Charles Essmeier

Avoid Financial Disaster with Good Planning

It's tough to get by financially in today's fast-paced life. With mortgages, car notes and massive amounts of credit card debt, most people struggle to get by from month to month. With most people doing what they can just to pay their bills, few people ... Read >

Cut Your Gas Consumption and Save Money

The price of gasoline seems to be locked in the $3 per gallon range nationwide and there are no indications that the price will soon drop. In fact, Americans should probably assume that the days of even $2 gas are over for good. The growing dependence o... Read >

When Your Credit Score Isn't Really Your Credit Score

Many articles have been written about the importance of having healthy credit. And nowhere is the state of your credit more important than when you apply for a home loan. For most people, a house is the most expensive thing they will ever buy and the ov... Read >

Mortgage Problems and the Myth of Foreclosure Help

For a number of reasons, the rate of home foreclosures is rising in the United States. In fact, the rate is up some 70% over a year ago. Part of this is due to rising interest rates that are making payments unaffordable to homeowners who bought their ho... Read >

Has Your Adjustable Rate Mortgage Become a Gamble?

Three or four years ago, interest rates on home loans dropped to levels not seen since the 1960's. Millions of Americans took advantage of the favorable rates, which bottomed out near 5% for fixed rate, 30-year loans. For adjustable rate mortgages, they... Read >

Bankruptcy and Useful Tips for Avoiding It

The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act was passed in early 2005 with the intention of reforming American bankruptcy law as we know it. The existing laws, according to Congress and the credit card companies, allowed too many debtors who might be... Read >

Credit Counseling Clients Hurt by New Bankruptcy Requirements

The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act was passed in early 2005 with the overwhelming support of the President, both houses of Congress and the major credit card companies. The law, which created sweeping changes in American bankruptcy law, was... Read >

Time to Consider Your Home Equity Line of Credit?

A home equity line of credit is a useful financial tool for homeowners. Unlike a traditional home equity loan, which has a fixed repayment schedule, the line of credit, also known as a HELOC, has a more flexible repayment schedule. It also has a more f... Read >

Credit Reports and Scores Often Confuse Consumers

Most people who are of an age to care about their credit are aware that the three main credit bureaus, Experian, Trans Union and Equifax, maintain credit reports on them. The bureaus keep track of loans, credit cards and bankruptcies and make note of whe... Read >

Home Refinancing is Done for Many Reasons

Just a few decades ago, refinancing a home loan was relatively unknown. Most people decided to buy a house, got a 30 year, fixed-rate mortgage, and made monthly payments until the loan was paid off. Times have changed, however, and in today's mortgage m... Read >

High Gas Prices Can Be Countered With Smart Use

The price of gas continues to climb, and with continued uncertainty in the Middle East, they will probably continue to do so. In California and elsewhere, prices for some grades of gas have long passed the previously unthinkable threshold of three dollar... Read >

Home Equity Theft Through Contractors Still a Problem

Using the equity in your home to upgrade or improve the home itself is one of the most popular reasons for taking out a home equity loan. With some improvements, the value of the property increases by almost as much as the cost of the remodeling itself. ... Read >

Credit Score Improves by Paying on Time

These days, everyone seems to be concerned about his or her credit score. Lenders and credit bureaus have made it clear that the credit score, whether the new VantageScore model or the FICO score model, is a vital part of determining whether or not to ext... Read >

High Gas Prices and Ways to Save

With Memorial Day around the corner, the great American travel season is here. During the summer, most Americans take at least one extended vacation, and four fifths take that trip by automobile. Unfortunately, this year, the price of gas is at record h... Read >

Home Equity Line of Credit - Do Rising Interest Rates Spell Trouble?

A home equity line of credit is one of the most useful tools that a homeowner can have in his or her financial arsenal. A line of credit is a financial tool that is always there, allowing a homeowner to borrow money when needed for such emergencies as jo... Read >