Category: Loans and Credit

  • Credit Karma: A Review

    I recently discovered a service that gives you free access (no strings attached) to your credit score: Credit Karma. I first heard of Credit Karma at the Financial Blogger Conference this year. To be honest I’m not sure what took me so long. Unlike other ‘free credit report’ services out there Credit Karma does not sell…

  • Why A Large Down Payment Isn’t Always Best, Take Two.

    Yesterday I posted a blog entry about down payments when purchasing a home and why I found that paying extra down doesn’t necessarily save you much money over the life of the loan. Turns out that my findings were highly controversial. Before you do anything else make sure to read Does A Large Down Payment…

  • Does A Large Down Payment Save Money In The Long Run?

    I love spreadsheets. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a total spreadsheet nerd. My wife and I have been talking lately about buying a house sometime next year and that’s led me to do some number crunching in Excel, trying to figure out how much money we should put down on a house.…

  • Credit Repair For Sale: Just Say No

    We will clean your credit up, no matter how bad it is. Bankruptcies, bad loans, judgments and liens – we can remove it all. You’ve probably heard lines similar to this before. Maybe you heard it on the radio, maybe you saw a commercial on television, or maybe you saw an ad online or in…

  • What Would You Tell The Grad Student with A Loan Maturing Soon?

    Ann R. writes: I have a 5 year fixed rate mortgage loan that will be maturing April 1, 2009. The current balance is $20,500 and the rate is 6.75%. I am no longer living in the property and have been renting it for the past three years (same tenants) and I resigned from my job…

  • How To Get a Free Copy of Your Credit Report

    Today I’m going to feature my very first screencast, which walks you through getting a free copy of your credit report from annualcreditreport.com. Sorry about the crude quality, I’m still new to this, but it gets the job done!

  • 4 Simple Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

    Be honest with me here.  How is your credit?  Is it great?  Good?  Or… not so good?  The fact is that hundreds of thousands of Americans have anywhere from decent to borderline terrible credit.  It doesn’t take much you know.  A missed payment here and there, a bill that you never received, one too many…