If you're considering moving, refinancing your mortgage, or attempting to cash in on the dramatic rise in home prices that's occurred over the past few years, then you may want to pump the breaks. Prospective home shoppers are finding that the overall cost of buying property is substantially more money than it was before the... Continue Reading →
3 Ways Credit Card Interest Hurts You
Most people know that if you don’t pay off your credit cards each month you’ll be charged interest. However, for one reason or another, so many of us allow this debt to accumulate anyways. According to research by Go Banking Rates, more than half (53 percent) of Americans carry a revolving balance on their credit... Continue Reading →
Biden’s New Student Loan Repayment Plan Announced
While millions of federal student loan borrowers are eagerly awaiting to see if the supreme court allows President Biden to fulfill his promise of forgiving as much as $20,000 in debt per student, the Department of Education has silently released the details of a new student loan repayment plan - one that could be just... Continue Reading →
What Higher Interest Rates Mean for You
2022 has been a whirlwind year for interest rates. The year started off with the federal funds rate (i.e., the interest rate range set by the U.S. Federal Reserve) between 0.25% to 0.50%. However, after multiple unprecedented rate hikes - escalating at one of the fastest paces in 40 years - the new federal funds... Continue Reading →
Does It Still Make Sense to Pay Your Mortgage Off Early?
With interest rates on the rise as a result of efforts by the U.S. Federal Reserve to curb inflation, consumers in the market for a new mortgage have seen APRs essentially double over the course of 2022. At the end of October, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.94%. That's up 3.85 percentage points from... Continue Reading →
What is Inflation-Induced Debt Destruction?
With inflation stubbornly hovering at a rate of 8 percent throughout most of 2022, its general effect on the economy has been less than desirable - rising interest rates, drops in the stock market, and higher prices all around for consumers. But could there be some sliver of good to come from inflation? At least... Continue Reading →
5 Smart Ways to Use Your Home Equity
When was the last time you checked the value of your house? With the recent surge in demand since the start of the COVID pandemic, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that overall house prices are up 17 percent since last year. This means for the average homeowner likely has tens of thousands of... Continue Reading →
The White House Forgives $10,000 in Student Loan Debt
On August 24, 2022, history was made as President Biden made one of the biggest announcements of his presidency to date: He plans to cancel up to $10,000 of federal student loan debt for each eligible borrower. This has been a topic for Biden ever since before he took office. While on the campaign trail,... Continue Reading →
11 Ways Parents Can Plan to Pay for College
Parents who are planning to help put their children through college have a big task on their hands. Not only does the average price of a full year of college in-state and with room and board currently cost approximately $25,487 per year, but they'll also have to balance other competing financial priorities like saving for... Continue Reading →
Why an 84-Month Auto Loan is a Bad Idea
Are you thinking about buying a new or used car? If you plan to get a loan to finance your purchase (especially if it’s through the dealership itself), then be careful. Many of them will try to steer you into the longest loan they can … the 84-month loan. For years, a 60-month auto loan... Continue Reading →