Refinancing my mortgage recently was definitely the right move for me, but it may not be for you! In this article, you will find out: 1) Is it a good time to refinance your home now — see when it makes sense and when it doesn’t. 2) How to refinance your home — details about each of the steps to refinance a home. 3) How much it costs to refinance a home mortgage — and how to lower those costs. 4) What is required to qualify for a home refinance. 5) How long it takes to do a home refinance these days.
Home / Health / Auto
What Is A 2-10 Home Warranty… And Is It Worth The Cost? Here’s My Experience With A 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
I bought a 2-10 home warranty when I bought my first (used) home… in addition to regular homeowners insurance. I definitely think a 2-10 home buyers warranty is worth the money! See how I’ve used it so far, and how much it costs.
Reverse Mortgage In Retirement: Some Tips Before You Use A Reverse Mortgage To Supplement Your Retirement Income
Here’s how to use SOME of the equity in your home to help supplement your retirement income. See how reverse mortgage works, how a reverse mortgage gets repaid, and how much home equity you’ll retain.
First-Time Homebuyers: 13 Steps To Buying A House For The First Time + 7 Valuable Lessons I Learned About Buying Your First House
Buying your first house is challenging, yet rewarding and well worth the effort! I just bought my very first house, and I’ve got some helpful tips for first time homebuyers. Here are the steps to buying a house for the first time, plus some valuable lessons that I learned firsthand.
Should You Buy Supplemental Health Insurance? Is Medical Gap Insurance Really Worth It?
Healthcare costs are going up. What if you can’t afford the deductible or monthly premium? Medical gap insurance (or supplemental health insurance) helps with that!
How Do I Sell My Car? 3 Simple Things You Should Do To Sell A Used Car
When it came time to sell my car, these are the tips that I personally used. Hey, it worked for me!
Before Buying A New Car, Here Are Some Important Things To Consider…
We are in the process of buying a new car. It’s been awhile since we’ve purchased a new vehicle, so I set out to do some research first. I’m sharing the info here, with the hope that it will be helpful to others who are also in the market to buy a new or used vehicle.
Should You Find A Roommate To Save On Housing Costs?
Roommates can make a lot of things easier including making it easier to pay your monthly house payment! However, roommates aren’t for everyone. Here are some things to think about before you try to find a roommate.
Alternatives To Becoming Homeless: 7 Housing Options That Will Save You Money
Many people don’t understand the causes of homelessness and can find themselves quickly in this position. While you may have to give up your house and life as you know it, here are some awesome homeless prevention tips for you. Here are 7 ways to lower your housing costs.
Quiz: How To Tell If Your Auto Insurance Premiums Are Too High
See if you are paying too much for auto insurance and how to make your payments even lower! This quiz includes a thorough explanation of the answers in order to help you lower your auto insurance premiums and save money.
How To Make Your Car Last 100,000 Miles… Or Longer
The average life expectancy of most cars is about 8 years and 150,000 miles. If a vehicle makes it to 200,000 miles, you are riding on borrowed time and the car is paying you back. Here are the best tips I’ve found to make your car last longer.
Flexible Spending Account 101: Tax-Free Health Care
If you have consistent, predictable, medical expenses that are already a part of your monthly budget, you can save money by NOT paying tax those medical expenses. By taking advantage of a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you get tax-free health care!
How Your Debt-To-Credit Ratio Affects Your FICO Score & Home Buying Potential
All about your debt to credit limit ratio — what it means, all the ways your FICO score could affect you, and how to improve your debt to credit limit ratio and your FICO score. Plus, how to tell if you’ve got TOO much debt!
How To Get The Best Auto Insurance Quotes Online
Comparing auto insurance quotes online enables you to sit comfortably at the computer where, in a matter of minutes, you can narrow your options down to the point where you are confident that you’ve met your needs at the most reasonable price.
Tips For Negotiating Closing Costs When Buying A New House Or Refinancing Your Current Home
Closing fees can range from $2,500 to $5,000… or more! Looking for tips on negotiating closing costs? Here’s a list of the home closing costs that can be negotiated, and those that can’t.
How To Tell If You Can Really Afford The Home You’re Living In
Do you think you can truly afford the home that you’re currently living in? According to Suze Orman, chances are you cannot. Here are some of the indicators that you cannot afford your home.
14 Little-Known Facts About Auto Insurance & The Factors That REALLY Determine Auto Insurance Rates
I remember a time when I had no idea how auto insurance rates were calculated. I needed coverage and paid whatever I was asked. I realized I was spending more than necessary when I looked into low-cost auto insurance and I’m sharing what I found out about how rates are determined and sharing some tips for getting the lowest auto insurance rates available to you.
Cheap Mortgages: Unique Ways To Save Money On Your Home Mortgage
These days, your best financial move is to find your own creative ways to save money on the home mortgage. In effect, cheap mortgages are easier to come by than you might think. You just need to do a few things differently.
Car Scams: Before You Buy A New Or Used Car… Read This First!
A collection of car-buying scams, plus tips to help you find the best car deal — without getting taken. Before you buy a new or used car, watch out for these scams.
How Con Artists Use Your Dream Home To Commit Mortgage Fraud
If you think you’re too smart to be a victim of mortgage fraud, think again! Con artists are out there and they are very good. They know how to find your weakness and convince you that they are your savior. This video explains in depth how they do it.
Identity Theft Insurance – 9 Things You Need To Know Before You Buy It
Before you purchase identity theft insurance, there are a few things you should know first. Some financial institutions provide identity theft insurance for FREE. And there are other ways to protect yourself from identity theft without having to pay a thing!
Aging In Place – How To Adapt Your Daily Lifestyle As You Prepare For Old Age
Wise is the person — or couple — who realizes this fact of life and makes some realistic plans to deal with life’s changes. It’s something that we all must accept as a part of getting older.
How Much Life Insurance Do You Really Need? Which Type Is Best?
Life insurance is definitely for those you leave behind. Beyond that, it can also be for your own future as well. Choosing a well-balanced combination of both term and whole life insurance is the best protection you can have for the unknown future ahead.
Best Places To Get Home Insurance Quotes Online
Do you need to buy homeowners insurance? Thankfully, the process of getting an up-to-date home insurance online quote these days is easy… and quick. Yep, the Internet can lead you to the best deal around without ever leaving your house! Here are tips for finding home insurance quotes online.
How To Qualify For The $8,000 Housing Tax Credit
First time homeowners can get up to $8,000 in the form of a tax credit from the U.S. government. And… you don’t have to pay it back! Who exactly qualifies? How does it work? How do you take advantage of this housing tax credit?
7 Ways To Save On Health Insurance
Over the last few years in the health industry, it has become increasingly common for annual increases in premiums. It is still possible to get affordable health coverage, you just have to know what to do and where to look!
Cash For Gold… Is It Worth It To Sell Old Gold Jewelry Through The Mail?
No matter where you ultimately decide to sell your gold for cash, check here first for today’s gold prices. That way, you know how much your gold pieces are REALLY worth. You will also want to have some idea of the overall weight of your gold, as well as how many pieces are 14k or 18k (which is most common in gold jewelry) and how many are 24k (the purest form of gold). The higher the karat, the more your gold is worth.
The Pros & Cons Of Smart Cars And Micro Minis
Are you thinking about getting a smart car? There’s lots of chatter about fuel efficiency and collision safety. So here are 7 pros and cons of a mini car, plus videos showing the Smart car in crashes.
WARNING: How Old Are Your Tires? Even Your Brand New Tires May Be Unsafe! Here’s Why…
Following are some of the dangers associated with buying used tires — or even OLD, unused tires that are sold as brand new! Plus, how to make sense of the letters and numbers on your tire’s sidewall and determine the true age of your tires.
How To Get Free Eye Exams
Vision USA provides low-income and uninsured people with basic eye health and vision care for free. InfantSee provides a one-time, comprehensive eye exam for babies for free. Eyecare America provides free eye exams and services for seniors.
How To Protect Yourself From Theft During The Holiday Season
Especially during the holiday season, there are people who aim to steal purses, pick pockets, and take purchases from your car. Here’s how to avoid holiday theft this shopping season.
Beyond Winterizing: 6 Ways To Cut Costs This Winter
Beyond typical winterizing, here are some things you can do to boost your energy and money savings during the winter…
Car Salesman Tricks To Make You Buy A Car… Right Now!
Even more experienced car buyers can be caught in car salesman tricks of the trade. Here’s what to watch for when a car salesman tries to sell you new car.
How The Mortgage Collapse and Government Bailouts Will Affect You
If the government can bail out AIG, why aren’t everyone’s debts also canceled? That’s a good question, but is it a good idea? Here’s what you need to know about the latest mortgage crisis and how these government bailouts will affect you.
Playing The Home Market: Buying A New House And Bailing On The Old
These days, people playing the home market in a way that is very similar to playing the stock market. Here’ how it works, and what you need to know if you’re considering buying a new home and bailing out on your old home.
MyGallons.com – Is It A Good Idea To Buy A Prepaid Gas Card?
MyGallons.com is one of the prepaid gas cards on the market today and it allows you to pre-purchase tomorrow’s gasoline at today’s prices. So, is it worth it? Should you really pre-pay for gas like this or should you just buy traditional gas gift cards? Are there any ‘catches’? Here’s what you need to know before you sign up for prepaid gas with MyGallons.com.
Health Insurance: If You Don’t Pay For It Now, You Will Pay Dearly For It Later
If you’re not paying for health insurance right now — because you can’t afford it. Trust me, you will pay dearly for it later — when you DO need it. Health insurance is an unavoidable expense that must be worked into your monthly bills and expenses. It’s unavoidable. Here’s why…
Do You Have A Will? Here’s How To Write A Will + FREE Online Will Forms
Knowing how to write a will is a great idea if you have children under the age of 18, have recently gone through a divorce, and for a multitude of other reasons. Making a will when you still have all of your faculties will give you the peace of mind you need. If you need a will, here are some tips for how to write your own will, what it will cost if you pay a professional to write a will for you, and free legal will forms so you can write a living will yourself.
Buying A New Car? 6 Reasons To Pay Cash Rather Than Financing Your Next Vehicle
Here are the best reasons to buy cars for cash, rather than financing.We recently weighed the pros and cons and this is what we determined when you chose to pay cash for used cars. I’ve also gathered some tips on how to avoid auto dealer scams, and what to watch for when you’re buying a new or used car.
Is It True That You’re Throwing Away Money If You Rent vs Own Your Home?
There are many advantages to paying a mortgage over paying rent. Still, renting a home is not exactly a waste of your money. Here are some interesting facts regarding renting vs owning a home.
Your Dishwasher Can Actually Save You Money!
Measuring one method of doing dishes against another, dishwashers cost less and get your dishes cleaner than hand-washing alone. Here are some other things you can do to save money while using the dishwasher to clean your dishes…
What Happens To Your Mortgage (Or Your Car) If You Die?
If you die, will the bank be willing to do business with your spouse? Will he or she have to move? Will the bank foreclose on your home? These are things you need to consider when purchasing a new home. The fact of the matter is, you should consider purchasing life insurance to protect your mortgage. Here’s why…
Do You Need A Health Savings Account?
My family used a Health Savings Account one year. Here are some thoughts about HSAs…
How To Decorate Your Walls… On The Cheap
Just because you don’t have a lot of money to spend on home decorations doesn’t mean your walls have to be plain and boring. There are many fun and easy ways to decorate on the cheap. Here are some things ideas…
Reasons To Pay Off Your Home Loan
I completely agree with Suze Orman when she says it’s better to pay off your home loan early. Here’s why…
Buying A New Home?… Is Your Realtor Steering You Wrong?
Are you REALLY ready to buy a new home? Are you buying more house than you can actually afford? Are your friends and Realtor trying to convince you to buy more than you need? Don’t dig yourself into a hole… Here are a few things to think about before you sign on the dotted line.
Qualifying For A Home Loan (…Using Just One Income)
For a couple purchasing a house, it might be a better idea to use only one person’s income to qualify for your home loan. By using only one person’s income on your home loan, you are guaranteeing that you are not purchasing a house that you will not be able to afford should you find that one person is unable to work for any period of time. But wait, there’s more!
What About The People Paying Their Loans On Time? Good News: There’s Help For You, Too!
If you have managed to keep your credit rating in good standing during this time of home foreclosures, and made all of your payments on time, there are ways that you can get a bit of financial relief, too. You don’t have to be in over your head to get good deals on a home loan.
Behind On Your Mortgage? Six Mortgage Lenders Are Participating In Project Lifelife
Is your mortgage with Bank of America, Citigroup, Countrywide, J.P Morgan Chase and Co, Washington Mutual, or Wells Fargo? If so, then Project Lifeline can help you with your past-due mortgage. If not, then read on, there’s help to keep you from losing your house.
What Automobile Insurance Coverages Do I Need?
Auto insurance coverage information that you need to know when choosing your automobile coverages including… liability limits for bodily injury and property damage, medical payments, collision, comprehensive, rental reimbursement, towing and labor.
