- What Is a Co-Applicant?
A co-applicant is an additional person involved in the application of a loan besides the original applicant. They are equally considered alongside the applicant throughout the whole application process, including during the approval and underwriting. A co-applicant’s credit history can… read more…
- What Is the Average Life Insurance Rate for 2025?
Life insurance rates are constantly changing, and each person’s life insurance policy is different. For instance, rates can vary by age, gender, health, employment, weight and family health history, as well as whether or not the insured smokes, does drugs… read more…
- Does Checking Your Credit Score Lower It?
It’s long been said that if you check your credit score, it may experience a drop. But in reality, if you yourself are checking your score through a free website or app, you can check as many times as you… read more…
- How to Dispute Errors on Your Credit Report
Errors on your credit report aren’t as uncommon as you might think. These issues, whether big or small, can negatively alter your credit score, making it harder to get approved for new lines of credit or loans. An error could… read more…
- Is 700 Considered a Good Credit Score?
A 700 credit score is often seen as the barometer for what constitutes a good credit score. But while each credit scoring agency has slightly different criteria for determining where scores rank, a 700 score typically resides in the “good” category. Other… read more…
- How Long Does Bankruptcy Stay on Your Credit Report?
A bankruptcy can seriously hurt your credit score, making it difficult to get approved for new lines of credit and lower loan interest rates. While bankruptcies are undoubtedly harmful, they won’t stay on your credit report forever. How long they… read more…
- How Does a Tender Offer Work?
A tender offer allows a company or entity to do a public takeover of a business by buying many of its shareholders’ stock shares. Tender offers are typically public, as they literally ask shareholders to sell their shares for a… read more…
- What Is the Rule of 70, and How Do You Use It?
The rule of 70 is used to determine about how long it will take an investment to double in size while growing at a consistent rate of return. The rule is far from exact, but it can nonetheless help you figure out the approximate future value of an investment or compare the potential value of… read more…
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Definition
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, otherwise known as the FDIC, is a federal regulatory body in the U.S. Its primary purpose is to insure deposits made at banks and other financial institutions in the event that they go under and are… read more…
- What Is the Highest Credit Score You Can Have?
Having a good credit score is beneficial, and an excellent score is even better. But what if you could achieve the perfect credit score? To attain the highest credit score there is, you’ll need to have outstanding credit practices, meet… read more…
- What Is a Good Credit Score?
Having good credit is an important factor in whether you’ll be approved for new lines of credit or lower interest rates on loans. Credit scoring agencies use many different factors from your credit history to determine your credit score. While having a good… read more…
- What Is Life Insurance, and How Does It Work?
Life insurance is a contract through which a policyholder pays an insurer in exchange for a payout when the insured dies. Most adults have heard of life insurance, and many have been told that they should have it. However, conversations… read more…
- Inflationary Risk Definition
When building an investment portfolio there are certain types of risk you have to factor in, including inflation risk. You may know that inflation means a trend of rising prices over time but you may not understand how this can… read more…
- What Is Term Life Insurance?
A term life insurance policy provides a death benefit or lump sum payment to a beneficiary if the policyholder dies during a specific “term” or period of time. Often called pure life insurance, term life insurance is known for being… read more…
- Credit 101: Definition, Scoring, Reports and More
Credit is one of the most important aspects of a person’s financial life. Your credit score affects your ability to get loans, credit cards, apartments and more. There are several components to credit that have an impact on you and your financial situation. You can check these factors by looking at your credit score and… read more…
- Bankruptcy Basics: How to File, Types, and More
Bankruptcy is a way for an individual or business to have their debts legally discharged in the event that they cannot pay them. For example, if your home is being foreclosed upon or your debts have built up to the… read more…
- What Is a Non-Recourse Loan?
A non-recourse loan is a type of debt that’s secured by collateral, such as an individual’s car, house or another typically illiquid asset. By securing a non-recourse loan, the lender won’t have the ability to pursue the borrower’s other assets… read more…
- What Is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)?
The New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE for short, is the world’s largest and most famous stock exchange. The total market capitalization of all of its listed securities totals over $25 trillion. The NYSE is located in downtown New York at… read more…
- What Is IRS Form 1099-MISC?
If you’re a contractor, freelancer or another type of self-employed individual, you’ll likely need to file IRS Form 1099-MISC. This form is used to report non-employee compensation, and it is part of the 1099 family of IRS tax forms. In… read more…
- What Is an Excellent Credit Score?
A credit score of 800 or above typically falls into the “excellent” category. There are many benefits associated with this tier of credit score. For example, an excellent credit score means you’re more likely to gain approval for new lines of… read more…
- Liquidity Risk Definition
Investing is naturally a risky proposition, and there are specific types of risk to be aware of when deciding where to put your money. Liquidity risk is one of them. Broadly speaking, it refers to how easily an asset can… read more…
- Debt-to-Capital Ratio Definition
When deciding which companies to invest in, you can use several ratios to gauge their financial health. The debt-to-capital ratio is a way to measure a company’s ability to withstand downturns based on how its debt obligations and available capital… read more…
- Explaining the Different Types of Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud can occur during any stage of the insurance transaction by any party involved. This means that applicants, policyholders, third-party claimants, professionals who provide services to claimants, insurance brokers or agents – even companies – may attempt to commit… read more…
- What Is Owner’s Equity?
Owner’s equity is the value of a business that the owner can claim, and consists of total assets minus total liabilities. Both the amount and how much it has changed from one accounting period to another offer insights into a business’s financial condition. Sole proprietors and partnerships use this term. We’ll review what comprises this… read more…
- What Is a Vesting Period?
A vesting period is the time an employee must work for an employer in order to own outright employee stock options, shares of company stock or employer contributions to a tax-advantaged retirement plan. Vesting periods come in a variety of… read more…