Even though new home sales declined in last month’s report (which highlights December), I think there is still underlying strength building in the housing market. Home building has been surging, and December is typically a slow real estate month anyway. With interest rates continuing to be at historical lows, and more and more people getting [...]
Top Money Saving Tips for Students in 2012
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During your time at university or college, it’s really important that you learn how to budget. Without being able to budget you’ll find that your money quickly drains away – leaving you with bills to pay and no money to pay them with. Part of being a good budgeter involves saving money where possible. Being [...]
Save Money on Homeowners Insurance! Calculate Your Insurance Costs
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The other day I was taking my own advice and trying to lower the costs of my homeowners insurance. I’m a big fan of trying to get the best deals possible, and so every now and then I see if there is anything I can do to get a lower rate. Since the insurance market [...]
Warning: Preparing for Life After Graduation
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It’s graduation time for college students across the country! Congratulations, you made it! However, now you need to start getting everything in order for life after graduation. So, take a few days and celebrate, but get ready for the real world. This means getting a job, moving out of the dorms (and preferably not into [...]
Disaster-Proof Your Household Finances
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While the most recent figures show that unemployment has unexpectedly fallen, many households are still worried about finding themselves out of work. The number of people unemployed in the UK fell by 45,000 between January and March 2012 – according to the Office of National Statistics. Yet much of this is being attributed to a [...]
First-Time Home Buying 101
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It’s official: Mortgage rates have again hit an all-time low. With rates falling and inventory levels building, there’s never been a better time to buy your first home. There are a lot of good deals out there, but you need to make sure that you know what you’re doing so that you don’t overpay or [...]
Living Well on a Dime: The Post-College Apartment Financial Plan
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Now that you’ve finished your course requirements, graduated, and have set off on your first post-college job search, it’s time to consider your finances while living on your own. In the midst of the graduation excitement and ideas of absolute freedom as you set off to chart your own course in life, it’s easy to [...]
10 Steps College Graduates Must Take Now For a Strong Financial Future
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If you’re a college student, and you have your eyes on graduating soon, congratulations! However, getting done with college is only the first part. You’re going to have to make a lot of tough financial decisions soon, including where you work, where you live, and more. But, you can set yourself up for a strong financial future now [...]
All About Private Mortgage Insurance
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In recent years, consumers have grown overwhelmingly reluctant to purchase a new home, and for good reason. Although property values and mortgage rates are at all time lows, unemployment is at an all-time high. This is consistent throughout the United States, where families feel a greater level of anxiety each day about the consequences of [...]
How No Cost Refinances Work
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With interest rates so low, and going lower by the day, many people are thinking about refinancing their homes. One ploy that mortgage companies use to incentivize refinancing is the “No Cost” Refinance. Most people know that getting a mortgage involves costs: fees, escrow, appraisal, etc. When calculating your return on refinancing, most people look [...]
Congressional Leaders Promote Individual Financial Un-Accountability
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What ever happened to individuals taking care of themselves? What ever happened to leadership and accountability in America? It seems to have gone away… I’m a big proponent of personal accountability and leadership accountability. One of the things I live by is the 10 Steps of Accountability. It really defines what accountability is, and where [...]
Easiest Money Saving Phone Calls
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Some tasks to save money take a lot of time and effort, and as such, they end up on your to-do list for a very long time. Well, here a some of the easiest things you can do to save money, and all it takes is a short phone call. And when I say short, [...]
Should I Refinance My Home?
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You might have heard people asking, “Should I refinance my home now?” You might wonder if you should actually think about the same thing yourself. Read on to see if you actually should refinance your home. First, refinancing your mortgage is process of replacing your existing mortgage loan with an absolutely new one. The new [...]
FHA Loan Limits May Drop on October 1
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One of the many pieces of emergency legislation passed during the financial crises was a bill that increased conforming loan limits for FHA borrowers. The Federal Housing Administration guarantees loans at competitive market rates, but only requires borrowers to put down at least 3.5%. Also, the debt-to-income ratios can be higher and there are no [...]
