Did you know that each year you are entitled to one free viewing of you credit report? The Fair Credit Reporting Act grants Americans the ability to view their credit once a year, without having it penalized. This is an excellent way to keep an eye on your credit activity, and to have any incorrect or fraudulent marks removed from your history. In today’s world of identity theft it is very important to manage your credit since so much rides on it, everything from credit cards, to auto purchases, to home loans rely on you credit score. Taking the time to verify your credit history’s accuracy is to your benefit. The FTC has all the information on this report, and that page can be found Here.

When choosing a mortgage broker it is important to look for accreditation or licensing which represents a well trained and professional person to negotiate your mortgage through. With the purchase of a home or mortgage being perhaps the biggest investment a person will ever make, the necessity for trust is essential. An excellent group to examine for this type of thought is the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, or NAMB. They have an excellent directory of NAMB associated brokers in your area, as well as a very nice and concise Code of Ethics. When you go for a mortgage know who you are dealing with and what kind of credentials they carry, it can make a huge difference in your experience. 

If you have just bought or are considering buying a new home, then you will also need to plan the process of moving home. While there are many things that you have to remember, planning them in advance will make the whole move easier and less traumatic. So it is a good idea that, as soon as you know the completion date for your move, that you start planning.

There are certain things that take quite a bit of time and should be arranged at least a month in advance. You will want to inform your landlord or any flatmates, if you have any, of the date that you are leaving. This can mean the difference between getting your deposit back or not, if you are renting, so it’s a good idea to let everyone know your plans as soon as you know them yourself. More »« Less

Own residential rental properties? This article discusses how income from those properties impacts your taxes.

What Constitutes Revenue?

Generally, rental income is defined as any revenue you receive from the occupancy or use of residential property. Rent, obviously, is included in that revenue. Many owners are surprised to learn revenue also includes rent advancements, expenses paid by a tenant and any security deposits not returned to the tenant. In fact, revenue can also include amounts paid to cancel a lease, even if you had to sue the defendant to get it. More »« Less

Reverse mortgages are another good concept in the world of mortgages. A reverse mortgage is a mortgage that works in the reverse way i.e. you receive payments rather than make payments. With reverse mortgage, you keep adding to your debt rather than reducing it.

Reverse mortgage is an option that is available to older people generally to people who are over 62 years old. Of course, the assumption is that you have enough home equity in the house that you want to use for reverse mortgage. Moreover, a person can avail of reverse mortgage only if he/she is living in the house that he/she wants to get a reverse mortgage on. So a reverse mortgage gets you regular payments and as you receive these payments you build a debt. But when do you pay the debt that is build through reverse mortgage? Well, the reverse mortgage loan isn’t required to be paid back until you live in that house. So, the reverse mortgage loan is to be paid back when you either stop living at the house (whose home equity you are using to get the reverse mortgage) or you sell the home or you die.

Reverse mortgages really come as a boon to older homeowners. The cash generated by parting with some of their home equity (to get the reverse mortgage) can help these old home owners in generating cash for various purposes e.g. the cash thus generated could be used for financing home improvements, or the cash could act as a supplemental retirement income or it could be used for paying off a current mortgage or it could be used for covering some health expense etc. Also, the income generated from reverse mortgage is generally tax free. Moreover, once you payoff the reverse mortgage loan partly (or fully), the interest portion of the loan may qualify for income tax deductions (this further adds to the list of benefits from reverse mortgage). More »« Less

You have several options to reduce your consumer debt. You can take the do-it-yourself approach by consolidating debts into a low rate loan. You can also find help through companies that management payments or negotiate debt elimination. Each option has pros and cons, and should be analyzed carefully before committing to a specific approach.

Do-It-Yourself Approach

Refinanced mortgages and home equity loans can help consolidate your short term debt into one easy payment while reducing your interest rates. Your interest is also tax deductible. More »« Less

No one person has been praised or criticized for the economic progress of the United States over the last 20 years than Alan Greenspan. Here’s his story.

Alan Greenspan

Alan Greenspan has led a prolific life in the financial industry. Many people consider him the single most powerful person in the country. With his February retirement approaching, let’s take a look at this very interesting man.

Born in 1926 in New York City, Alan Greenspan was a strong student as shown by graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor of science in economics from New York University. He followed this up with a Masters and Ph.D. in economics from the same university. More »« Less

Buying a house is no child’s play and more so when you are getting it on mortgage. It’s one of the most crucial decisions of your life and must be treated with all seriousness. Once you have done the initial analysis and introspection on whether you can and want to go for a mortgage, you come to the next stage i.e. hunting for the mortgage that is best for you. This starts with getting mortgage quotes. You might get the mortgage quotes through a mortgage broker or you might get mortgage quotes directly from mortgage lenders. Before asking for mortgage quotes, you must be very clear about your requirements (you don’t want to mess this up by getting wrong mortgage quotes because you had put in the wrong requirements). You can also get mortgage quotes through websites. There are several websites that can get you several mortgage quotes free of cost and within a short time period of 1-2 days. More »« Less

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the radio commercial claiming you can get a mortgage despite having bad credit. Bad credit mortgages are better known as subprime mortgages.

Subprime

“Subprime” is a euphemism for a borrower who simply doesn’t qualify for a traditional home mortgage. Subprime loans used to be very difficult to get, but things changed in the 1990’s. Banks began to realize there were a lot of borrowers with less than stellar credit or other problems. More borrowers meant more revenues, so banks started creating subprime mortgages and the game was on. As a result of these new loans, home ownership in the United States has risen to all time highs.

One of the biggest determinants in qualifying for a loan is your credit score. A borrower’s credit history is analyzed using a “FICO” score, named after Fair Isaac and Company, Inc. Generally, a FICO score below 620 is considered an indication of bad credit. The borrower is then classified as a subprime borrower. More »« Less

Because of low interest rates, many homeowners are opting to refinance their homes and cash-out at closing. The refinance process is similar to the procedure of obtaining the original mortgage. Homeowners must be approved by a lender and pay fees associated with acquiring a new loan - closing cost, title search, settlement fee, etc. Yet, there are benefits to refinancing a home. Homeowners may obtain a lower interest rate, which equals lower monthly payments. Moreover, refinancing a home for a shorter term allows the property to build equity quicker.

Benefits of Refinancing with Poor Credit

Refinancing a home with good or fair credit is less complicated. Persons with a good credit rating are qualified candidates, thus some lenders are more willing to compete for their business. Some homeowners with bad credit may hesitate to refinance. However, it is possible to refinance a home with poor credit. In fact, refinancing and receiving a lump sum of money at closing may help improve credit. Once funds are received, the homeowners could use money to pay off high interest credit cards and other consumer debt, which will boost credit ratings.

How to Get Approved? More »« Less