Personal Finance

Saturday, August 01, 2015

Ways you can improve your home appraisal

By loanDepot Staff Writers

Appraisers play an important role in the sale of your home. They are licensed or certified real estate professionals whose job is to provide an independent opinion of value of your home. The opinion of value created by appraisers is the byproduct of an onsite inspection plus a market analysis that includes research of other recent and nearby sales, listings and trends. The result is a detailed report, sometimes 25 pages or more.

Friday, July 17, 2015

How to say no when family or friends want to borrow money

Saying no to a friend or family member who asks for a loan can be stressful and awkward. Yet sometimes no is the best answer, and the one you should give. The question then is how to say it without damaging your relationship with that person or others who might be involved in the situation.

Friday, July 17, 2015

5 good reasons to renovate your house

By loanDepot Staff Writers

Americans are obsessed with home renovation. In fact, a recent Trulia survey reports that 90% of all American homeowners have a renovation project planned at some point within the next two years. This trend comes as no surprise considering a solid job market and the fact that homeowners are sitting on vast untapped equity. So, if the economy is doing well and consumer confidence is up, why are people choosing to stay put versus buying a completely new home?

Monday, July 13, 2015

How to save money without sacrificing your lifestyle

You probably know saving money is a smart financial move. But how can you spend less and save more without sacrificing your quality of life?

Thursday, July 02, 2015

Why you should avoid ‘payday’ loans - and how to do so

If you're facing an emergency or are simply short of money, a payday loan – also called a cash advance, check advance or deferred-deposit loan – may seem like the answer. But while these loans can seem helpful on the surface, they’re can be quite ugly on the inside.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Beware of these credit card traps

It is a common perception that you need credit cards to build credit, but that is not necessarily the case. And while credit cards can be useful to a consumer’s overall financ

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

How to protect your finances after a job loss

There are certain realities of life that most of us hope to never experience but millions of us do: the loss of a job or income. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says most of us will hold an average ...

Friday, June 05, 2015

Loans, credit cards and interest, oh my: Coping with student debt

In many ways, the life of the modern Millennial appears to be somewhat of a glory era. Advanced technology at their fingertips has created a society of instant access, gratification and learning. iPad, iPhones and iPods are in every hip pocket, conduits to a bigger world that no one a generation ago could have imagined.

Monday, June 01, 2015

Knowing your business credit score is key

Even though lenders are gradually easing restrictions, getting a loan for your business in this post-recession era can still be difficult.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

7 reasons lenders decline loans

If you have ever applied for a loan and been denied credit, you know how discouraging that can feel. Why does it happen? Below are some of the more common reasons lenders tend to turn down loans. Keep in mind that all lenders are different, and the intent of this article is to give you insight into their thinking, not to discourage you from applying for a loan.