Holly Johnson

Why Refinance Rates Are Higher Than Purchase Loan Rates

Mortgage interest rates dropped dramatically over the summer, to the point where home loans have never been cheaper in most of our adult lifetimes. With rates at historic lows, you might’ve considered taking advantage of them, either by purchasing a new home or refinancing your current mortgage. Recent figures from Freddie Mac show that mortgage refinances surged in the first …

Best Mortgage Refinance Companies

Refinancing your mortgage requires some upfront legwork and time spent gathering paperwork, but the effort can be worth it if you wind up with a better loan. Most consumers refinance to save money in some way, whether that’s by securing a lower monthly mortgage payment or saving some cash via a lower interest rate. However, there are other circumstances where …

Should You Make Payments During Coronavirus Student Loan Deferment?

As Americans grappled with the financial consequences of the pandemic in March of this year, the federal government took several actions to help cash-strapped consumers. For starters, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in late March of 2020, which included a temporary suspension of payments and interest for government-owned student loans through the end of …

How to Buy a Second Home that Pays for Itself

Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that home sales were up more than 17% in June 2020 from the month before, and up more than 13% compared to the year prior. Those who have the means to buy a second home are wise to take on mortgage debt (or reorganize their current debt) in today’s low interest environment. …

Best Gold IRAs of 2021

10 Financial Steps to Take Before Having Kids

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), raising a child to the age of 18 sets families back an average of $233,610, and that’s for each child. This figure doesn’t even include the cost of college, which is growing faster than inflation.  CollegeBoard data found that for the 2019-2020 school year, the average in-state, four-year school costs $21,950 per …