When shopping for a car, it's usually best to start by shopping for a car loan. WHAT A CAR LOAN COSTS When you’re shopping for a car loan, remember that what it costs you to borrow depends on three things: The finance charge expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR) The term,
Bankruptcy is a tool that can help you find financial stability—as a last resort. Understanding Bankruptcy Congress created the Bankruptcy Code, a breakdown of ways a debtor can plan to get out of debt when their creditors are trying to collect. The option to file for personal bankruptcy is there to help a
Low Rate vs. Cash Back Auto Financing Calculator HOW IT WORKS When buying a car, you may be faced with either a cash-back incentive or a lower interest rate. This calculator outlines the total amount you’ll pay with either option, comparing total savings.Enter the price, down payment, loan term, and interest rate (not the low offer rate) for
Coach: Personal Loan Calculator HOW IT WORKS Ultimately, you can reduce how much you pay toward your personal loan, if you calculate the right amount of money to pay each month. This calculator will help you see how long it will take to pay off your personal loan using your loan’s interest rate and the amount owed.First, enter
Coach: Repairing Credit HOW IT WORKS Not sure where to begin repairing a less-than-ideal credit score? In this Coach session, get ideas for repairing your credit score in the short- and long-term and create an actionable list. To begin, select Get Started. Follow the prompts, answer the questions, and provide information when asked.
Coach: How Do I Build Credit? HOW IT WORKS A good credit score has a major impact on your finances, so it’s important to start out strong. In this Coach session, learn how to build a credit score for the first time or boost an already decent score, and create a plan with options that work for
Coach: Financial Wellness Assessment HOW IT WORKS The Financial Wellness Assessment lets you take a step back, analyze your spending, budgeting, and saving habits so you can reflect on how you’re currently managing personal finances. This assessment addresses your individual financial decisions and goals before giving you recommendations on where you can improve and how to get
Making payments on a loan with suboptimal terms can make you feel trapped. Sometimes refinancing can help you find more suitable terms for the loan. Essentially, refinancing replaces an old loan with a new one with terms that are better for your situation. But it’s not all fanfare and applause—there are tradeoffs associated with refinancing.
Thankfully we don't walk around with our credit scores shown above our heads, but the ability to answer these questions about your credit score is extremely important. Experian recently released their 11th annual State of Credit report, which provides a comprehensive look at consumers' credit performance across America by highlighting credit scores and
Coach: Navigating Debt Collections HOW IT WORKS Being contacted by a debt collector is scary but not an uncommon situation. The good news is that you have options and there are things you can do to improve your situation. This Coach session will walk you through the most important information that you need to know and
Interest plays a role in almost all aspects of personal finance, including savings, investing, credit, and loans. Simply put, interest is the money earned or paid when someone makes or receives a loan. You can be paid interest for keeping money in a bank account, purchasing a bond, or making other investments. You
Whether you find yourself laid off from work, facing a medical emergency, or confronted with a situation that you’re financially unprepared for, it may be tempting to withdraw from retirement savings—but there are penalties and consequences you need to consider before doing so. Early Withdrawal Penalties There are serious consequences to accessing your
