If you’ve ever wanted to make a little extra money on the side by listing your sofa, spare bedroom, guest house or even whole house on a service like Airbnb, you’ve probably wondered just how much money you could make. After all, there are all those stories of people paying their monthly mortgage payments or... Read More

Many private student lenders are making a big push for a piece of the student loan refinancing pie. Banks and venture capital-backed nonbank financial services companies are hard at work slicing and dicing that trillion-dollar market into bite-size, demographically based refinancing opportunities. Their primary targets? Borrowers who have the best longer-term earnings potential because of... Read More

Following the economic downturn, the government launched, and then revamped, the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) to help homeowners who owed more on their mortgage than their home was worth. The program is still in play to this day, though it’s set to expire this December. If you’re thinking about using HARP to refinance, here’s... Read More

Picture this: You receive a mortgage offer in the mail for a fixed-rate loan with a ridiculously low interest rate. A 30-year fixed-rate loan for 3.25% sounds like a good deal, right? So what’s the catch? Look at the APR — it gives you a better measure of total cost since it considers the interest... Read More

If you’re ready for a lower interest rate or shorter term for your mortgage, now could be a great time to consider refinancing. Rates available to consumers are low right now and probably aren’t going to go any lower in the foreseeable future, according to Scott Sheldon, a senior loan officer and consumer advocate based... Read More

Refinancing can shave years off your loan and help you pay off your home faster. When you refinance your home, your loan amount can be whatever you choose it to be. It can be a lower amount than what you currently owe on your home, which would require bringing in cash to close escrow. Or it... Read More