Conforming Loan Limits for Dummies (meaning me)

October 9, 2009

As I mentioned in an earlier article, we recently undertook what turned out to be a failed attempt to refinance our home loan. In the process, we learned just what a confusing mess the mortgage industry is, including convoluted rules set by Freddie and Fannie. These are the government run entities that buy [...]

7 Lessons Learned from a Failed Attempt to Refinance a Mortgage

October 8, 2009

With mortgage rates at historic lows, we recently tried to refinance our mortgage. The result? Well, as my son would say, FAIL. For the first time in my life, I was denied a loan. (Actually, this was the second time. I was turned down for a student credit card in [...]

Welcome to the 85th Running of the Money Hacks Carnival (Saturn’s New Ring Edition)

October 7, 2009

cientists have just discovered a new massive ring around Saturn. The ring starts 3.7 million miles away from Saturn, and extends another 7.4 million miles. The diameter of the ring is equivalent to 300 Saturns lined up side by side, making the ring almost as large as our national debt. So what [...]

List of No Penalty CD (Certificates of Deposit) Rates

October 6, 2009

Updated List of No Penalty CD Rates
I can still remember earning double-digit returns on CDs in the early 1980s. I had saved a little money and was locking it away in 6-month CDs earning 12% or more. Of course, inflation was raging, and the interest rates on home mortgages had gone through the [...]

How to Consolidate Your Debt

October 1, 2009

Debt consolidation and debt negotiation programs (DNP) are often associated with seedy companies more interested in helping themselves than helping consumers. The debt consolidation industry is largely responsible for earning this questionable reputation. The Federal Trade Commission, for example, warns consumers about the false promises many in the debt business make to consumers. And the [...]

MyFICO Promotional Code and Discount Coupon Page

September 28, 2009

Updated List of MyFICO.com Promo Codes and Credit Score Product Coupons
MyFICO, the home of the official FICO credit score, regular offers promotional codes enabling you to get access to your credit score at a discount. They have recently released a 25% discount code on all products. Simply use the code FinancialHelp25 when you [...]

5 Ways to Calculate How Much House You Can Afford

September 24, 2009

Particularly for those looking to buy their first home, the big question is always, “How much house can I afford based on my income.” I can still remember my wife and I trying to crunch the numbers when we bought our first home back in 1993. I was scared to death that we [...]

American Express Bank Offers High Yield CD and Savings Accounts

September 22, 2009

Amex has recently entered the market of online banking with the launch of the American Express Bank, FSB. The Amex Bank is an FDIC insured online bank that offers two savings products, high yield certificates of deposit of varying terms and a high yield savings account. While Amex has offered banking products on [...]

Discover Card Brings Back the 12-Month Balance Transfer Offer!

September 17, 2009

I just learned today that the Discover More Card–American Flag Edition, has increased its 0% balance transfer feature to up to 12 full months. This is a pretty significant development given that credit cards over the past year or so have been taking away features and introductory rates, not adding to them. As [...]

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