dollarfinance 
You love the big cherry tree in your home’s front yard. Each spring, it explodes in a riot of bright pink flowers. Each summer, it drops sour fruit that perks up nicely in a sugary pie. Until it doesn’t. One summer day, your family comes home to find one of the cherry tree’s limbs in … Read more
You’re all settled into your dream home — the one you saved up years to afford. You’ve unpacked every last moving box, arranged the furniture, and made the first payment on your mortgage. Life is good. Then, one day, you hear a knock at the door. The person standing there hands you an official-looking document … Read more
If you have a mortgage, it’s very likely you also have an active homeowners insurance policy. Virtually all mortgage lenders require borrowers to carry home insurance, which helps protect the value of their investment — and yours. You might not think much about your policy. The typical homeowner goes many years without filing a home … Read more
Health insurance has been a hot topic in the United States for some time. And while Americans are increasingly getting medical coverage, dental coverage is often left on the back burner. But some people don’t realize how crucial dental health is to overall health. According to the Mayo Clinic, poor dental health can lead to … Read more
Other than your monthly housing payment and perhaps your student loan payments, your car loan is probably the biggest debt you carry in your name. Add in your car insurance costs — which can be eye-watering if your auto lender requires you to carry comprehensive coverage with a low deductible — and you’re looking at … Read more
Imagine that one night your house catches fire. You and your family escape unharmed, but by the time the fire is extinguished, there’s hardly anything left of the house or its contents. Once you recover from your shock, you call your home insurance company to file a claim. The company tells you that in order to … Read more
Imagine that you’re just a few years away from a well-deserved retirement. You’ve got a sizable retirement account plus a fully paid off house and car. Altogether, your assets amount to a little over $1 million. In short, life is pretty good. Then, you get into a car crash, causing serious damage to a vehicle … Read more
You got your estate plans squared away and now you never have to look at them again, right? Not exactly. To ensure they continue to be relevant and current, you’re going to have to update them every so often. For example, if you meet a long-term financial goal like paying off a debt or buying … Read more
Millions of employees save for retirement by deferring a portion of their compensation into an employer-sponsored, tax-deferred savings plan. The majority of these are known as qualified plans and fall under the jurisdiction of ERISA guidelines, which means they are subject to certain limiting requirements. For example, these requirements can pertain to the type and … Read more
You need cash for a down payment to buy a house. But your existing monthly debt payments and credit also affect your ability to borrow, your interest rate, and the lender fees you’ll pay. Which says nothing of financial upsides and downsides to buying versus renting a while longer. So how do you choose between … Read more
