September 2010

When is the Best Time to Utilize Cash Out Refinancing?

September 22, 2010

At the height of the housing market boom, it seemed like every homeowner was taking out a home equity line of credit or performing cash out refinancing. Cash out refinancing isn’t quite as common these days, but it can still be a useful tool. Before you decide whether cash out refinancing is right for you, [...]

Read the full article →

What is Tax Form 1040 Schedule B?

September 21, 2010

If you have a savings account, mutual fund, bonds, dividend-paying stocks or any interest bearing account, you may need to attach a Schedule B to your Form 1040 (tax return) come spring. Filers are generally required to fill out a Schedule B if interest and dividend income from all sources exceeds $1,500. You’ll also need [...]

Read the full article →

How Does the Making Homes Affordable Program Work?

September 21, 2010

The Home Affordable Modification Program, which aims to stabilize the housing market and help homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages, was introduced in February 2009 as part of Obama’s Financial Stability Plan. The Financial Stability Plan attempts to address the key problems at the heart of the current economic crisis and to get [...]

Read the full article →

What Online Banking Can’t Do For You

September 20, 2010

Online banking really is awesome. Anyone who manages an online account knows the great joy in 24/7 access, online bill-pay and automated banking services. There’s a lot online banking can do for you, but what’s less promoted is what it can’t. The online banking experience is only as great as the account holder makes it. [...]

Read the full article →

The DoughRoller Weekly RoundUp (Citibank Selling Student Loans Edition)

September 19, 2010

In another moved fueled by the US Government, Citibank has decided to sell off it’s student loan business.  The reasoning behind the move is simply to strengthen the core of Citibank (meaning the online and brick and mortar baking aspects) while removing all of the smaller components of the bank.  While it’s unclear just how [...]

Read the full article →

9 Things You Won’t Find in Your FICO Credit Score

September 17, 2010

Photo: LiewCF Although not the only credit score in use, the FICO score is the best-known and most widely used credit score in the United States.  Creditors use your FICO score (and other scores) to determine your eligibility for loans, credit cards and other types of credit.  Employers will often request your credit score to [...]

Read the full article →

The Best Secured Credit Cards of 2013

September 17, 2010

If you find yourself being turned down for unsecured credit cards, one of the options you have in obtaining credit comes from a secured credit card.  A secured credit card is different than an unsecured credit card because your approved credit limit depends on the amount of your initial deposit. Unsecured credit cards provide cardholders [...]

Read the full article →

The Lost Art Of Balancing Your Checkbook

September 16, 2010

With the advent of online banking, balancing one’s checkbook has become a thing of the past. Those who grew up in the Internet age have little to no clue what a check even looks like. For the most part, Generation Y has used debit cards and credit cards throughout most of their adult lives and [...]

Read the full article →

What is Debt to Income Ratio?

September 16, 2010

Photo: Images_of_Money A debt-to-income ratio, otherwise known as DTI, is the percentage of a consumer’s monthly gross income that goes toward paying debt. In simple terms, a consumer’s DTI is calculated by dividing the amount of monthly debt payments by gross monthly income. The DTI ratio is extremely important when it comes to qualifying for a [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →