Real Estate & Personal Finance: How Do Mortgage Brokers Help in the Home-Buying Process?
Many mortgage brokers are experts at getting you ready to buy a home. In fact, some real estate agents require that you talk to one before you even start looking at houses. “For many borrowers, the work gets done before they ever apply for a loan. Between getting the information they need to apply for a loan and cleaning up credit issues, there’s a lot to do,” explains Jonathan Mosca, a seasoned mortgage professional. Since mortgage brokers work with many lenders, they have a keen understanding of what lenders look for in a borrower and can help you to prepare yourself to meet the lender’s scrutiny.
How to Track A Household Budget
Maryland-based financial adviser Lamont Corprew, a Certified Public Accountant, is an advocate for having an household budget emergency fund. “Make saving for an emergency a a priority, because you never know when you’ll need it,” Corprew notes. “But keep it separate from your regular savings account. Commingling your emergency fund and other savings can be a spending temptation that’s difficult to resist.”
Personal Finance Checkup: How to Tell if You're On Track with Retirement Savings
Know Your Current Financial Status The first step is knowing the status of your personal finances. “Getting from point A to point B, financially speaking, starts by knowing where point A is,” says certified public accountant, Mark Noel. You need to consider your current income,…
Taking Inventory of Your Personal Finances: How Much of Your Paycheck Should You Budget for Bills
Whether you get paid an hourly wage or a monthly salary, at the end of the pay cycle, chances are that your paycheck is less than your earnings. Your employer is typically required by law to withhold a percentage of your paycheck for income taxes, Social Security and Medicare. You might have additional withholding for retirement contributions or health insurance. The federal tax system is pay-as-you-go, so even if you are self-employed you’ll have to file quarterly tax reports. The bottom line is, not all of your earnings are available to pay your living expenses.
Real Estate & Personal Finance: How Does a Mortgage Loan Modification Affect Your Credit Score?
Credit Score Basics Your credit score is a number that a credit reporting agency assigns to you that summarizes how likely you are to repay credit and loans. Three major agencies dominate the credit reporting industry, and all use a scoring system called FICO, created…
Personal Finance Management 101: Do Credit Checks Hurt My Credit
Types of Credit Checks Not all credit checks are treated the same when it comes to your credit score. Only credit checks in response to you applying for new credit actually hurt your score. For example, if you apply for a credit card and the…
Money Management for College Students: Do Loans Affect Your Credit Score?
When you look at the breakdown of credit score factors, the biggest – at a whopping 35 percent – is your payment history. If you’re still in school and not yet making loan payments, your credit score won’t suffer. However, when you get out, the responsibility of making the payments falls on your shoulders. If you miss payments or fall behind regularly, you can do some serious damage to your score. “The good news is that if you are diligent about making the payments – in full and on time – you’ll really give your credit score a lift,” says Massie.
Real Estate & Personal Finance: Can I Buy a Home While on a Debt Management Plan?
A debt management plan helps you get your personal finances under control through a carefully structured action plan based on your income, assets and liabilities. If you’re considering a debt management plan or if you’re already enrolled in one, chances are you’ve found yourself in a challenging situation regarding your expenses and you’re looking for a solution to overwhelming debt.
Yours, Mine and Ours: Tips for Combining Personal Finances
Combine Your Finances After Marriage – Ideally Marriage gives you a legal partnership, and the ideal time to combine your personal finances is after you get married. However, you can begin to work on combined finances before marriage. “I encourage them to begin making decisions…
Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a New Home
Mistake #1: Buying Beyond Your Means One of the most exciting parts about shopping for a new home is that you can indulge your fantasies. It’s fun to dream about living in a home with all the latest and greatest features and innovations, and when…