Finance

• Home Construction Loans

  You’ve found the perfect piece of land for your dream home. Now, you’ve got to find a way to get your plans off the ground. Because of the risks involved in letting a builder finance home construction, many financial planners recommend taking out a special home construction loan.

• Big Enough For Baby

  We’re expecting our third child in July and will need to purchase a new car as our current one (4 year old Subaru Outback wagon) does not have adequate space for 3 car seats. We’ve got a couple of questions about this impending big-ticket purchase – (1) Are we better off to try and sell our current car outright rather than trade? (2) We know how much cars depreciate as soon as you drive them off the lot, but as we still have a fair amount left on our current car loan (and worry about not getting enough in trade due to having 84K miles), would we be wise to look at new cars that have rebates that can help mitigate a negative loan balance after trade? (3) Is there a best time to purchase a new and/or used vehicle? and (4) Which is a better bet: a minivan with All Wheel Drive or an SUV with a 3rd row seat?

• Credit For Buying Real Estate Not The Same As Credit For Buying Cars

  Qualifying for a real estate purchase requires different credit than automobile financing or retail credit. You may be shocked at some of these tips because this information runs contrary to what other so-called experts tell you.

• Dangerous Debt Consolidation Loans

  Now that the frenzy of refinancing has tapered off, many mortgage lenders have turned to alternate methods of marketing their services…

• Mortgages After Bankruptcy: Easier Than You’d Expect

  Many American consumers fear that they won’t be able to get a good mortgage if they claim bankruptcy. In fact, more lenders than ever will work with homeowners who have fallen on hard times and want to rebuild their credit.

• Returning To School

  The transition to a new career will not be easy but should pay dividends for years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 1/3 of the fastest growing job titles are medical related.

• Home Equity And Retirement Income Planning

  The baby boom generation is nearing retirement and it is clear that millions of aging boomers are financially under prepared. Reasons are many – poor savings habits, rising medical costs, the demise of guaranteed corporate pensions, and the dreaded squeeze faced by many boomers: i.e. having to pay college costs for their children, care for their elderly parents, and save for retirement, all at the same time.

• Bank Like A Banker

  Since the bank needs to train their employees, provide a paycheck and benefits, pay for the branch building and in some cases supply uniforms, etc., it is conceivable that your one banking transaction per pay period could cost the bank $3 or more.