- Q&A with Dr. Doug: Good Decisions at a Young Age?
I'm 24 and own two homes. Actually the first home, I did not buy, I loaned my name and credit to a family member. This was about three years ago. Since this time, I bought my own home, and my credit score was about 780 at the time. Unfortunately, the family's business is going under, thus the home is as well. So far, there is a 60 day delinquency on my report, which severely dropped my high score.
- Q&A with Ric: Is the United First Financial Money Merge Account Recommended?
I've invested/became a member of the United First Financial Money Merge Account program. This program is designed to pay your mortgage off in more timely/faster. My question is, are you familiar with this program? If so, do you recommend it?
- Q&A with Ric: What Does the SCRA Cover?
I was watching an episode on 2/18/08 with a woman whose husband was in Iraq and they were 55,000 dollars in debt and many of her APR's were in the 18 to 19% interest rates. I've heard that she is entitled to have all of her APR's reduced to 6% by law under the Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) of 2003. This applies to all active duty service men and woman and their spouses who acquired the debt jointly and are in a war zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Is that true?
- Q&A with Ric: Up in ARMs Whether or Not to Refinance
My husband and I currently are in the 2nd year of our 5 year ARM mortgage. We are considering refinancing to a fixed mortgage due to low rates. However, we are unsure if that is a good idea since we have 3 years on the ARM. In that time we could sell the house to pay off debts. Should we refinance to a fixed rate now increasing our loan amt another $6000.00 or stay the course and sell later? We are in a competitive market in Lacey, Wa with a lot of new homes for sale and selling our 38 year old home may be difficult. Tell me your thoughts.
- Q&A with Ric: Protecting Your ROR
I don't know what to do! I'm 58 and have an 8 year old and a 12 year old. I worked for 35 years for the big three and have a fair retirement when I get to age 62. I had three hundred thousand saved. I don't have any bills. And have a great score for now. I settled an out of court case that covered me till I retired ( I Thought ) but the company put an R.O.R in the settlement (this means they can stop paying and they did) My Lawyer didn't catch the R.O.R and now I have no money coming in, no insurance, and most of my savings are gone. In the settlement I'm restricted from working for the most part. It has already cost me my marriage and I still have 4 years to go before I get any retirement. The statute was up on me to do anything to the lawyer two years before I new I had a problem (Based on Michigan law passed in 07, Common Law). The company covered themselves as well.
- Q&A with Carmen: Start Saving For Your Picture Perfect Retirement
I am 62, she is 59, We have more out go the in come. We have 3 homes w/ payoption loans, rental in Hawaii, rental in Bakersfield, CA and our home in Thousand Oaks which is to big for us and too expensive to maintain. We each work full time and make a fair living. I have several credit card accounts at low interest till paid off. We are going to sell the rentals. We know we need to sell our home and downsize, We have no savings. We are living off the equity from the main home. There will be no profit from the rentals. We have lost our equity there. We owe $320K on Hawaii, We owe $280K on Bakersfield. Our residence is worth a $1m, we ow $800K. Our expenses are $3K more each month then we make.
- Q&A with John: The Impact of Repo on Your Credit Score
How long does a repossession or foreclosure stay on your credit report after being paid off?
- Q&A with Carmen: Should I File for Persoanl Bankruptcy?
I am a 37 single teacher with more than $70,000 credit card debt (incurred through a failed business attempt). I am severely delinquent in any payments (more than one year) and I am considering filing for personal bankruptcy. Are there any other alternatives?
- Q&A with John: How to Improve Your Credit Scores when in Student Loan Debt
How do you increase your credit score when 90% of your debt are student loan.
- Q&A with Carmen: Should I Tap into my 401k and 403b to Payoff Debt?
Can you tell me how do I get from under all my debt and build a retirement account so that I won't become a burden? I was divorced in 2000. I started to accumulate debt immediately trying to support myself and two children. Moved to Maryland in 2003, debt continued to increase to the sum of 28,000 in credit card and 25,000 in student loan. I have about 25,000 in a 401 and 4,000 in a 403. My retirement account has lost about $10,000 how do I stop the loss? How do I grow? I have two mortgages (6.7 & 7.7) should I combine them?
- Q&A with John: What is the Credit Score that I Received?
I have a simple question. I received my credit score from TransUnion. It said My credit score is 857 Grand B. I thought the credit score only went to 850. What is the score I received? Is it good or bad.
- Q&A with Carmen: Will a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Save a Home?
Question: I hear people talk about a short sale on their home. My question is why not file a chapter 7 or chapter 13 to save the home?
- Q&A with John: How to Make a Deal with Collection Agencies
I am in big trouble with credit cards debts, which the amount is about $25,000 with the interest in them. I stopped paying them back in 2003-2004. Now I am trying to get back on track, as you will know all of them are in collection, two of them are already in judgment, which have become a public record. I started dealing with some collection and I have paid one off. Now my question is, should I keep making deals with those collection agencies and especially what should I do with the ones already in judgment?
- Q&A with Dr. Doug: Stressed and Fearful From Losing Home to Foreclosure
In March of 2007 my wife and I lost our home to foreclosure. She'd quit her job because of the stress and with a juris doctorate in hand searched for another job. Our credit scores were destroyed by the foreclosure and the company in second position did not agree to a shortsale as a solution so therefore the home was lost. Other than continuing to pay the current bills how do i help us rebound from this with my salary alone of @55k and 2 children?