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How to Save $3,000 This Year
Tweet Share on Facebook March 7, 2011 Comment (3)As you wrap up preparing your taxes this year, I hope you're one of the many people set to receive a healthy tax refund. Last year, the average tax refund was over three thousand dollars! Three thousand can make a huge dent in some debt or fund a pretty nice vacation.
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How to Choose Your Mortgage Type
Tweet Share on Facebook March 4, 2011 Comment (2)At the moment, adjustable-rate mortgage rates are being offered for roughly one-and-a-half percentage points below fixed-rate mortgage rates, which makes them tempting. Zillow's Mortgage Marketplace, which tracks real mortgage rates offered to consumers, reports that the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.72 percent last week, while 5/1 ARMs were going for 3.22 percent.
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Hidden Dangers of Balance Transfers
Tweet Share on Facebook March 4, 2011 CommentThe CARD Act of 2009 was intended to keep Americans from becoming prisoners of credit card issuers, and in many cases it has helped to do just that. However, before we start rejoicing in victory, let’s look at what’s hiding behind the curtains.
[In Pictures: 10 Smart Ways to Improve Your Budget.]
The average credit card debt of an American household is approximately $5,000; therefore, most people are actively searching for the lowest cost ways to manage their debt until the moment they can pay it all back. If you belong to that category, you’ve probably already looked at the possibility of moving your balances onto a lower rate card—but how can you tell if it’s a good thing to do?
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How to Spring Clean Your Home, Eco-Style
Tweet Share on Facebook March 2, 2011 CommentKermit the Frog might not think it's easy being green—but it is when you're spring cleaning! Ditch the chemicals and follow these four steps to deep clean your home, eco-style.
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How Your Credit Score Affects Your Mortgage
Tweet Share on Facebook March 2, 2011 Comment (6)When my wife and I bought our first home (circa 1993), we had no idea what our FICO score was. Back in the day, you couldn’t simply fire up the computer and check your score. In fact, we applied for our mortgage over the phone, not over the Internet. My, how things have changed!
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8 Facts You Should Know About Credit Unions
Tweet Share on Facebook March 1, 2011 Comment (1)Has your bank started charging you a monthly fee? This has become more common this year especially at the large banks. If you're hit by fees, you should consider moving your money. When you go looking for a new bank, don't forget credit unions. Not only is free checking more common, you will often find the best savings account rates and loan rates at credit unions. Even though you may be familiar with credit unions, there are some important facts that are not well known.
