Articles Index

Family Loan

Borrowers sometimes find that a family loan is the best option. What does it take to set up a family loan properly? You have to consider financial and personal topics to make sure the loan does not become a nightmare.

Deposits at ATMs - Risks

Deposits at ATMs can be convenient. However, you may run into trouble or have doubts about deposit ATMs. Are they safe? Do they have special rules? Learn about a few pitfalls of deposit ATMs so you can avoid unpleasant surprises.

Online Bill Payment Setup

To take advantage of online bill payment, you have to set up your bank account. Once everything is dialed in, life is easy going forward. Find out what it takes to set up online bill payment at your bank.

Online Bill Paying 101

Online bill paying makes your life easier. You don’t have to write checks, get them into the mail, or work as hard to track your transactions. If you’re interested in online bill paying, find out what it takes to get started and where to do it.

Recourse Loans and Non-recourse Loans

Recourse loans are loans that allow the lender to come after you in case you default. You can contrast recourse loans with non-recourse loans, which create more risk for lenders. Let's take a look at recourse loans, how they work, and how to identify them.

Free Bill Pay Services

Paying bills is rarely fun or easy. However you can use free bill pay services to make life a little easier and avoid mistakes. Let’s cover a few of the best free bill pay options and how you can use them.

MyCheckFree Review

MyCheckFree is a free service allowing you to pay bills online. Instead of writing checks and sending them to service providers, your payments at MyCheckFree are electronic. Let’s look at how MyCheckFree works and the pros and cons.

Payoff Letter Basics

A payoff letter is a document describing how you can pay off your home loan. As you prepare to pay off the loan, you should request an official payoff letter to avoid any confusion. Let’s review what payoff letters are and why they’re important.

CreditReport.com Review

CreditReport.com is an online service offering access to your credit reports and scores. You may find free trial offers at CreditReport.com, and you may also sign up for ongoing paid programs. Let’s take a quick look at CreditReport.com and what you get.

Credit.com Review

A review of Credit.com, one of the most popular websites for learning about your credit. Learn about the quality and people of Credit.com.

Online Checking Account at HSBC

Consumers looking for a good free online checking account might be pleased with HSBC. They offer online bill pay, free checking, and the ability to zap money back and forth to various banks. Perhaps most importantly, you can move money almost instantly between the online checking account and HSBC’s OnlineSavings account for a competitive interest rate.

How to View Your Annual Free Credit Report

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that U.S. consumers be entitled to a free credit report each year. Don't be tricked into signing up for a subscription service. You can access your annual free credit report online or call to have it sent to you.

Savings Account Interest Rate Scorecard

The Savings Account Interest Rate Scorecard highlights some of the leading savings account interest rates. It is most useful for a quick answer on where to stash your cash. If you really want the best rates, you can start here and continue on for even better deals.

Savings Bonds - Overview of How US Savings Bonds Work

Savings bonds are a major offering at banks and credit unions. What are savings bonds all about? This page takes you through the basics, how they’re used, and how you can get detailed information about savings bonds. We'll cover the advantages and disadvantages of savings bonds, and how you can buy them.

Cashier's Check Fraud

Cashier’s check fraud is one of the most popular crimes in the internet age. Once thought to be safe, cashier’s checks now require extra attention. Make sure you know all the red flags of cashier’s check fraud so you can avoid expensive scams.

Insurance Scores FAQ

Your credit history is important to your financial life in many ways. Insurance scores, based on credit related information, can save you money or cost you a bundle. Find out the details on what insurance scores are, how they work, and what you can do about them.

ING Direct - Banking Reviews

This review covers the ING Direct online savings account. Learn the basics about the ING Direct offer, and find out about any extras.

4 Keys to Successful Debt Help

Seeking debt help is difficult. There are a lot of pressures and promises that can lead you to make a bad decision. Before you go into a debt help program, make sure you know as much as possible about what you’re getting into.

How to Win Start Up Business Loans

Start up business loans are difficult to come by. If you’re not having luck with other sources, let’s dig in and start the process of winning a start up business loan.

Failed Institution Protection

Sometimes financial institutions fail. If your money - a savings account, 401k, or investment account - is with a failed firm, you might wonder if it’s safe. Will you lose everything? For most people, the answer is no. Let’s look at the safeguards available to protect your money when a financial institution fails.

Worst Place to Keep Your Cash in 2005

2005 was a bad year for cash. The worst thing you could do with your cash was to keep it in a savings account. Let’s review how keeping money in a savings account actually cost you money in 2005.

Government Mortgage Help Programs

The financial crisis led to a variety of government mortgage help programs. Unfortunately, they can be difficult to find. Advertisements talking about new legislation rarely lead you down the right path. Let’s review what the programs are, and where you can find real government mortgage help.

Mortgage Help Basics

Since the mortgage crisis boiled to a head in 2008, several mortgage help programs were put in place to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Over time, the programs evolved to address borrowers in need of different types of mortgage help. Let’s review some of the major programs available.

How to Win Small Business Loans

Working with banks on small business loans can be easy or difficult – it just depends on how prepared you are. Follow this formula for obtaining small business loans and you can move on to the more important things.

Photo Checks

Photo checks are bank checks that allow you to put an image on them. You might want a picture of your smiling face, or you can use a photo that expresses your identity. You can either order photo checks from a printer, or you can print them yourself. Find out how to get your own photo checks.