refinancing

I believe that cash flow is one of the most powerful concepts in personal finance. People tends to know how they feel about their personal finance — e.g., whether they are comfortable or are struggling. Unfortunately, not too many people truly understand cash flow and how important it is to your finances. When you understand [...]

While there are many different opinions as to how much debt is too much, the two ratios below are the most widely used measures of how much debt is manageable. These ratios are also known as debt to income ratios (DTI). Many of you are reading this and other personal finance blogs in an attempt [...]

Welcome to the 76th edition of Money Hacks Carnival. In this edition, I’ll be presenting some interesting and fun facts about money along with the submissions. For editor’s picks, please look for entries noted with (EP). Money Fact #1: $1 bills wear out in about 17 months. Bills of larger denomination last longer because they [...]

The mortgage market was in doldrums following the subprime mortgage crisis. More and more borrowers were defaulting on their mortgage payments due to the liquidity crunch. Such was the condition of the mortgage market in United States that the government had to intervene and rescue the mortgage market from further upheavals. To address the needs [...]

Bad economy and high unemployment means there are a lot of families facing financial crisis and possibly home foreclosure. Making Home Affordable refinancing and loan modification program is helping, but unfortunately, not everyone is eligible. This crisis creates opportunities for scammers who promise to stop foreclosure are out to make a quick buck. And this [...]

The key to getting out of debt for good is to have a positive cash flow and stop digging yourself deeper into debt. If you follow my previous step to earn more and spend less, you should have, or are on your way toward a positive cash flow at this point. The third step in [...]

“When should I take Social Security?” is the first question everyone faces when contemplating retirement. More than 50% of all men and women start taking benefits at 62. By age 66, well over 90% of all men and women are taking benefits according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. The Break Even [...]

I came across Borrowing 401k Savings to Refinance Mortgage at Trees Full of Money. The article was mathematically interesting, and it’s worth analyzing this because many Americans are in a similar predicament. Here’s the premise: A couple wants to refinance their mortgage from a 30-year fixed at 6% APR loan to 15-year fixed at 4.5% [...]

This year, President Obama introduced the Making Home Affordable program to help homeowners to keep their homes by making mortgage payments affordable. The plan affects about 7 to 9 million people, and you can use the self-assessment tools to see if you’re eligible. When you visit the tool, you’ll notice that there are two options: [...]

This is another week in the news with the 40+ Alternative Income Ideas and Resources article featured on San Antonio’s News 4 WOAI TV — thank you! Also, I want to mention that Free Money Finance’s March Madness is still going strong and our Extra Income Guide made it through round 2 — hooray! Ask [...]