Financial Advice and Tips

Declaring bankruptcy is a major decision that should only be made after exploring all feasible options of debt repayment. While bankruptcy can eliminate most debts under the protection of the federal bankruptcy court, it will not alleviate one from tax liabilities, child support, or spousal support. It can also have damaging effects on your credit report for 7-10 years, making it very difficult to borrow or receive any kind of credit in the future. [...]

While moving can be exciting, the actual act of moving can be stressful and take months of planning. Whether this is your first move or one of many, we rounded up some tips and tricks that will make your big move easy! Tips For Moving 1. Have a yard sale! This is a great way to get rid of unwanted items AND make extra cash. 2. Do not limit yourself to packing using just boxes. Backpacks hold laptops, [...]

Whether you’re moving yourself or your entire family – the idea of packing everything up and relocating to a new home can be a huge source of stress. As if it wasn’t stressful enough, on top of all the packing and planning, you still need to face the cost of moving. Thankfully, there are a number of ways you can save money when moving. Here are some great tips for you to consider: Hire [...]

Obtaining a loan can help alleviate the need for extra money when you need it most, and can help you afford items which may otherwise be unattainable. However, if you unknowingly agree to do business with a less than reputable company, you may be paying for much more than you bargained for. There are many companies both online and offline that pretend to be legitimate, when in fact they are predators trying to steal [...]

One thing is for certain, marriage is full of challenges – and perhaps nothing is more challenging to a marriage than finances. After the wedding day, couples need to know that the journey of a thousand miles and decades into the future together – financially speaking – is going to be drastically different than if you were to “do it alone”. Here are some major considerations couples should know and plan for when it [...]

If you are considering applying for any sort of credit, including a loan, credit card, mortgage, etc., you need to understand the type of credit you are considering and its possible risks. One important step to take before signing the dotted line is to review your financial situation to see if you can handle another monthly payment. Establishing a monthly budget is essential to determining how much credit you can truly afford. The American Financial Services Association (AFSA) [...]

When you are considering taking out a loan, the first thing you may look at is the loan’s Annual Percentage Rate or APR.  When comparing loans of similar size and duration, APR can be a useful tool to determine which loan is right for you. However, APR is not a helpful tool when comparing different types of loans, ie. secured loans vs. unsecured loans, personal loans, home equity loans, etc. AFSA, the American Financial Services Foundation, has created an [...]

Most loan types fall into one of two loan categories – secured loans and unsecured loans. To clarify we’ve defined each type of loan below. What is a Secured Loan? Secured loans are loans that are protected by an asset or collateral of some sort. The item purchased, such as a home or a car, can be used as collateral, and a lien is placed on the item. The finance company or bank will hold [...]