Heather Larson

A car insurance broker is someone drivers seek out to make sure they get the right auto insurance coverage for their particular needs. The broker does the legwork so drivers don’t have to, and may be able to get their clients a better deal on car insurance.

One thing to know about working with an insurance broker is that you may pay a fee for the broker’s service and should factor that cost into your monthly or annual premium to ensure you’re getting a good deal.

When deciding which broker to...

When it comes to insurance, it’s vital to purchase adequate coverage. Understanding your auto and home insurance coverage is essential. You need to know what your insurance company will cover when you’re in an accident, if you’re sued or if a tenant falls on your rental property. Having insurance brings peace of mind, but there are times when your coverage reaches its limits.
That’s where umbrella insurance can provide additional coverage for your needs. Allstate, Geico, Liberty Mutual and Pr...

In 2022, 27.3 million Americans moved, according to U.S. Census data, which is 4% higher than in 2021. And with auto insurance inflation continuing its high, those looking to save a few bucks should pay close attention to anything that could bump up the cost of living in your new stomping grounds.
CarInsurance.com’s moving tool can help you see how much your car insurance premium will change. To use this tool, enter the ZIP code you are moving from and the ZIP code you are moving to. Next, en...

The number of people who run their own business continues to trend up, but working for yourself means you are responsible for your own retirement plan. Fortunately, there are several retirement plan options available to independent workers. One of the most popular retirement plans for independent workers is a self-employed 401(k).

You can contribute a large amount of money to this plan every year and then start taking distributions from the account after you turn 59.5 years of age. The first ...

Refinancing can mean lower payments, less total interest costs over the life of the loan, and possibly some extra cash for home improvements. Currently, interest rates are at historic lows — in fact, Black Knight’s Mortgage Monitor June 2019 report states that there are 8.2 million homeowners that could benefit from a refinance.
In this refinancing guide, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons to determine if a refinance makes sense for you and your family.
Check your eligibility for a refi...

Can you get a mortgage if you’re retired, even though you no longer receive a regular paycheck?
The good news: Yes, you can.
Though, qualifying for a mortgage with retirement income comes with specific requirements. Similar to getting a mortgage before retirement, you’ll need to have reliable income now and the foreseeable future that shows you can repay the mortgage, you must have good credit, and have little debt. (Your age shouldn’t come up at all — the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibi...

Whether you use a VA loan to buy a home or to refinance, borrowers will probably pay the VA Funding Fee. This one-time charge can be paid upfront at closing or rolled into your future monthly payments.
Several factors go into calculating how much this fee is including whether the borrower has used his VA home benefit before and whether he’s making a down payment.
The money received from the VA Funding Fee goes to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). That organization uses these funds to ...

The longer you make payments on your existing mortgage, the more equity you gain. Equity is the home’s value that you’ve paid for and now own. You can also acquire equity when the value of your home increases.
When you apply for a cash-out refinance, it means you want to take out some of that equity in a lump sum of cash. It also requires you to replace your current mortgage with a new one, but for more than you owe on your home. You receive the difference in cash to use as you please — pay o...

Usually when a sizable amount of money is deposited into one of your accounts, it’s time to celebrate — except while you’re waiting for a mortgage loan approval. Under this circumstance, unless you can prove the deposit is legitimate, those additional funds can lead the loan underwriter to deny your mortgage loan.
But, don’t worry. We’ll reveal what constitutes a “large deposit,” when this amount won’t be questioned and when it will, how you can substantiate the deposit’s validity, and why yo...

Although you’re not likely to see or hear from this person during the mortgage loan process, the underwriter decides whether to approve, suspend or deny your home-buying loan. That’s where his job ends.
To get to that point, he first needs to look at your credit history, verify your employment and income, evaluate your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) and confirm the source of your down payment. He also may order an appraisal to make sure the home’s selling price matches its value.
“The mortgage un...