Colin Hogan – Page 2 – The News Desk

15Dec

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Money

Best Wedding Loans of December 2023

What Is a Wedding Loan?A wedding loan is an unsecured personal loan for wedding expenses. Couples can use a wedding loan to manage the expense of renting a venue, catering, attire, photography, floral arrangements and more. A wedding loan could cover rings or the honeymoon, too.As a personal loan, you can use a wedding loan for any expense, even if it’s not wedding-related.“It’s just cash in your account to use however you see fit,” says Christina Roman, consumer education and advocacy manager for credit bureau Experian. But she encourages borrowers to have a clear plan for how they’ll use the funds. “Be very careful when you’re getting that lump sum in your bank account,” she says.“Weddings may come around once in a lifetime, and while you may budget and DIY as much as you can, the reali...

What Is the Future of Big Law? | Explore Law Firms and Legal Advice

13Dec

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What Is the Future of Big Law? | Explore Law Firms and Legal Advice

For years, analysts have predicted the imminent death of “Big Law,” the powerhouse law firms staffed by hundreds of attorneys that sit atop the legal food chain. But Big Law has turned into Big Business, with record growth and record profits, and Big Law firms will likely continue to grow.While no one can know the future of Big Law, trendlines suggest what’s in store for the next five to 10 years and beyond. Here is how experts expect Big Law to change in the near future. Big Growth, Big Money and Big VolatilityWith Big Law’s skyrocketing revenue and record profits for partners, there’s never been a better time to be an equity partner in a Big Law firm, says Eli Wald, Charles W. Delaney Jr. professor of law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.Although the last two years have ...

How to Avoid Foreclosure | Mortgages and Advice

27Nov

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How to Avoid Foreclosure | Mortgages and Advice

A recent job loss or unexpected medical bill can cause you to fall behind on your mortgage payments. If you fall too far behind, your lender may start foreclosure proceedings, meaning you could lose your home.Going through foreclosure is stressful and can negatively impact your credit score for up to seven years. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid foreclosure, and ways to stop the foreclosure process once it starts.Compare Top Mortgage Lenders Lender Learn More Min. Down Payment Min. Credit Score Lender Learn More Min. Down Payment Min. Credit Score Lender Learn More Min. Down Payment Min. Credit ScoreWhat Is Foreclosure? Foreclosure is the process through which a lender repossesses your property because you've failed to make mortgage payments. Foreclosure can also be i...

Should You Get a Divorce Loan? | Personal Loans and Advice

23Nov

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Should You Get a Divorce Loan? | Personal Loans and Advice

Divorce can be emotionally and financially traumatic, potentially generating debt as you and your spouse split income and assets. Taking out a loan to tackle some of that debt might seem like adding gasoline to the fire, especially if your income will be dramatically slashed once the divorce is final.But depending on your circumstances, taking out a divorce loan could be a good option for the next stage of your financial life. Here's a look at how a divorce loan can help or hurt your post-divorce finances.What Is a Divorce Loan?A divorce loan is a personal loan used for divorce-related expenses. Personal loans are unsecured loans that allow you to borrow a specific amount of money and pay it back, usually in monthly installments.Interest rates for personal loans are usually lower than rat...

What Is Loan Deferment and How Does It Work? | Personal Loans and Advice

14Nov

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What Is Loan Deferment and How Does It Work? | Personal Loans and Advice

If you're having trouble repaying your loan as promised, requesting a loan deferment might help you temporarily pause or reduce payments. Plus, it can help you avoid late fees and damage to your credit.But before you apply for deferment, you should consider potential drawbacks, such as higher total borrowing costs. Keep reading to learn how a deferment works, the pros and cons and alternative solutions.What is a Deferred Payment?During deferment, a lender allows you to temporarily skip payments without facing negative consequences like paying late fees. You're still responsible for making these payments at a future date.For example, if you get approved for a six-month deferment, the lender will typically add six additional monthly payments to your repayment term.How a deferred payment wor...

These Credit Cards Offer You Free Checked Baggage | Credit Cards

8Nov

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These Credit Cards Offer You Free Checked Baggage | Credit Cards

Rewards credit cards often come with a slew of benefits, including travel perks. One such perk is getting free checked bags on certain airlines or statement credits for airline fees that include baggage. If you're a frequent flier, this benefit can equate to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of saved dollars per year.Learn more about the value of free checked bag perks, and which credit cards offer them.Why Free Checked Bags are a Great PerkFor consumers who travel often and prefer to check a bag, getting a rewards credit card that offers free checked bags can offer big savings, says Andrea Woroch, a consumer and money-saving expert. "The average fee for a checked bag is about $30 to $35 for the first bag," she says. "These charges really add up throughout the year when you consider paying ...

7Nov

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Money

How to Balance a Checkbook

These days many of us write few, if any, checks. So, the term "balancing a checkbook" has taken on a new meaning. Simply put, balancing your checkbook involves making sure your records for your checking account match the bank's records.For instance, the bank's records for your checking account may show a $50 debit card purchase at a grocery store, but that transaction doesn't appear in your own records. In this case, the $50 purchase might have been fraudulent, so balancing your checkbook enables you to detect this transaction and report it to your bank.Here, we explain why you should balance your checkbook and walk you through the steps for doing it.Why You Should Balance Your CheckbookBalancing your checkbook, also called reconciling your account, may feel like a chore. But it's a chore...

How Lawyers Can Find and Evaluate Continuing Legal Education Courses | Explore Law Firms and Legal Advice

1Nov

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How Lawyers Can Find and Evaluate Continuing Legal Education Courses | Explore Law Firms and Legal Advice

While states’ specific requirements vary considerably, every state requires licensed attorneys to complete continuing legal education, commonly called CLEs. While many attorneys bristle at the CLE mandates, their complaints don’t mean they’re less obligated to fulfill those education requirements. Here are things to look for when it comes to choosing a CLE program, as well as some programs worth checking out.How Attorneys Can Choose a CLE ProviderWhen choosing CLE programs, “avoid doing what so many lawyers do: Wait until the last minute. Then you’re setting yourself up for the worst of possible situations,” says Rima Sirota, a professor of legal practice at Georgetown Law.Attorneys should give themselves time to find programs that are meaningful to their practice or relate to an issue th...

How to Load Your Walmart MoneyCard | Banking Advice

27Oct

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Money

How to Load Your Walmart MoneyCard | Banking Advice

The Walmart MoneyCard is a reloadable prepaid card that allows those without traditional checking accounts to spend and manage their money. It's available as Visa or Mastercard, making it easy to use just about anywhere. The MoneyCard also awards cash back on certain purchases.So how do you load funds onto a Walmart MoneyCard? There are a few ways to do it. Here's what you need to know.What Is the Walmart MoneyCard?The Walmart MoneyCard is a prepaid debit card issued by Walmart in partnership with Green Dot, a banking and financial technology company. It's designed to offer an alternative to a traditional checking account.Since it's a prepaid card, you need to load money onto the card before you can use it. Once funded, the card can be used for online shopping and in-store purchases where...

What Is APR? Understanding Credit Card Interest Rates | Credit Card News & Advice

26Oct

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What Is APR? Understanding Credit Card Interest Rates | Credit Card News & Advice

All credit cards come with more than a few moving parts. Among them is an annual percentage rate, or APR – the cost of borrowing money using the card. However, the tricky thing with credit cards is that they can have multiple APRs, each of which applies to a different transaction type. Knowing how credit card APRs work can help you keep your debt in check and better compare cards when you're in the market for one.What Is APR on a Credit Card?When you don't pay your credit card balance in full each month, your card issuer charges interest on your carried balance. The rate you pay is the card's APR – a figure expressed as a percentage. A card's APR is the annual cost of borrowing money using the card.For instance, say you make a $1,000 purchase using your credit card but can't pay the balan...