Articles Index
Checking Account Essentials
A good checking account is important. You’ll send thousands of dollars through your checking account, and you need to make sure it’s the right one for you. The wrong checking account will leave you with less money, and mistakes can cause headaches. Learn the basics and where you should open a checking account.
Student Checking Basics
Student checking accounts help students start banking. While marketing messages are attractive, student checking accounts are not always the best choice. Find out how student checking works, and what to watch out for.
NFL Checks - How to Get NFL Personal Checks
Want to support your favorite team of touchdowners and tacklers? NFL checks are one more way to do so. More and more fans ask how they can get their favorite NFL team on personal checks. It’s not easy. This page gives you a few ideas on how you can get NFL checks.
Private Party Loans
Private party loans are loans between individuals. Instead of using a bank or finance company, you agree on loan terms and work together. Some private party loans are a great deal for all involved, with better terms than the bank offers. Sometimes, private party loans are the only option for borrowers with bad credit.
What is Bad Credit?
So, you’ve heard your credit is not where it should be. What is bad credit anyway? To improve your situation you need to understand what bad credit is and how to fix it. Let’s take a closer look at your credit and how it affects you.
Getting a Loan With Bad Credit
It’s hard to get a loan with bad credit. Options are limited, and borrowing is more expensive. If you’re trying to get a loan with bad credit, do some homework before you get a loan. It’s easy to get into expensive traps, and there are a few things you can do to improve your chances.
Credit Union Loans
Credit union loans are among the most competitive loans available. How can you get one? You’ll need to become a member before you qualify for a credit union loan. Find out what it takes to get a credit union loan.
IRA Loan
When you need money, an IRA loan may come to mind. Technically, it’s not possible to borrow from your IRA. However, you can do a few things that act like an IRA loan for quick cash. Learn what your options are.
Family Financing Basics
The thought of family financing is common when you or one of your relatives needs money. While it may be a great choice, don’t move forward with a family financing deal until you understand how to do it right. Let’s review how family financing is used and what to watch out for.
Private Mortgage - How to do a Private Mortgage
With a private mortgage, you don’t borrow from a bank. Instead, you borrow from another person or business. Whether it’s your only option, or one of many, you should understand how a private mortgage works. Find out what it takes to successfully use a private mortgage.
Cheap Loans - Where to Find Cheap Loans - What to Avoid
Do cheap loans exist? There’s almost always a cost to borrow money, but you can manage the costs and improve your chances. Find out how to find cheap loans, and what to avoid.
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.
Family Mortgage - Virgin Money
If you use a family mortgage, do it right. One way to make everything official and protect everybody is to use a service for loan agreements, servicing, and legal filings. Virgin Money’s family mortgage product does those things for you. Let’s take a closer look at how their family mortgage works.
Virgin Money Family Mortgage Full Closing Program
The Full Closing package offers everything the Full Servicing package does, along with closing help. The full closing product only makes sense if you're transferring ownership of a property. Find out how it works.
Virgin Money Family Mortgage
The Full Servicing package does everything the Basic package does, as well as handling servicing. Learn the basics of Virgin Money's fully-serviced family mortgage program.
Virgin Money Basic Family Mortgage
The Basic package handles the toughest legal requirements of a family mortgage. You may feel comfortable with the logistics of payments, but you might not be qualified to draft a loan agreement. Find out about the Basic Family Mortgage program.
CD Interest Rate Scorecard
The CD Interest Rate Scorecard highlights some of the leading CD 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 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.
Lending Club
Lending Club is a peer to peer lending service. Instead of borrowing money from a bank, you borrow from individuals that you connect with at the Lending Club Website. This page explains how Lending Club works.
Lending Club CEO Interview
In June 2009 I spoke with Renaud Laplanche about Lending Club. We talked about how the peer to peer lending service works, and what to expect going forward. A summary of key takeaways from the interview with Renaud Laplanche are below.
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.