The death of a spouse is a traumatic experience that can set your head spinning and your heart reeling.  Few people are ever ready for this tragic event emotionally or even financially.

Unfortunately, adding to the inner turmoil that you are probably experiencing, are the financial matters that must be dealt with immediately.  Knowing what needs to be taken care of can be a tremendous help at this point, alleviating some of the stress and tension that is certainly swirling around you.

Suze Orman says that if you have a home you love and want to live in your entire life, then you should pay off your home loan.

She says that by paying off your home loan sooner than later, you will be able to put more money into your retirement home. In addition, if your mortgage is paid in full before you retire, that retirement money will go a long way.

I completely agree that with the advice to pay off your home loan.

There is nothing like seeing a Title Loan Shop or a Pawn Shop to signal that a neighborhood is going downhill. Likewise, seeing an increased number of commercials for such places on television is a bad sign for the economy.

There are a few other ways to get cash fast when faced with an emergency...

If you're in the market for a new home, it is a good idea to take a step back and ask yourself if you might be buying a house too soon. Or, if you are buying too much house right now.

Are you sure that you are ready financially?

If you watch "buying a first home" shows on TV, you will hear them talk about qualifying for a loan. The standard rule in qualifying for a home loan seems to be getting the largest loan that the bank says you qualify for. Even if this means you home payment may be a reach for you, the hope is that salaries will increase and the burden will become less difficult.

For a few people, who are just starting out in high paying industries this is a very valid approach. To most people however, who never knows when they might lose their job, this is a very bad idea.

It's a really tough realization to face, but if you just can't afford all of your expenses and you are barely making ends meet, then the best thing you can do for yourself is to let something go.

Letting go can mean downsizing your home, moving into an apartment, or giving up a car.

Whether you are going from larger to smaller, or just eliminating the item and expense altogether, the transition will be painful, but in the end, it will also be freeing.

Your neighbor across the street has taken down their For Sale sign and avoided foreclosure because the bank has re-aged their loan after they lived mortgage-free for 5 months.

Your next door neighbor tells you that the bank is lowering their interest rate because they could not make the payment on their adjustable rate loan.

Meanwhile, you have struggled to make your house payment each and every month, and now can't help but feel jilted by your bank.

What recourse do the people who are paying their home loans on time have?...

If you are several months behind on your mortgage with no way to catch up, Project Lifeline can keep you from losing your home.

Is saving money part of your New Year's resolution? Do you want to get your personal finances back on track this year?

I've listed 10 ways to take better care of your finances so that by the start of next year, you'll be in a better financial position.

College is getting more and more expensive each year. Not only do you need to begin saving very early for your child's college tuition, but there are always all the side expenses that go along with tuition - books, housing, food, etc. However, one option that many people overlook are college scholarships.

If case you haven't looked at that option yet, there are lots of people just looking to GIVE AWAY money for a student's college education. Here are a few tips to help you get that college scholarship!

Do you get all the junk mail telling you it's the best time to consolidate your student loans? If you are like me, you probably just toss them straight into the trash can. However, while most of those letters are junk, it can still be very beneficial to consolidate your students loans.

Below I'll discuss why you should consolidate your loans, as well as how to consolidate your loans.

The Federal Perkins Loan is another great option to pay your way through an undergraduate or graduate education.

This type of student loan is very similar to the Stafford subsidized loan; however, the Perkins Loan is distributed by the school. In order to receive the funds from a Perkins Loan, you must qualify based on financial need.

There are many options available when trying to decide what student loans to take out. One good option is the Stafford Federal Loan - as long as you qualify.

There are many providers of student loans these days. Almost every bank in America offers them. However, it is especially important to look out for certain characteristics of these loans to make sure you are getting the best deal possible.

Although there are several added expenses involved in purchasing a home, some of these expenses are tax deductible on your return. Expenses such as Mortgage Interest and Private Mortgage Insurance help reduce your taxable income on your return.

We'll discuss these different types of expenses and how to take advantage of it.

Even through we're in the age of electronic tax preparation, there are still a lot of tax deductions that go under the radar. I've compiled a list of what I consider the top 5 tax deductions that most people miss.

Interest only loans have become increasingly more popular over the last several years. This type of mortgage allows the borrower to pay "interest only" as their mortgage payment.

The result is usually a lower mortgage payment, because the borrower is not paying anything towards the principle on the loan. This means that if your original loan was $200,000 after five years of interest only payments you still owe $200,000.

The question we will examine today is whether or not this type of loan is a good option for the consumer.

One of the most important financial decisions you will make is choosing a home mortgage.

Two main questions should be apparent when thinking of buying a home:

• How much should my mortgage be relative to my overall income?


• What type of mortgage is right for me?

The first question is by far the more important of the two. Ironically, the average person spends more time choosing between mortgage options and lenders than they do considering the proper amount they can afford.