There is no denying the fact that your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make. For this reason, you want to ensure that it is kept safe in the event of your death. This is why so many people opt to purchase mortgage protection insurance. With this policy in place, your family is guaranteed a tax-free payout if you pass on. This money can then be used to make mortgage payments. Here...
A student credit card provides the opportunity to learn financial independence, while also taking advantage of a variety of benefits. Before you apply for one of these, before you have this discussion with your college age student, it’s important to learn more about the many advantages. Here are a few things to consider: • Financial education early in life• A jumpstart on building your credit• Access to a variety of high level features• Alerts to ensure...
As you search the market for your next home, don’t forget to spend an equal amount of time on the process of securing a mortgage. Without this, you may find it impossible to move forward with a purchase. Generally speaking, there are two ways to secure a mortgage: • Work with a broker.• Search and compare lenders and loan products on your own.There are pros and cons of both, but for the sake of this article...
Now that warmer weather has arrived, you may be thinking about taking some time away from work. You may also be thinking about booking a vacation. It doesn’t matter if you are traveling alone, with family, or with friends, there are thousands of destinations to consider. So, here is the big question: where will you visit this summer? Like many, you may head for one of many beaches throughout the world. After all, there’s nothing better...
There is no denying the fact that closing a credit card account can have a negative impact on your credit score. For example, closing an older account can shorten your credit history. It will also mean that you have less credit available, thus leading to a higher credit utilization ratio. Even with all this in mind, there are times when it makes sense to close a credit card account. Here are some of those times: 1....
Will you be traveling this summer? If so, do you have a plan in place for making purchases? Like many, you will turn to your credit card time after time. While there is nothing wrong with this, there are some basic tips you need to follow. 1. Understand your credit card fees. For example, using your credit card outside the United States could lead to a foreign transaction fee of approximately three percent. You need to...
Although you may have avoided the use of a small business credit card in the past, it could be a good idea to change your approach in the future. Once you are okay with the idea of using a credit card, it won’t be long before you are comparing your options and deciding which one suits you best. Here are some of the top reasons to use a small business credit card: 1. Convenience. Are you...
Thanks to the CARD Act of 2009, credit card issuers can only raise your interest rate under specific conditions. As a consumer, this is good news. The not so good news is that your rate could still increase at some point in the future. Here are several times when this could happen to you: 1. Your promotion is coming to an end. Did you sign up for a credit card with a 0 percent interest rate...
As hard as you try, there may come a point when you miss a credit card payment. This isn’t the worst financial mistake you can make, but it could have a negative impact on your credit report.Here are several things you should do if you miss a credit card payment: 1. Act fast. The due date may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean you should sit around and wait for the next statement cycle...
As you find yourself comparing credit card offers, you may soon ask this question: is it really worth the time and effort? Some consumers believe that every offer is the same, meaning that they can apply for any credit card and end up in a good place when everything is said and done. However, this is not true. Even when two credit cards appear to be identical, there are small details that make each one unique....
