Articles to Help You On Your Financial Journey

Navigating financial hardships is intimidating enough, and trying to understand the various options and terminology only makes asking for help feel scarier. But help for both consumer loans – things like car loans, personal loans, and credit cards – and mortgages is available and lenders are always willing to work with you.

Chances are, you know that your credit score is going to be a critical factor in how lenders will decide whether or not to give you a loan. But, your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is a number you need to be familiar with, too, especially if you plan on applying for any type of loan or mortgage.

One of the biggest advantages to owning your home is the ability to tap into the equity you build, or the amount of your house that you’ve paid off. When you need to access that equity as cash, though, you’re faced with a couple of options.

Refinancing an existing car loan is one way to save some money and lower your debt. We’ve rounded up the top four things to consider before talking to your bank or credit union about a refi.

Ah, the intertwining of finances! Of all the complexities of a relationship, this is perhaps the most delicate. Should you and your spouse or partner combine accounts into a joint checking account? Or should you keep them separate? To answer that, let’s look at the top three pros and cons of establishing a joint account.

So you need a Personal Loan. Or do you need a Personal Line of Credit (LOC) Aren’t they basically the same thing? Not exactly, and understanding the key differences will be important in determining which is the better option for you. Let's run through three of the biggest differences between Personal Loans and Lines of Credit:

If you own your own home, you’ve likely heard about the concept of building equity, and with it a herd of questions: what is equity? How does equity work? How does it benefit me? Our article will sort through some of the information around home equity loans and home equity lines of credit to help you understand them and whether they are a good solution for you.

One of the first steps in applying for a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit (HELOC) is determining which is better for you. It requires a little research, but choosing the home equity product that is best is simply a matter of determining which has the options that suit your individual needs. Our article will compare Home Equity Loans and Home Equity Lines of Credit for you, helping you identify the advantages and disadvantages of each. Then you can assess the pros and cons of each, and measure them against your plans, budget and requirements

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of buying a new car or truck, but there are common car buying mistakes that can make the experience difficult. How can you avoid car buying regret? This article breaks down the five biggest mistakes you can make when buying a car, and how you can avoid them.