Credit & Loans

Find out how to determine whether your child is ready to handle this financial responsibility.

Your credit score, which is also referred to as your FICO score, is a measure that creditors use to assess your potential credit worthiness. Generally speaking, the higher your credit score, the less of a credit risk borrowers will perceive you to be.

If you are looking to take out a loan or apply for a credit card, then it will be very important for you to have a good credit score, which is often referred to as your FICO score. After all, the better your credit score, the more likely you will be granted credit and the better the terms you are likely ...

An adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is a type of mortgage that has a fixed interest rate for a certain time period at the beginning of the mortgage, which then becomes a floating interest rate according to an index (called a reference rate). This reference rate might be the six-month LIBOR, or the six-month ...

A 2005 law attempts to unmask fraudulent debtors and still save those who are struggling. Will it affect you?

This important investment decision happens before you pick your first stock. Find out how to get it right.

If your head is in the clouds, check out this down-to-earth financial advice for couples.

Learn how to cut your mortgage, tax, gas and utilities bills.

Carrying this debt can have benefits if done correctly, but is it worth the risk?

The global interconnection of U.S. payment systems makes commerical and financial transfers possible.

Is the U.S. Congress' failure to rein in these mortgage giants to blame for the financial fallout?

Actually, any mortgage-backed security (MBS) guarantee depends on who issued it.To review, an MBS is a security, created through the process of securitization, in which the underlying assets are loans made to individuals and companies who are using the funds to purchase buildings and homes.

Whether your credit score will be affected by inactivity depends on how you define "inactivity". Your credit report does not include information on frequency of credit card use in any given month. However, your credit report does include current balance, credit limit and whether you've made payments ...

These savings vehicles may be better than college saving funds for some families.

Find out why this corporation was developed and how it protects depositors from bank failure.

Take a look at the factors that caused this market to flare up and burn out.

A credit crunch occurs when there is a lack of funds available in the credit market, making it difficult for borrowers to obtain financing. This happens when lenders have limited funds available to lend (or are unwilling to lend additional funds), or have increased the cost of borrowing to a rate that ...

Find out what you can do to help someone who is finanically out of control.

The subprime collapse could mean doom and gloom for housing, equities and the overall economy.

A subprime mortgage is a type of loan granted to individuals with poor credit histories (often below 600), who, as a result of their deficient credit ratings, would not be able to qualify for conventional mortgages. Because subprime borrowers present a higher risk for lenders, subprime mortgages charge ...

Find out how small investments can add up over time and how to avoid the fees that can eat tiny returns.

More than 30 million people were victims of fraud in 2007. Will you be next?

These loans provide fast cash, but they could leave you deeper in debt - and without a car.

Discover another way to fund your retirement without having to make payments on a loan.

In breakup, divorce or death, community or common law will determine how property is divided.

Calculate how much your property will need to appreciate to cover the costs of owning it.

A variable interest rate loan is a loan in which the interest rate charged on the outstanding balance varies as market interest rates change. As a result, your payments will vary as well (as long as your payments are blended with principal and interest).

For the purposes of a qualified plan loan, the reasonable rate of interest that the Department of Labor provides is one consistent with rates charged by commercial lenders. To apply a reasonable rate to your qualified plan loan, a plan administrator will typically survey a few financial institutions ...

Net worth provides a road map for retirement - learn if you're headed in the right direction.

Reducing the rate charged on your credit card balance is the first step to getting out of debt.

These terms may sound the same, but they mean very different things for home buyers.

Find out how to get a tax benefit from your mortgage like your neighbours to the south.

As a general rule, entering a zero principal mortgage, or what is commonly referred to as an "interest-only mortgage", is not in a home buyer's best interest. This is because an interest-only mortgage is a type of mortgage where the borrower only makes regular payments to the lender that cover the interest ...

Don't be overwhelmed when filling out these forms. Find out what you need to do here.

A couple's finances may not always be a match made in heaven. Find out when to say "I Do".

Find out how to protect your personal information from phishers, scammers and thieves.

Surprisingly, opening a Swiss bank account is not that much different from opening a standard bank account because you have to fill out forms and provide documentation that proves who you are and what you do. However, due to some special circumstance regarding privacy, the level of scrutiny over providing ...

Find out how to avoid getting bitten when your mortgage rate resets.

The passage of the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 at the end of July 2008 made about $15 billion of tax incentives available to Americans impacted by the mortgage crisis. (See our feature Subprime Mortgages for more on the subprime meltdown.)The largest implication of ...

Don't get scorched by ATM thieves who want to burn a hole in your wallet.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent agency of the U.S. government that protects you against loss of deposit if your bank is FDIC insured. Banks are not mandated to be FDIC insured, but being insured has become a point of competition among banking institutions.

Overdraft protection can help when you overestimate your balance, but it will cost you.

Foreclosure investing involves the purchase of houses that are somewhere in the process of being confiscated by lenders due to the owner's failure to meet mortgage obligations. The investor buys the house with the hope that it can be bought below market value as a result of the bank or lender seeking ...

Follow Indy's advice to conquer the obstacles blocking your path to financial well-being.

Paying your bills early or giving an extra donation now can help you come tax time.

One person often deals with the finances in a relationship, but being ignorant has a cost.

Increasing your savings will provide tax benefits - and peace of mind.