Articles by this Author
Do You Need A Reverse Mortgage Lender?
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 12/13/2006
- Homeownership
- Rating: Unrated
Reverse mortgages are becoming popular in America. Reverse mortgages are a special type of home loan that lets a homeowner convert the equity in his/her home into cash. They can give older Americans greater financial security to supplement social security, meet unexpected medical expenses, make home improvements, and more.
Do You Need To Buy A Home On A Budget
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 12/13/2006
- Budgeting
- Rating: Unrated
Over the course of the last decade we’ve all experienced what was practically an unprecedented boom in home prices. Nationwide, housing prices rose by around 35% (that’s adjusted for inflation). More importantly, even though those home price gains have been most evident to the owners of higher end homes, it’s obvious that the price among homes owned by lower-income families were inflated by the so-called housing-bubble.
Do You Need Rental Car Insurance
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 12/14/2006
- Insurance
- Rating: Unrated
If your vacation is going to include a rental car, then your insurance agent, not your travel agent, should be the first call on your list. That's because insurance carrier, credit card companies, and car rental agencies are competing for your insurance dollars – and more importantly, what they offer you today might be different from what they’ll be offering you next week.
Saving Money On Your Homeowners Insurance
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 12/14/2006
- Insurance
- Rating: Unrated
In today's increasing thorny real estate marketplace you'll have plenty of options when it's time to choose a homeowners' insurance plan. Unfortunately, you'll quickly find that not all insurance coverage was created to do the same job. If you want to get the coverage you need and pay as little for it as you can, you're going to have to do a little homework.
Is It Time To Refinance Your Mortgage
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 12/14/2006
- Homeownership
- Rating: Unrated
Knowing the perfect time to refinance your mortgage would be a bit like being psychic. About the best you can do is keep one eye on the prime lending rate and the other on searching for broker whose standard charges and fees will save you a significant amount on the average loan. Of course, the truly important question you need to ask yourself isn’t when to refinance, it’s:
The New Housing Market
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 09/25/2007
- Homeownership
- Rating: Unrated
More recently, news reports have demonstrated the fallout of the subprime mortgage industry, as well as how it affects or is affected by the real estate market. For instance, major lender Countrywide has experienced a rollercoaster of lows and greater lows---starting with declining profits and increased foreclosure holdings, declining investor support which has lead to depositor withdrawals from Countrywide Bank in early August 2007, and finally a near-bailout by Bank of America.
Women Targeted by Subprime Lenders
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 09/25/2007
- Financing , Homeownership
- Rating: Unrated
In addition to some of the unethical activities in the subprime market (see "The Subprime Fallout: Lending Practices"), some consumer group have also found discriminatory practices with regard to types of loans that are given to would-be home buyers.
Guarding Against Scholarship Fraud
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 11/25/2007
- College Savings , Budgeting
- Rating: Unrated
Because of the rising costs of financing a college education, parents and students are increasingly relying on scholarships. Scammers are using this need to wheedle money away from students who are looking to get scholarships.
Blogs by this Author
Budgeting Help gets New Look!
- By Budgeting Help
- Published 06/7/2007
Budgeting Help updated today. In addition to the new look of the site it is now easier than ever to find articles on a wide variety of financial topics that impact consumers and small bus...