Nearly half of Americans don’t have a life insurance policy, according to a new study, with wide disparities based on age, gender, income and race. A report from Western & Southern Financial Group found that just 51% of U.S. adults had any kind of life insurance. Western and Southern …
Annabelle Gordon/Bloomberg via Getty Images The massive package of tax cuts House Republicans passed in May is expected to increase the U.S. debt by trillions of dollars — a sum that threatens to torpedo the legislation as the Senate starts to consider it this week. The Committee for a Responsible …
If you’re an older homeowner looking for an infusion of cash, a reverse mortgage could seem like a no-brainer. there is no minimum credit score requirement and — as long as you stay current with your insurance premiums, home repairs and property taxes — no payments is due until you …
College comes with a hefty price tag. If you own your home, you may be considering funding your child’s education with a or a instead of taking out student loans. But should you? There are upsides to tapping into your home equity for higher education, but serious downsides, as well. Using home …
Nonprofit financial institutions owned by their members, credit unions can be a better avenue to pursue a home loan than a traditional bank or other lender. They often boast lower-than-average rates, discounted fees, multiple down payment assistance options and more personalized service. Some credit unions are only available to select …
Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) have lower interest rates than credit cards. That can lead some homeowners to use them to pay down large credit card bills. But this method isn’t foolproof: Most notably, you’re trading an unsecured debt for a secured one that uses …
VA loans are zero-down mortgages for active service members and veterans that are insured by the Department of Veterans Affairs and funded by private lenders. Created in 1944, the VA loan program has aided more than 24 million families achieve homeownership with flexible qualifications, lower rates, no down payment and …
If you’re in the market to buy a house, don’t expect mortgage rates to drop anytime soon. “In the near term, rates are going to be stuck near 7%,” said Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers and Consultants. “If they fall, we’re talking about straddling 6% — …
House prices are stubbornly high, and mortgage rates remain substantially above their prepandemic level. Now, with the spring home buying season looming, shoppers have a new worry: A major federal consumer watchdog has been hobbled. Without the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency responsible for overseeing most aspects of the …
Housing prices remain at historic highs, as homebuyers face elevated mortgage rates, an ongoing housing shortage and stagnant incomes that aren’t keeping up with rising costs. The national median list price for a home at the end of 2024 was $419,200, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of …