Money Tips Network

A Guide to Understanding Current Interest Rates

When you make a large purchase like a home or a car, it’s not uncommon to borrow money to complete the transaction. Most people don’t keep tens of thousands of dollars on hand for large purchases, and that’s when a lender can come in handy. Loans are not done out of goodwill, though. When banks […]

The post A Guide to Understanding Current Interest Rates appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Erie Homeowners Insurance Review

For every homeowner, insuring their most valuable asset is the biggest priority. As a leading home insurance provider, Erie Insurance policies are designed to cover all kinds of damages that might befall a property. Established in 1925 by H.O. Hirt and O.G. Crawford, the Pennsylvania-based company was initially an automotive insurer that later branched out […]

The post Erie Homeowners Insurance Review appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Pre-Approved or Pre-Qualified for a Mortgage: Which One Is Better?

One of the best ways to make your offer more attractive when buying a house is to come prepared with either a preapproval or prequalification letter. Doing this shows the seller that you aren’t just interested in buying the home — you’ve also got the financial backing to do so. Being preapproved and prequalified for […]

The post Pre-Approved or Pre-Qualified for a Mortgage: Which One Is Better? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

What You Can Learn from Wall Street’s “Money Hackers”

If the many Hollywood sensationalizations are any indicator, the finance world is dramatic — especially the Wall Street world. In Daniel P. Simon’s book, The Money Hackers he profiles some of the biggest Wall Street disruptors and how they revolutionized the finance world.  “Money Hackers” are defined as the new and young fintech companies that […]

The post What You Can Learn from Wall Street’s “Money Hackers” appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Best Online Bad Credit Loans

While having poor credit can feel inhibitive, online bad credit loans can be instrumental in helping to repair and build credit scores. Bad credit online loans are best for borrowers who don’t have a lot to their credit history or made a few financial mistakes in the past and are now paying for it. A […]

The post Best Online Bad Credit Loans appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

My 2020 in review: Steps in the right direction

Are you all ready for this? It's one of my favorite days of the year! I just spent an hour entering data in Quicken, then another thirty minutes analyzing it. It's time to run some numbers.

How well did I do with my financial goals last year? Was I able to cut back on dining out? (Hint: There was a global pandemic. What do you think?) Did my net worth rise or fall? Let's take a look.

First, let's review where I was at the end of 2019.

Quite simply, I was a mess. Objectively, my life was good, but subjectively it was a disaster. My mental health was in shambles. Depression and anxiety were crippling me and truly affecting my relationships with other people. I felt like I was in the middle of a prolonged car crash.

Tips for Families Going From Two Household Incomes to One

The decision to move from two household incomes to one can be a challenging one. Many people face it when they’re having their first child, or when they’re contemplating a career change that will require going back to school. Sometimes, it’s not a decision at all, as a life change can force you into this […]

The post Tips for Families Going From Two Household Incomes to One appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

What to Know About Timeshare Loans

Each real estate purchase has its pros and cons, but perhaps no other purchase requires you to read the fine print more than a timeshare purchase.

The post What to Know About Timeshare Loans appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Should You Save for Retirement or Pay off Student Loans?

An increasing number of people are graduating from college with student loans to pay back. 44.7 million student borrowers have an average of $37,584 in student loans each and 65% of students graduate with student loan debt in 2020. As a result, an entire generation is entering the workforce with a difficult question: should they […]

The post Should You Save for Retirement or Pay off Student Loans? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

What’s a Cosigner vs. a Co-borrower?

Cosigning and co-borrowing a loan both involve someone taking legal responsibility to pay back a debt. But the two are typically used in very different situations. A cosigner is someone who signs a loan alongside someone else, agreeing to pay back the loan if the primary borrower can’t. A co-borrower is someone who signs a […]

The post What’s a Cosigner vs. a Co-borrower? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Liability vs Full Coverage Car Insurance: Which Is Right for Me?

Liability insurance is divided into two main categories: bodily injury and property damage. These two types of coverage make up a basic liability insurance policy. State required insurance refers to mandatory minimum amounts of these types of coverage. Bodily injury With liability insurance, bodily injury coverage assists with the medical costs of drivers, passengers and […]

The post Liability vs Full Coverage Car Insurance: Which Is Right for Me? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Tax Season Is Approaching — We Answer 3 Questions About Deductions

With the turning of the calendar comes the start of tax season, where people collect their W-2s and 1099s and prepare for the process of filing income tax returns. For many, a big part of that tax filing process is deductions, and here are three reader questions on that topic. 1. What if you don’t […]

The post Tax Season Is Approaching — We Answer 3 Questions About Deductions appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

10 Home Improvements You Can Do to Your Rental

As we start a new year, businesses and offices remain closed in many parts of the U.S. The companies that have managed to remain open during the fray have grounded employees at home, with work from home (WFH) measures sweeping the American labor force.  Companies are quickly realizing that WFH measures are paying off in […]

The post 10 Home Improvements You Can Do to Your Rental appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Use These 7 Smart Habits to Pay Off Your Student Loans Early

Paying off student loans early offers financial freedom and helps you save for retirement sooner.

The post Use These 7 Smart Habits to Pay Off Your Student Loans Early appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

How Much Renters Insurance Do I Need?

If you’ve recently moved into a rental property, now is the time to start thinking about getting renters insurance. You might assume that renters insurance is one of those things that’s nice to have but not essential. However, renters insurance can come in handy if your personal belongings get damaged or stolen. Without insurance, you’ll […]

The post How Much Renters Insurance Do I Need? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Here Are the Different Types of Conventional Home Loans

If you’re in the market for financing your home, there are several different types of conventional loans you can choose from. In fact, taking out a loan could be a smart financial move even if you don’t need it. With mortgage rates as low as they are, you might come out ahead by hanging onto […]

The post Here Are the Different Types of Conventional Home Loans appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Here’s How Much House You Can Afford Based On Your Income

When you’re itching to buy your first home, ready to scale up or find that it makes sense to buy rather than rent, you’ve got to come up with a budget. Home searching without an idea of what you can afford is a recipe for disappointment. Calculate what you can really afford as well as […]

The post Here’s How Much House You Can Afford Based On Your Income appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

The Ultimate Guide to Tax Benefits of Rental Property

Investing in income properties is a great path to financial independence. It’s a form of passive income — after the initial legwork. First, you’ll need to do some research on the rental and real estate market in your area to find the right property at the right price and lock the best investment interest rate. […]

The post The Ultimate Guide to Tax Benefits of Rental Property appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

The Best $100K Personal Loan Options

Discovering personal loans for $100,000 isn’t a task to be taken lightly. Whether you’re looking for the best debt consolidation loan or getting ready to finance the RV road trip of your dreams, several lenders offer loans in this range. However, average credit borrowers won’t get approved so easily. In order to qualify for some […]

The post The Best $100K Personal Loan Options appeared first on The Simple Dollar.