In this home buying guide I want to focus on emotions of the buyers. Let us forget for a few minutes about your down payment and credit history, even though, we will of course talk about those. I suspect, it is going to be one very long post. So bear with me. Emotions, you see are quite dangerous thing when it comes to buying a house, especially your first one. How to buy a house in 2010 without getting yourself into trouble? Put your emotions aside and keep them there. …

You can negotiate credit card settlement with literally any lender and settle for a lot less that you owe. Does not matter which bank or credit card issuer you are dealing with, Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, American Express or some no-name collection agency that drives you crazy – you need to engage them, negotiate and settle. Conduct debt negotiation on your own. If you get someone else involved as go-between, your credit card settlement will be more costly and you also end up paying high fees. It is …

Removing an unpaid judgment from your credit report is very hard, however the possibility exists.   The only way to remove a judgment from a credit report is to first get it vacated or dismissed.  To do this, you need to file a motion in court.  Filing a motion to vacate or dismiss the item requres that you have a good reason, or at least believe that you have one.
There are basically two scenarios under which you can get a judgment dismissed and consequently remove it from your credit report. If …

Question
I am trying to pre-qualify for a home mortgage loan, and I filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy back in 2001. The underwriter wants a letter to explain the bankruptcy, what is the best way to write it?  Some say to write hardship due to job loss, but will this help or hurt my circumstance?  What exactly are they looking for?
Response
It is best to be honest in your bankruptcy explanation letter, and thoroughly explain your situation at the time.  Explain, in some detail, your hardships and even end the letter with …

If you need to boost your score in 30 days or so to get the best credit card offers and best mortgage deals, this post is for you.
Banks have hoarded a lot of tax payers money, and to jump up economy and make money, they will eventually start lending, and do it on very generous terms, at least initially.  With the current interest rates at all time lows or very close to it, there will be a window of opportunity to secure best credit card offers and more importantly …