more
President Obama got people thinking when he raised the possibility of discharging certain education loans in bankruptcy within the context of the executive action he signed last week — the one that’s intended to ensure unfettered access to government-sponsored relief programs and a means for registering complaints about unfair treatment. Not to be outdone, 13 … Read more
A Colorado state representative proposed legislation that would give some employers tax credits for making student loan payments on behalf of some of their employees. The bill introduced by Rep. KC Becker (D-Boulder) could give qualified workers each up to $ 10,000 a year in student loan payments from their employers. The employer gets a … Read more
A Texas woman says she has been dealing with a debt collection fiasco for months, all because of a clerical error. The woman, identified in the local news report by only her first name, Yolanda, said she received a debt collection bill for $153,000 in September and has been struggling ever since to figure out why … Read more
To successfully buy a home these days, you’ll need patience, resilience to rejection and sound financial planning. You don’t need to earn gobs of money to successfully purchase a home — well, depending on your area. You do, however, need to have enough income left over after your proposed mortgage payment and other financial obligations. … Read more
While your salary may sound good in negotiations, it can be a different story when you get your monthly paychecks and start dividing it up to pay your bills. Wouldn’t it be great to have an additional, continuous stream of money coming into your savings and/or checking account? Having multiple jobs can seem overwhelming, but … Read more
If you’re like most people, your student loans probably feel a bit like a ball and chain that you’ve been dragging through your life for years. Every month, you dutifully make a payment knowing that you’ll be making that same payment next month, the month after that, and so on. But what if you didn’t … Read more
Everybody’s heard it: You need to save three to six months’ expenses in an emergency fund. Not as many of us have actually done it. In fact, a 2014 survey indicated that most of us couldn’t cover even a $ 500 calamity. That means we are clearly under-saving — it’s hard to argue that having … Read more
As you get older, it may seem less and less prudent to carry life insurance. You could be retired, own your home outright and have kids who are self-sufficient. While for most people insurance is intended to protect you and your loved ones if you die prematurely, there are some financial situations where you may still need … Read more
The one thing that everyone hates about credit cards is paying high interest rates, which can be especially costly. There are credit cards offered with low interest rates that can appeal to cardholders who are frustrated by high interest charges each month. They may offer rates of 10% APR or even less, but it may come at … Read more
Young people are flocking to cities like New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C., when perhaps they should consider places in North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee — at least if they want to buy a home. First-time homebuyers often find gathering enough cash to make a down payment is their biggest obstacle, but millennials aren’t helping … Read more
Premera Blue Cross, a health insurer serving patients in Washington and Alaska, announced Tuesday it was the target of a cyberattack that accessed millions of customers’ personal, financial and medical information. An investigation reportedly discovered the attack began May 5, 2014. According to its website, Premera Blue Cross serves 1.8 million people in the U.S., though … Read more