lending

This Is the Difference Between a Loan and a Line of Credit

If you need to borrow money, you may wonder how a loan differs from a line of credit. Let's break it down.

5-Minute Finance: Checking Your Credit Score

Do you know your credit score? You should — and it only takes five minutes to find out.

5 Surefire Ways to Maintain a Good Credit Score in Retirement

You relied on good credit to see you through to retirement — don't put those good financial habits aside just yet!

How to Benefit From Rising Interest Rates

Rising interest rates aren't all bad. Here's how to make rate hikes work to your favor.

5 Questions to Ask Before Applying for a HELOC

A HELOC offers a flexible way to tap your home equity. Just be sure to answer a few questions before applying.

4 Smartest Ways to Use a Home-Equity Loan

If you have the home equity to spare, you can borrow against it. Just be sure you're using the loan for something smart.

5 Ways to Build Business Credit When You're Self-Employed

If you're self-employed, you have two credit scores to worry about: Yours, and your business's.

Should You Take Out a Loan Backed by Your Investments?

Your investment bank or brokerage firm may have offered you a securities-based loan. Make sure you understand what you're signing up for before you sign up.

Credit Challenged? How Alternative Credit Data Can Help Those With Little or No Credit

Your thin credit record may not tell the whole story. Some lenders are starting to look at other information about you, too. Here's what you need to know.

My 2016 Budget Challenge: How to Decide When to Sell Your House

Max is facing one of the biggest decisions in her budget challenge yet — should she sell her house? The decision is amusingly complex.

7 Investment Accounts All 30-Somethings Should Have

You're not a kid anymore. It's time for you, and your money, to grow up.

10 Terrible Loans You Should Avoid

When an emergency occurs — and you don't have an emergency fund — you may be need to borrow. Skip these terrible loan offers if you can!

Stop! Is That Loan Too Big For Your Wallet?

You need to borrow money for a big purchase — how much can you really afford to borrow? Use these financial rules of thumb to find out.

What the New Credit Card Formula Means for Your Wallet

FICO has a new formula for determining credit scores, and it should help borrowers. Find out how it might help you, too.

7 Ways to Boost Your Finances While You Sleep

Making a little extra money isn't too hard. In fact, you may not even need to get out of bed.

Getting Your Money Back Without Losing Your Friendship

Lent a friend some money and still waiting to be repaid? Ask for your money back politely and frankly to keep both your money and your friends.

5 Loan Options for Those With Good Credit

Having excellent credit will allow you to have your pick of cheaper loans with potentially higher limits. To those who need financing, we offer a few suggestions where you can see

Freedom From the Day Job

Should you quit your day job to work for yourself? The answer might lie in defining what "work" actually means to you.

The Three Interest Rates

I got a notice from one of my credit cards a bit ago, announcing that they were raising the interest rate. It's only of theoretical interest to me, of course--I use credit cards f

Recession Journal Part III: How Low Can We Go and When Will We Get There?

In order for the economy to turn around it has to hit what so many investment experts and economic forecasters call the "bottom," but what is it, this bottom, what does it look lik