Lender Adds $150 To Her Monthly Car Payment. It Almost Costs Her $3,000: ‘They Never Told Me’ "I’ve always had insurance on this car." Motor1 · Oct 10
Three surprising things you can do with your credit report A credit repair expert recommended one thing before diving into additional features The Independent UK · Oct 6
Your Parent Can’t Manage Money Anymore — What Can an Adult Child Legally Do? The first sign may be a stack of unopened bills, an electricity shutoff notice, or a parent suddenly sending hundreds of dollars to someone they’ve... Saving Advice · Sep 20
Retired Couples Budget for the Funeral — But the Bigger Financial Shock Can Come Afterward Many retired couples have at least discussed how they would pay for a funeral, whether through savings, life insurance, prepaid arrangements, or money set aside... Saving Advice · Sep 18
Your Car Is Worth $18,000 but You Owe $26,000. What Happens If It Gets Totaled Tomorrow? Picture the paperwork after a serious crash: the car sits in a repair shop, the insurance adjuster starts crunching numbers, and the auto lender still expects the remaining loan balance. The vehicle is worth $18,000, but the loan balance sits at $26,000, creating an $8,000 gap that does not magically… Clever Dude · Sep 9
Why It’s Getting Harder To Receive A Mortgage In Some States Getting a mortgage can feel like trying to get through an increasingly narrow doorway, and the experience can vary depending on where a buyer lives. New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data shows that mortgage origination activity has changed differently from state to state, with some areas seeing declines in the… The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 6
Is It Getting Easier to Get a Mortgage Where You Live? What the CFPB Data Could Teach You Mortgage shopping can feel like entering a contest where nobody will tell you the rules until after you hand over a mountain of paperwork. Yet the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data can offer a surprisingly useful peek behind the curtain, showing how mortgage applications play out… Everybody Loves Your Money · Sep 4
8 Credit Card Trends That Reveal Who Banks Are Lending to Right Now Credit card lending offers a fascinating glimpse into how banks view borrowers right now, and the latest Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data provides plenty to chew on. The numbers show a credit card market that keeps moving, but not every borrower stands in the same line for new credit. The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 4
10 States Where Homeowners Are Falling Furthest Behind on Their Mortgages Mortgage trouble rarely starts with one dramatic financial disaster. More often, it creeps into a household budget through higher everyday expenses, an unexpected repair, a job change, or a few bills that suddenly seem determined to arrive at the same time. Recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau mortgage performance data show… The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 3
Your Bank Can Close Your Account and Legally Refuse to Tell You Why The first sign of trouble is rarely a letter. It’s the embarrassment of a declined debit card at the grocery store, then a notice on your banking app that the account is closed. No accusation. No phone call. Often no reason you can use. Clever Dude · Sep 1
How to know if you are 401(k) rich or poor Making 401(k) withdrawals is allowed by the IRS but dipping into retirement savings for emergencies is a bad sign The Independent UK · Aug 26
The Mortgage Is $2,000 — So Why Does This House Really Cost $3,200 a Month? A house with a $2,000 mortgage payment can somehow cost $3,200 a month, and no, the math has not gone rogue. The $2,000 figure often represents only principal and interest, while the actual monthly cost of owning the home can include property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, HOA dues, and… Everybody Loves Your Money · Aug 22
7 Expenses That Can Make a “Cheap” Used Car Surprisingly Expensive A cheap used car can look like a financial victory until the first repair bill arrives. That $6,000 bargain may need tires, brakes, insurance, registration, maintenance, and a few other wallet-unfriendly surprises before it feels like a bargain at all. Clever Dude · Aug 21
Retired With a Mortgage? Ask These 7 Questions Before Using Savings to Pay It Off Entering retirement with a mortgage can feel uncomfortable, especially for someone who spent decades believing the house should be paid off before the final paycheck... Saving Advice · Aug 19
Budget and the Bees · Aug 19 7 Purchases Women Should Think Twice About Putting on a Joint Credit Card Sharing a credit card can simplify groceries, utilities, vacations, and other household spending, but there is an important detail couples sometimes overlook: if it’s a true joint credit-card account, each account holder can be responsible for the entire balance—not simply the purchases they personally made. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…
The Guardian - US · Aug 13 Trump administration accused of ‘bullying’ union leader at consumer protection agency Critic of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau leadership was put under investigation and suspended from job
Clever Dude · Aug 6 7 Car-Buying Fees That Deserve a Second Look Before You Sign Buying a car involves more than picking a model, choosing a color, and taking a victory lap around the block. The paperwork stage can introduce a long list of fees, and some deserve a closer look before a signature lands on the dotted line. A careful shopper can spot confusing…
Everybody Loves Your Money · Aug 6 5 Insurance Photos Every Homeowner Should Update Before Storm Season Peaks Storm season can turn a peaceful afternoon into a scramble for flashlights, supplies, and phone chargers. Before dark clouds gather, homeowners can take one simple step that helps organize important home records: updating insurance photos that show the current condition of their property.
Everybody Loves Your Money · Aug 5 Home-Equity Loan Fine Print: What Borrowers Commonly Miss A home-equity loan can look like a straightforward way to borrow money, but the fine print often hides the details that matter most. Interest rates, repayment terms, fees, and loan conditions can turn a simple financial decision into a much bigger commitment.
Everybody Loves Your Money · Aug 4 A Practical Guide to Banking Habits That Make It Harder to Trace a Home-Repair Scam A leaky roof, broken furnace, or cracked driveway can turn any homeowner into a person searching for quick answers. Unfortunately, scammers know that urgency creates opportunities, and they often use fake repair offers, rushed payment demands, or misleading promises to take money from people who simply need help.
The Free Financial Advisor · Aug 3 What to Know About Payment-App Records to Save Before Disputing a Transfer A payment-app transfer can feel almost too easy. A few taps, a confirmation screen, and money moves from one account to another, but that convenience can create a headache when something goes wrong. Saving the right records before disputing a transfer can help people organize the details and explain what…
The Free Financial Advisor · Jul 17 New Credit Card Fee Rules: 6 Fine‑Print Details That Could Cost You If You Ignore Them Credit card late fees are back in the spotlight, and the fine print could matter more than ever. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has signaled that it may revisit credit card late fee regulations, creating new questions about what cardholders might pay when payments arrive late.
Ballotpedia · Jul 16 Supreme Court rules 6-3 for presidential removal of independent agency commissioner Highlights from this edition of Checks and Balances include a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling for presidential removal of independent agency commissioners, and a South Carolina law with a REINS-style provision, judicial deference prohibition, and sunset review requirement
The Independent UK · Jul 15 Here’s why you should take out a personal loan to consolidate debt With credit card interest rates averaging more than 20 percent - and 40 percent of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck - many need solutions
The Free Financial Advisor · Jul 5 Average Cardholder Could Save $220 a Year Under CFPB’s New $8 Late-Fee Rule Missing a credit card payment has always felt like a double punch. First comes the stress of paying late, then comes a fee that can make an already tight budget feel even tighter. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to change that by cutting the typical late fee from $32…