Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is an important part of how mortgage lenders evaluate your financial health. DTI ratios represent how much debt you have compared to your income. It’s important to know your DTI as you consider buying a home. If your debt is higher than your income, you might want to pay it off … Read more
You can pay off your car loan faster using several strategies, including refinancing your car loan, making biweekly payments, putting money toward extra lump-sum payments and canceling add-ons. If youre anxious to remove your auto loan from your list of debts, there are ways to do it more quickly. You can pay off your car … Read more
There are many self-service payment plan options available from the Internal Revenue Service for taxpayers who can’t pay their full debt. However, it might be beneficial for taxpayers to explore non-IRS options depending on their financial situation. Regardless of how someone pays, they should act quickly because tax bills get larger as long as they … Read more
Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own. When navigating the crowded field of 1. 5% cash back offers, two almost-identical credit cards … Read more
Any negative mark on your credit can impact your score and reduce your chances of qualifying for a mortgage. This is especially true if you have debts that are late (past due), charged off, or currently in collections. But the reporting of these derogatory accounts doesn’t disqualify you from getting a mortgage. You are still … Read more
You’ve started the process to buying a home. You’ve met your lender and have been preapproved. You’ve picked a house and the seller has accepted your offer. You’re well on your way to living in your new home – there can’t be many more hurdles, right?. Often, this is true. However, when financial situations change … Read more
You may feel confused about mortgage underwriting because you’ve heard it takes a long time and is hard to understand. But that shouldn’t give you cause to worry. We’ll help you understand everything about mortgage underwriting, including how you can prepare to be ready for every step of the process. Getting a mortgage to purchase … Read more
You can take care of your credit history and build a credit score that could save you money if you are patient and follow through. When Jennifer decided to lease a new car, she did a lot of research online. She found her dream car and used a few consumer websites to find out how … Read more
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone. Accepted in over 170 … Read more
If you’re a new credit cardholder, you’re likely wondering, “what does available credit mean?” Available credit is the amount of your credit limit you can use in a billing cycle. As your balance changes, this amount will also change. For example, if your credit limit is $0, you have no credit available for purchases and … Read more