Researching a Mortgage Online

I read a statistic the other day that nearly 75 percent of consumers research products and services online before making a purchase. That got me thinking about researching mortgages online. It’s a great way to “shop smart,” but I recommend you keep a couple things in mind as you go cyber sleuthing for a loan.…

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Paying Less on Your Debt

Debt—nearly all of us have it, and we all want to get rid of it. The problem is lots of people don’t know they are paying too much for their debt when they could easily pay less. Here are a few tips that will help you not only pay less on what you owe, but…

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How Mortgage Rates are Determined

Over the past few years, I’m sure you’ve heard about how mortgage rates are at historic lows, and truth is, they are. This chart, from the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis, clearly shows that the rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is the lowest (or at least near the lowest) it has been in…

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Owning a Home May be Cheaper than Renting

It’s no secret that the current housing climate is beneficial to buyers. It’s been difficult over the past few years to not hear about how mortgage rates are historically low, while home prices have fallen significantly. However, another wrinkle in the housing market which hasn’t been getting quite as much ink is the increasing cost…

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Keep an Eye on Your Credit

Your credit report serves as an account of your financial history. It offers potential lenders a glimpse of where you’ve been so they can estimate where you are going. Based on that estimation, they will determine what they will charge you to borrow money or whether they will lend to you at all. Because of…

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