The archive · 117 articles

Guides & articles

Insurance Rates

Did Your Car Insurance Quote Jump at Checkout?

August 26, 2026

Mortgage

Reverse Mortgages, Heirs, and Property Taxes: What Actually Happens in 2026

July 31, 2026

Mortgage

Mortgage Rates in Mid-2026: Stuck in the Mid-6s, and What Could Move Them

July 20, 2026

Mortgage

2026 Loan Limits: Conforming Jumps to $832,750, FHA Floor to $541,287

July 17, 2026

Mortgage

Buying a Home in Mid-2026: More Inventory, Flat Prices, Real Leverage

July 14, 2026

Mortgage

Should You Refinance in 2026? Run This Math First

July 10, 2026

Mortgage

Reverse Mortgages in 2026: The HECM Limit Rises to $1,249,125

July 7, 2026

Savings

CD Rates in 2026: Lock Now, or Stay Liquid?

July 2, 2026

Savings

High-Yield Savings in 2026: What a Fed on Hold Means for Your APY

June 29, 2026

Savings

2026 Retirement Limits: 401(k) Rises to $24,500, IRA to $7,500

June 24, 2026

Insurance Rates

Auto Insurance in 2026: Premiums Finally Cool - Unless You're High-Risk

June 19, 2026

Loans

Personal Loan Rates in 2026: 3-Year APRs Near 13.4% - When Borrowing Makes Sense

June 15, 2026

Credit

Credit Card APRs Are Still Above 22% in 2026. Here's the Escape Plan.

June 10, 2026

Mortgage

HELOCs Near 7.25% in 2026: Tapping a Record $34.5 Trillion in Home Equity

June 5, 2026

Featured

Eight Uses for Personal Loans — and Which Ones Make Sense in 2026

August 9, 2022

Insurance Rates

Having a Good Credit Score Will Unlock These Life Hacks

August 5, 2022

Banking

Save Money on Your Car Purchase With These 5 Tips for 2026

July 28, 2022

Banking

5 Ways Taking Control of Your Finances Can Save (or Earn) You Money

July 25, 2022

Mortgage

Five Biggest Mistakes New Homebuyers Make

July 22, 2022

Auto Loans

Hit the Brakes on High Auto Insurance Payments: Eight Tips for 2026

June 13, 2022

Featured

Top Reverse Mortgage Fears Addressed

May 17, 2022

Featured

6 Fast Ways to Get Money Today

May 5, 2022

Savings

Got Gas? Twelve Tips to Save at the Gas Pump

April 28, 2022

Featured

30 Important Things to Do Before You Turn 30

April 25, 2022

Loans

Could High Mortgage Rates Be Good for Homebuyers?

April 18, 2022

Featured

Mortgage Letters of Explanation (LOX): 5 Common Triggers and How to Write One

May 19, 2015

Featured

The Mortgage Insider's Guide to Documentation: The 2026 Mortgage Document Checklist

April 29, 2015

Featured

The Mortgage Insider's Guide: How the Property You Pick Affects Your Mortgage Approval

April 16, 2015

Mortgage

5 Tricks to Get Your Mortgage Approved: What Underwriters Actually Check in 2026

March 23, 2015

Mortgage

The Best Mortgage Options for First-Time Home Buyers in 2026

March 16, 2015

Mortgage

How to Calculate Your Mortgage Payment: The Formula and a 2026 Example

December 1, 2014

Mortgage

How Do Banks Work? How Banks Make Money on Your Deposits, and Why That Sets Your Rates

November 11, 2014

Mortgage

Where Can You Get a Mortgage? Banks, Credit Unions, Brokers, and Online Lenders

November 5, 2014

Mortgage

How Mortgage Rates Work in 2026 (and How to Get a Better One)

October 3, 2014

Credit

How to Cancel a Credit Card the Right Way (and When to Downgrade Instead)

August 15, 2014

Insurance Rates

Home Business? What Your Homeowners Insurance Doesn't Cover

August 8, 2014

Insurance Rates

Term Life vs. Whole Life: Pros and Cons

July 4, 2014

Savings

How Much Do You Really Need in an Emergency Fund — and Where to Keep It in 2026

June 27, 2014

Loans

What to Expect When You Apply for a Personal Loan in 2026

June 25, 2014

Mortgage

3 Signs a Mortgage Is Too Expensive for Your Budget

June 20, 2014

Loans

The Real Cost of Alternative Lending in 2026

June 16, 2014

Mortgage

Should You Take Out a Mortgage to Pay for College in 2026?

June 13, 2014

Todays Cd Rates

How to Build a CD Ladder in 2026: Lock In 4%+ Without Freezing Your Cash

May 30, 2014

Savings

What Is a Target-Date Investment Fund, and Should You Use One?

May 26, 2014

Insurance Rates

How Long Should Your Life Insurance Policy Last?

May 19, 2014

Credit

How to Convert a Secured Credit Card to an Unsecured Card

May 14, 2014

Insurance Rates

HSA Rules Just Changed for 2026: New Limits, New Eligibility, Same Triple Tax Break

May 9, 2014

Savings

Where Can I Save My Money? The Right Account for Each Time Horizon

May 5, 2014

Insurance Rates

Credit Card Insurance Benefits in 2026: What Survived, What Was Cut and What Is New

April 30, 2014

Savings

How to Choose the Right Bank Account in 2026

April 28, 2014

Insurance Rates

When Is the Right Time to Buy Life Insurance?

April 23, 2014

Credit

Debt vs. Investing: A Game of Rates in 2026

April 18, 2014

Insurance Rates

How to Use a High Insurance Deductible to Lower Your Premiums

April 14, 2014

Mortgage

When an ARM Might Make Sense in 2026

April 9, 2014

Auto Loans

How to Deal When Your Car Loan Is Upside Down

March 26, 2014

Loans

Are Student Loans Hurting Your Chances of a Mortgage? How Lenders Count Them in 2026

March 19, 2014

Auto Loans

4 Tactics to Negotiate a Car Deal That Actually Work in 2026

March 5, 2014

Credit

Credit Card Prequalification: What It Really Means (and What It Doesn't)

February 21, 2014

Loans

Pre-Qualified vs. Pre-Approved: What Each Home Loan Term Gets You in 2026

February 19, 2014

Real Estate

4 Reasons You May Want to Keep Renting in 2026

February 17, 2014

Mortgage

What Do Lenders Look for When Setting Your Mortgage Rate?

February 6, 2014

Loans

Can You Borrow to Pay Your Taxes? IRS Payment Plans vs. Loans in 2026

January 24, 2014

Insurance Rates

5 Sneaky Reasons Your Car Insurance Went Up — Even With a Clean Driving Record

January 14, 2014

Insurance Rates

Should You Buy Life Insurance for Your Kids?

January 13, 2014

Mortgage

Do You Really Need to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early? The 2026 Math

January 10, 2014

Mortgage

15-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgage: Which Saves You More in 2026?

December 26, 2013

Insurance Rates

FSA vs. HSA: What's the Difference in 2026?

December 24, 2013

Insurance Rates

3 Types of Insurance You Can Cancel If You Have a Big Emergency Fund (and One You Never Should)

December 18, 2013

Insurance Rates

How to Save on Homeowners Insurance in 2026

December 16, 2013

Mortgage

You Can Afford to Buy Your Home in Cash - But Should You?

December 10, 2013

Mortgage

4 Signs You're Ready to Buy a Home in 2026

December 6, 2013

Credit

Pros and Cons of Three Common Credit Card Rewards Programs in 2026

November 25, 2013

Credit

How to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate in 2026

November 23, 2013

Loans

3 Reasons You Shouldn't Co-Sign a Loan (and What to Do Instead)

November 1, 2013

Credit

Should You Co-Sign Your Kid's First Credit Card?

October 28, 2013

Credit

A Brief History of FICO, 1956 to 2026

October 22, 2013

Credit

The 14-Day Rule: How to Shop for a Loan Without Hurting Your Credit Score

October 21, 2013

Savings

Retirement Options for the Self-Employed: SEP-IRA vs. Solo 401(k) vs. SIMPLE IRA in 2026

October 18, 2013

Credit

Identity Stolen? Freeze First — Then Follow This Recovery Checklist

October 17, 2013

Insurance Rates

PIP, Gap and Uninsured Motorist Coverage, Explained

October 16, 2013

Credit

Why Your Credit Score Won't Budge (and How to Get It Moving)

October 15, 2013

Credit

Can Your Potential Employer Check Your Credit? The Rules in 2026

October 14, 2013

Credit

What Is a Joint Credit Account? Joint vs. Authorized User vs. Co-Borrower

October 11, 2013

Credit

How to Deal With Serious Debt: Every Option Before Bankruptcy

October 8, 2013

Insurance Rates

4 Insurance Policies You Should Have in 2026

October 7, 2013

Credit

What Do I Do if I Don't Have Credit? Building a File From Zero in 2026

October 4, 2013

Mortgage

Should You Buy a Home Together If You're Not Married?

October 1, 2013

Credit

3 Money Mistakes That Hurt Your Credit Score

September 26, 2013

Credit

5 Credit Tips (Not) to Take in 2026

September 24, 2013

Mortgage

Know When to Walk Away From a Home Purchase

September 17, 2013

Credit

What Is Alternative Credit Scoring? Rent, Utilities and Bank Data in 2026

September 16, 2013

Mortgage

Someone Else Should Pay Your Mortgage: House Hacking in 2026

September 9, 2013

Credit

Should You Open a Store Credit Card at Checkout?

September 4, 2013

Credit

Every Way to Consolidate Credit Card Debt in 2026 — and the One to Be Wary Of

September 3, 2013

Mortgage

Banks Are Too Generous: Why You Should Borrow Less Than the Bank Will Lend

September 2, 2013

Credit

Secured Credit Card vs. Prepaid Debit Card: Only One Builds Credit

August 30, 2013

Loans

Should You Consolidate Your Debts? The 2026 Pros and Cons

August 29, 2013

Mortgage

What to Do If You Can't Make Your Mortgage Payment in 2026

August 28, 2013

Mortgage

4 Tips for Refinancing Your Home in 2026

August 27, 2013

Insurance Rates

Insurance Tips for Students and Parents: A Back-to-College Checklist

August 26, 2013

Auto Loans

How Long Should a Car Loan Be? 48 vs. 60 vs. 72 vs. 84 Months in 2026

August 19, 2013

Insurance Rates

Will My Car Insurance Go Up After an Accident?

August 15, 2013

Mortgage

Thinking of Refinancing? Find Your Break-Even Point First

August 14, 2013

Loans

3 Ways to Pay for Home Renovations in 2026

August 12, 2013

Mortgage

How Much House Can You Handle in 2026?

August 8, 2013

Mortgage

Home Equity Loan vs. HELOC in 2026: Which Fits What You're Paying For?

August 5, 2013

Credit

Bad Credit Scores Suck: What a Low Score Costs You in 2026

July 29, 2013

Auto Loans

Car Loan, Bad Credit, No Worries: How to Finance a Car With a Low Credit Score in 2026

July 26, 2013

Savings

Four Tips for Avoiding Checking Account Fees in 2026

July 24, 2013

Insurance Rates

How to Protect Your Belongings With Renters Insurance in 2026

July 19, 2013

Todays Cd Rates

How to Get the Best CD Rate in 2026 — and Lock It Before the Fed Cuts

July 15, 2013

Auto Loans

How to Get the Best Rate on a Car Loan in 2026

July 12, 2013

Banking

Actively Managed vs. Index Funds: Which Is Right for Your Investing Needs in 2026?

July 11, 2013

Insurance Rates

Homeowners Insurance for Condo Dwellers: Know Your HO-6 Coverage Needs

July 10, 2013

Insurance Rates

How to Get Cheap Life Insurance in 2026

July 2, 2013

Mortgage

USDA Home Loans: $0 Down in Eligible Rural and Suburban Areas

February 20, 2013

Auto Loans

Getting a Car Loan? Watch Out for Yo-Yo Financing

February 12, 2013