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If you've ever applied for a credit card, a personal loan, or insurance, there's a file about you. This file is known as your credit report. It includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, whether you've been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses with a legitimate need for it. They use the information to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or a lease.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide you with a copy of your credit report once every 12 months.
Your credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s consumer reporting companies.
A good credit rating is very important. Businesses inspect your credit history when they evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, and even leases. They can use it when they choose to give or deny you credit or insurance, provided you receive fair and equal treatment. Sometimes, things happen that can cause credit problems: a temporary loss of income, an illness, even a computer error. Solving credit problems may take time and patience, but it doesn’t have to be an ordeal.
Buying or refinancing your home may be one of the most important and complex financial decisions you'll ever make. Many lenders, appraisers, and real estate professionals stand ready to help you get a nice home and a great loan. However, you need to understand the home buying process to be a smart consumer. Every year, misinformed homebuyers, often first-time purchasers or seniors, become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud.
There are many decisions to be made every day in life, even late in life. This is called life-time planning. Some of these decisions are of a financial nature, while others are of a personal nature, and still others are health-related.
Financial decisions might include whether or not to have a joint bank account, how to go about paying bills and arranging finances, and drafting and maintaining legal papers.
Personal decisions might include making funeral plans or burial arrangements, choosing where to live, and fulfilling spiritual or religious preferences.
Probate is the procedure for transferring title of a deceased person's property to the proper survivors. If the person did not have a will, the laws of intestate succession set out who will inherit. If there is a valid will, the estate still must be probated, but it is distributed according to the will. Probate also arranges for payment of all debts and taxes.
A will is a legal document directing the disposition of one's property (estate) after death. The person
whose property is distributed in the will is called the testator of the will. A will has no effect before the death of the testator. At any time before death, the testator may still give away or sell her property. The testator may also amend or revoke her will or put in effect an entirely new will at any time before her death, as long as she is mentally competent to do so.
A predatory mortgage is a needlessly expensive home loan that provides no financial benefit to the gorrower in return fo the extra costs. In many cases, homeowners are deceived about the loan's true costs and terms or are pressured into signing loans they cannot afford. Many of these homeowners lose their homes to foreclosure.
Reverse mortgages are becoming popular in America. HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) created one of the first. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is FHA's reverse mortgage program which enables you to withdraw some of the equity in your home. The HECM is a safe plan that can give older Americans greater financial security. Many seniors use it to supplement social security, meet unexpected medical expenses, make home improvements and more. You can receive free information about reverse mortgages in general by calling AARP toll free at (800) 209-8085.
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