Finance & Investment Articles

1. What is a Homeowner Loan?

By John Mussi A Homeowner Loan is a way of using the equity tied up in your property to raise money. Equity is the difference between the value of your home and your outstanding mortgage. Many lenders are willing to convert this equity into cash in the form a secured homeowner loan, which means that the loan is guaranteed by your property. A homeowner loan is a sum of money that you borrow from a lender. Th... read more

2. What is a Self-Employed Mortgage?

By John Mussi Self-employed mortgages, as the term implies are mortgages designed for those that are self-employed. Traditionally it's been more difficult for the self-employed to get mortgages. Mortgage lenders preferred to see the regular income guaranteed by employment. However this has changed in recent years. There are now mortgage lenders who specialise in the self-employed market. If you are self-... read more

3. The Inside Scoop on Mutual Fund Rip Offs

By Ulli G. Niemann The bear market that showed up at the end of 2000 has every brokerage house—as well as the entire mutual fund industry—scrambling to find creative ways to boost both their image and bottom line. Unfortunately, this is often at the investors' expense. Fund managers are ever on the lookout for ways to spin the stats to hide lousy track records and to find ways to obscure fees. To add insult to (f... read more

4. Why Choose a Homeowner Loan?

By John Mussi Outlined below are some of the reasons for choosing a Homeowner Loan. A Homeowner Loan is a loan secured against your home. They are also known as secured loans. A Homeowner Loan is any loan which requires the borrower to provide the lender with some form of security, in the case of Homeowner Loans the 'security' will be a mortgage over the borrower's home. This is usually secured on a propert... read more

5. Tips for Finding an Automotive Loan

By John Mussi There's a good chance that at some point you're going to have to apply for an automotive loan, also known as a car loan … auto financing has grown into one of the largest loan industries in the world today. With the cost of new cars and trucks on the market today, it's perfectly understandable why a person would likely need to finance their new vehicle. Of course, depending upon your credit sc... read more

6. A Guide to Finding a Low Interest Loan UK

By John Mussi Finding the low interest loan UK that's best for your specific loan needs isn't always easy… with so many lenders to choose from, you might feel a bit lost in the shuffle. Getting a good rate for a low interest loan UK doesn't have to be difficult, though; sometimes all that it takes is the willingness to weigh all of your options and find the best deal on a low interest loan UK that you can g... read more

7. Got Kids? IRS Wants You to Celebrate Christmas in July

By Wayne M. Davies You may find this hard to believe, but if you have children under age 17, you may receive a check from the IRS this summer. No kidding! A new tax law was passed in May 2003 that is designed to put more money in your pocket -- immediately. If you have children under age 17, you are probably familiar with the child tax credit. For 2002, you got $600 for each cherub, assuming your income w... read more

8. How To Budget Your Household Accounts

By John Mussi It is so easy to despair when you encounter your first financial crisis. You're not alone. Many people face a financial crisis some time in their lives. Whether the crisis is caused by personal or family illness, the loss of a job, or overspending, it can seem overwhelming. But often, it can be overcome. The important thing to bear in mind is, not to panic! The most obvious first step is t... read more

9. Getting the Best Homeowner Loan for Your Money

By John Mussi With so many lenders out there, it can be hard to tell if you're getting the best homeowner loan for your money. Banks, finance companies, and online lending services all offer competing loans, but determining which offers you the best homeowner loan can be tricky. The best way to figure out which option is best for you is to look at the rates and terms of each type of lender, compare them, an... read more

10. Guide to Credit Card Terms

By John Mussi Listed below is a useful guide to credit card terms. It is a list of definitions of credit card terms that may or may not be familiar to you. Annual Fee Various card issuers charge an annual fee, which can help offset costs that issuers incur in maintaining accounts and providing services. Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Stands for ‘annual percentage rate'. A figure, expressed as a perc... read more

11. When to Invest in the Stock Market

By Charles M. O'Melia Is really not as important as to how you invest in the stock market. And how you invest in the stock market should take into consideration what goals you are setting for that stock market investment. For example, are you investing for capital appreciation or for income through dividend paying stocks? Or is the investment in the stock market for the combination of both capital appreciation and divi... read more

12. A Beginner's Guide to Finding a Loan

By John Mussi Finding a loan can be a hassle sometimes… though there may be a large variety of options available, it can be difficult to determine which of the choices available to you will best suit your needs. One of the best ways to find a good loan that will meet your needs is to shop around, comparing loan rates from different lenders and seeing whether a traditional lender such as a bank or finance com... read more

13. Ways to heat your water

By John Thomson Water heating options Where you live, as well as the life style you lead, the number of people in your household, and where you’ll put the water heating system, you’ll need to factor these realities in if you’re going to purchase a new hot water system, or getting a back up system. Having this basic information at hand, will ensure you’ll get hot water every day of the year, when you want an... read more

14. How To Reduce Your Payments

By John Mussi Want to know how to reduce your payments? Are you paying out too much every month for your credit cards, store cards and loans? If each month you have far too many payments to meet and you cannot see a solution to your problem then why not replace them all with one, lower, convenient repayment through a debt consolidation loan? Debt consolidation loans can give you a fresh start, allowing ... read more

15. Reuniting Lost Pets With Their Owners

By Thaddeus Collins Losing a family pet can be a traumatic experience, especially on children who are close to the lost pet. But, one in three pet owners fail to take the steps needed to ensure that this tragedy does not occur in their home. These steps can be as simple as providing a pet identification tag with up-to-date contact information in the event the family pet ever gets lost, so that the finder of the pet w... read more

16. Pet Owner Are The Majority Population In The U.S.

By Thaddeus Collins According to recent statistics, an astounding 65% of all U.S. household have at least one pet, and in many of these homes, their pets are considered part of the family. With so many homes containing pets, it is no wonder that so many laws have been created to protect our pets. Agencies that might not have existed just a decade ago, like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.... read more

17. Find a Methodology and Minimize Investment Madness

By Ulli G. Niemann There are many reasons to be investing these days, and too much opportunity to not have your money working for you. However, I believe the majority of people dread having to deal with investment matters, and tend to jump into purchases and then hold their breath hoping for the best. After a long day at work and taking care of the family, it’s hard to get excited about reading up on your 401(k) opt... read more

18. Buy a Home With a Government Grant? Avoid This Scam

By Charles Essmeier If you watch enough late night television, you’ll see advertisements that suggest that the Federal Government is giving all kinds of things away. You’ll see ads for auctions that promise that you can buy a Ferrari for $500 or a home for $1000 through “government liquidations” or some such thing. You’ll also see ads that promise to tell you how you can get money for free to purchase a home. Is th... read more

19. Lemon Laws for Used Cars are Just Around the Corner

By c In 1982, California became the first state to pass an automobile “lemon law” which gave owners of defective cars the opportunity to seek a replacement or a refund for a new car that had a defect that could not be repaired in a reasonable amount of time. This law proved so popular that other states soon followed suit. Less than twenty five years later, all fifty states have some sort of lemon law... read more

20. Home Loans -- The Hot New Product? The 30-year Mortgage

By Charles Essmeier In recent years, the mortgage industry has introduced dozens of new types of loans. The needs of every borrower are different, so the mortgage companies have tried to come up with an answer for every problem. They’ve introduced 40-year mortgages, promoted 15-year mortgages, and introduced the wildest array of variable-rate mortgages imaginable. There are mortgages that have interest rates that ... read more

21. Free Credit Report – A Website Typo Could Be Costly

By c In 2003, Congress passed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions act (FACT), which made it possible for consumers to obtain a copy of their credit report for free. In fact, the legislation makes it possible for consumers to obtain one free report from each of the three main credit bureaus – Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax, per year. All that is necessary to do so is to write, call or log on... read more

22. Home Equity – Don’t Spend it on Risky Investments

By Charles Essmeier The housing market has exploded in the last five years, and homeowners are finding that the equity in their homes is greater than it has ever been. The equity in a home is the difference between the market value of the home and the amount still owed on it. As home prices increase, so does the equity for those who own their homes. In parts of California, home values have tripled during the last ... read more

23. Home Mortgage Loan Refinance – Benefits To Refinancing Your House Online

By Carrie Reeder Here are some of the benefits to doing your home loan refinance online: Everything seems to happen faster - Online, when looking for a mortgage loan you can search around, fill out an application and a few minutes later, you can be receiving a pre-approval letter via email. There was no calling, no driving & no waiting on hold for an answer. The mortgage company will usually contact you quickly... read more

24. Benefits of a Home Improvement Loan

By John Mussi Some of the many benefits of a Home Improvement Loan are outlined below. Home Improvement Loans are ideal if you need more space but cannot afford to move house. Lofts can be converted and extensions built. As the number of mortgage applications declines Home Improvement Loans are an increasingly popular option for home owners and growing families. A Home Improvement Loan is great if you want ... read more