Should You Use a Mortgage Broker or a Bank Loan Officer?

Shopping for a mortgage can be intimidating. There are thousands of mortgage lenders and hundreds of ways lenders can tweak home loans to distort their real costs. You’re also facing the excitement of buying a new home and you may feel vulnerable … [Read more...]

The New Credit Card Rules and You

The CARD Act—a set of new regulations designed to limit credit card trickery—went into effect this week even though Congress proposed the act over a year ago. Since then, there’s been a lot of talk about what this all means for people like you … [Read more...]

The Secret to a Lower Credit Card APR

Do you have a credit card that raised your interest rate within the last year? You’re not alone. Credit card companies raised nearly everybody’s APRs because as of this month, the CARD Act prohibits them from doing so again without jumping … [Read more...]

Do You Make This Dangerous Credit Card Mistake?

Let’s be honest: We make a lot of mistakes with credit cards. I like to assume that most people don’t start drowning in high-interest credit card debt on purpose. We don’t choose to fork over billions to credit card companies every year … [Read more...]

Credit Card Strategies: Building an ‘Army’ of Cashback Credit Cards

Do you have an "army" of cashback credit cards? Is this plastic in your wallet a force to be reckoned with? Does each of your credit cards serve a special role that, when combined, earn you a ton of rewards just for your ordinary shopping? These … [Read more...]

American Express Zync Card Review

The American Express Zync Card, a charge card geared towards twenty-somethings, is a possible alternative to traditional credit/debit cards for anybody under 30. I have been a fan of Amex charge cards and used one myself for a while. So what's the … [Read more...]

FHA Mortgage Loans: A Good Idea for First-Time Buyers?

FHA mortgage loans are mortgages that are guaranteed by the U.S. Government's Federal Housing Administration. Thanks to this guarantee, FHA mortgage loans are often available to home buyers who do not qualify for "traditional" mortgages. … [Read more...]

Credit Card Alternatives

Credit card companies are raising interest rates on just about everybody these days, fueling many people's passionate disdain for using any credit card for any reason. Once upon a time, there was only one alternative to spending with credit cards: … [Read more...]

My Credit Card Raised My Interest Rate! Here’s What to Do

Stories of credit card companies raising interest rates on just about everybody---even customers with perfect credit, no debt, and no late payments---continue to roll in. That's because the CARD Act takes effect this winter and will restrict … [Read more...]

Radically Re-Thinking Credit Cards: Part Two

Yesterday, I recommended a new way to pare down your credit cards. I don't want you to cancel them all or use them like crazy to earn rewards. I just recommend keeping two credit cards---the card you've had the longest and the card with the highest … [Read more...]