If you're planning to start investing using rental real estate, it could be a great move to help secure your future. Rental real estate is a good way to avoid the ups-and-downs of the stock market and create a passive income for life. But, getting into the rental game calls for understanding the special needs of financing it. Here are 5 steps for successful financing. Save, Save, Save. Investment properties often come with larger down payment requirements — north of 20% in many cases — so you should start with a big buffer of money available to use.

If you're a homeowner, you may have gotten letters from your mortgage lender about refinancing your home. There are some benefits to refinancing, which is why you may be considering it. Here are 3 reasons you may want to refinance your home. You Can Get A Better Rate If you originally got a mortgage with an adjustable rate, you may be dreading the day when higher rates are coming. If you refinance your mortgage to one that has a rate that is fixed, you'll be able to lock in your payment price to ensure that it doesn't increase.

Online banking has made life much easier in many ways — you can use online bill pay, make transfers between accounts, and check your account balance easily without visiting an ATM or making a phone call. But while online banking is very convenient, there are some safety precautions that you should take to protect your account and prevent hackers from being able to access sensitive information. Use the following tips to ensure that your online banking sessions are safe and secure:

If you're looking for a way to finance college costs for your child without taking out a lot of costly—and hard to discharge—student loans, there may be more alternatives than you think. Student loans are easy to take out, so finding an alternative (or two or three) may require some additional effort. But the reward can be tremendous. Here are five alternative financing methods for any parent. Scholarships. Just about every school, both high schools and colleges, has a list of scholarships that students can apply for.

There are countless stories on the Internet and other media that tell the details of homeowners tricked by predatory lenders into accepting loans that caused them to lose their home. These stories are tragic, but the homeowners who are not mentioned are the ones who have paid on their homes for 15-20 years and suddenly find themselves in a position they never expected. It does not always take a market collapse or natural disaster to create a situation where the money for the mortgage is not readily available.

Just because you do not have a lot of money doesn't mean that you should have to wait forever to propose to the love of your life. However, you probably do not want to propose without a ring, and you might be unsure of how you will be able to pay for one. Luckily, you do have a few options. These are a few ideas that can help you buy an engagement ring on a budget.

The Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act extends home loan benefits to more surviving spouses. Even if your spouse died from a nonmilitary-related cause, you may be eligible for a home loan guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Who Qualifies Providing you haven't remarried, you may be eligible for a VA home loan if you are the surviving spouse of a military member who:

Starting your own business can be one of the more challenging and rewarding experiences that you can go through. In particular, securing financing for the startup can seem like an overwhelmingly complicated task for you to do. However, learning the following couple of questions and answers should help to provide you with a better understanding about what to expect when obtaining financing your new enterprise. Will Your Personal Credit History Play A Role In Financing Your New Business?

Housing prices are starting to head upward in most areas of the country and it's becoming increasing difficult for a low-income person to raise the money they need for a down-payment on a new home. The days when a first-time homebuyer could buy a home without having a down payment ended with the mortgage crisis a few years ago. Now, lenders want you to have at least some money to put toward the down-payment on a home.

Before you begin looking for a house to buy, you need to make sure you're qualified for a home loan. While there are several types of loans available, FHA loans have several benefits. So, before you start the home buying process, learn more about what an FHA loan is and how it can benefit you. What is an FHA Loan? An FHA loan is a home loan that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration.