Not long ago, I participated in a forum discussion: Debt Snowball vs. Emergency Fund. The premise is very simple. Should the person start an emergency fund while he’s still in debt? In this case, we are talking specifically about credit card debt averaging 15% in interest. In this article, we will follow this sample scenario: … Read more
A credit card cash advance is an easy way for you to get cash from your credit card. If you have your PIN, you can simply walk up to an ATM to withdraw your money. Without a PIN number, you can still withdraw money by going to a bank and some stores will even let … Read more
Are you thinking about borrowing money from your 401(k) plan? Whether it is for the down payment for your home purchase, for debt payment, to fund your new business venture, or to cover your cash shortfall; borrowing money from your 401(k) is a decision that you need to consider carefully. Table of Content How to … Read more
One of the first steps to help you better understand and improve your credit is to get your credit reports. Your reports give you a better understanding of what’s going on and offer you the opportunity to spot mistakes that you may want to dispute. What is a Credit Report A credit report is a … Read more
If you have equity in your house on one side and a pile of debts on the other, you have what amounts to a math equation. If you could take some of that high-interest credit card costing you 20% interest and convert it to something that would cost you only 4% interest, you would come … Read more
In What is a Good Credit Score? post, I shared various ways you can use to get your credit score for free. I also mentioned the myFICO Free Credit Scores Estimator tool, which will give you a free estimate of your scores. The calculator asks you ten questions to come up with an estimated range … Read more
Debt-to-Income Ratio, or DTI ratio, is how a bank or lender determines what you can afford to borrow. It is a way to assess your ability to pay back the loan based on your income and other debt obligations. If your DTI ratio is too high, then you’re a risky borrower and may not qualify … Read more
Being in debt is not fun. Unfortunately, many people do find themselves in debt, carrying a balance on multiple credit cards and loans. Even if you have a debt problem that seems insurmountable, you can eliminate credit card debt on your own without using a debt consolidation service. While I think the debt consolidation company … Read more
Debt Snowball is a debt elimination strategy popularized by Dave Ramsey, a renowned debt and personal finance guru. Under this method, you reduce your debt by paying the minimum monthly payment to all accounts, except the one with the smallest balance, which you’ll try to pay down as fast as you can. How the … Read more
The financial world today is fraught with pitfalls. One of the biggest issues is your credit score. Lenders — and others — check your credit score regularly to see what sort of default risk you present. Your credit score is largely based on the information that is reported to the major credit bureaus, so it … Read more