Charles Essmeier

Home Improvement is Great If You Know How to Finance It

With housing prices at an all time high, homeowners who have outgrown their existing home or feel that it no longer meets their needs have a dilemma. It would be great to move to a larger house, but the prices of larger houses are higher than ever. What... Read >

Certified Used Cars May Pose Risks for Buyers

With the price of a new car getting higher and higher each year, many buyers choose to buy used cars instead. The price of a new car can easily equal a year's pay for many people, so buying a used car makes sense. But there are risks associated with buy... Read >

Free Credit Card Bonuses Are Pricey if You Fail to Pay Your Bill

The credit card business is a competitive one. It is also a very profitable one and the combination of the two explains why you seem to find a pre-approved application in the mailbox just about every day. A new customer is worth a lot to the companies t... Read >

New Credit Score System Supposed to Simplify, Not Confuse

A lot has been written in the past few years about the importance of both credit reports and credit scores. The credit report is a listing of all significant financial transactions by a consumer and whether or not those transactions were completed on tim... Read >

Credit Reports -- Your Free Report Could Cost You

The growing prevalence of identity theft and increased concern about good financial health has led many consumers to seek copies of their credit reports online. Doing so is certainly laudable; the more you know about how potential creditors and lenders s... Read >

Credit Score is Important When Buying a Car

Do you check your credit score and credit report before you go shopping for a car? You might find out that it is well worth your while to do so, as some auto dealers are taking advantage of the fact that many consumers do not know their credit scores. ... Read >

Can You Negotiate with Your Credit Card Company?

The average American household has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt, and many people are only able to make the minimum payment of 2% of the balance. Even 2% is $200, and by paying the minimum payment, you could be paying on the balance for decades befor... Read >

Four Dangerous Words - "You Can Refinance Later"

Buying a house is an expensive proposition. It's the only thing most people will ever buy that will take decades to pay off. As such, it is not something most buyers enter into lightly. The financial demands are significant and the payment has to be ma... Read >

Mortgage Costs and How to Reduce Them

Few people will ever pay more for anything than they do for their home. The prices of housing are continually escalating; the median price of a house in the United States is now more than $215,000. Adding to the expense is the mortgage interest. Over t... Read >

Debt Consolidation Loan Possibilities Abound

Debt has a way of piling up in a sneaky way. Many consumers think that they are wisely managing their money until the day comes when they realize that they are way too deep in debt. The average U.S. household has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt, and ... Read >

Option ARM - The World's Most Dangerous Mortgage

Home prices have reached record levels, and in many parts of the country, homes have become nearly unaffordable.Real estate has replaced the tech stocks of the late 1990's as the hot investment, and everyone has sold their stocks and jumped into investmen... Read >

Debt Management Begins with Paycheck Management

This is an exciting time of the year for many American consumers, as tax time approaches. No, most people are not too excited about filing their income tax return, but most people receive a refund each year, and this year that refund averages out to a li... Read >

Debt Consolidation with Free Government Grants? Just another scam.

Have you ever seen a commercial or an ad promising "free government grant money?" According to these ads, the government and other organizations give away nearly one half a trillion dollars each year and all you need to do is apply! The ads go on to sta... Read >

Home Foreclosures and Big Profits? Just Another Myth

Everyone would like to find a way to make a lot of money without doing a lot of work. Getting rich quickly seems to be the American dream. And if you watch a lot of late night television, you might think that you have found the ticket to fast riches by i... Read >

Payday Loans Target Military Personnel

It's tough being a soldier, especially in a time of war. Being a member of the military during wartime means long time away from your home and your family. For those that aren't overseas, there is the constant concern that combat may soon be in your fut... Read >