A baby is a source of joy for most families. Unfortunately, few companies offer paid maternity leave to their workers.

Millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet and pay their bills every month on time. These individuals are often looking for ways to meet their obligations.

If it was easy to maintain an emergency fund, everyone would do it.

Equity is the amount owned of something that you took out a loan to buy. You won’t have much equity early on in a loan. As you get closer to the due date, though, your equity will eventually be larger than what you owe.

In the current economic era, a considerable number of people have opted for loans to make advancements in different areas of their lives. Some use the money as start-up capital. Others pay for vehicles or property, while others take on debt to address other debt, like mortgages, student loans, and even previous personal loans.

If you own a home (which clearly you do if you landed here!), you know that home repairs are a part of ownership that can't be avoided. Even if you keep up with regular maintenance and care that helps extend the life of particular elements of your home, eventually something major will spring up that needs to be taken care of by a professional.

If you are considering getting a loan or a new line of credit, but have a low credit score, you might be able to improve it. In this article are some of the latest tips to boost your credit score in 2019.

When you shop for personal loans, you'll be looking at a number of factors. The most important will always be personal loan interest rates. If you're going to borrow, it's important that you understand both how interest works as well as the benefits and drawbacks of looking at the APR or the personal interest loan rate for each lender.

Getting divorced can be very expensive. If you're looking into how much it costs to file for divorce, you're probably seeing a variety of numbers.

Millions of Americans hold a significant amount of medical debt. Even if you have insurance, you might one day find a bill in your mailbox for something that wasn't covered.

The holidays can be an incredibly expensive time of year. It's not just that you're obliged to spend quite a bit on those around you, but rather that it's a time when you may feel the most generous.

Blockchain applications are thought to be the future of business and banking worldwide. The technology has built-in protection that is considered to be hack-proof.

Inheritance loans, which are sometimes called probate loans and inheritance funding, are loans that a loan provider makes to people who are scheduled to inherit money and other assets from a family member or friend. Probate often takes a long time, and many people need money for various purposes after the death of a loved one. The most common types of these loans fall into two categories: an advance loan on the assets that you’re scheduled to inherit and a loan that uses your inheritance as collateral for repayment of the loan in regular monthly payments.

When every expense means another credit card swipe, debt can quickly become unmanageable. Fortunately, credit card consolidation is not as difficult as you may think.

Increasingly, Americans use personal loans to cover significant expenses. However, those with a cash value life insurance policy may find a better loan from their insurance provider. Let’s compare.

There is an alternative to filing for bankruptcy: work with National Debt Relief. This article digs deep into the debt settlement service National Debt Relief offers, as well as determines whether the consumer advocacy organization succeeds in its mission to help consumers avoid bankruptcy by negotiating with creditors.

Personal loan refinancing involves paying off the first personal loan with a second personal loan that offers better financing terms. Chief Marketing Officer for OneMain Financial, Kim Wijkstrom, says “By consolidating, they are able to simplify their payments and have the convenience of just one payment, as opposed to needing to stay on top of a bunch of bills. Ideally, the payment will also be smaller. This is where refinancing a personal loan may really help.”

Ranked as the seventh largest bank in the United States, US Bank offers trust, banking, mortgage, investment, and payment services products to individuals, businesses, government agencies, and other financial institutions. US Bancorp represents the parent company of US Bank, which has more than 3,000 branches and nearly 5,000 ATMs. The company operates branches mostly in the Midwestern section of the United States. To complement the bank’s credit card business, credit card transaction processor Elavon is a vital part of the US Bank growth strategy.

With headquarters located in Birmingham, Alabama, BBVA Compass Bancshares is a subsidiary of the Spanish multinational financial company called Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. BBVA Compass operates primarily in Florida, Alabama, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. As of May 2018, the company runs more than 670 branches.

It seems like a new personal finance website comes online every day. Although that might be a bit of an overstatement, the fact remains consumers are bombarded by dozens of sites that claim to be one-stop financial shopping centers. From helping you make the right investments to learning how to create a household budget, everything you need is at your fingertips. No more paying financial advisors for the advice you can get online for free.

If a parcel of land attracts your interest, you might need to take out financing to fund the purchase. Land loans are most frequently used to purchase raw tracts of land, which represent undeveloped stretches of open space found in both urban and rural areas. The type of land development, as well as demand for the piece of land, plays the most important roles in determining land costs.

A four-year degree used to be the ticket to years of career growth and job stability. My, how things have changed in the highly competitive job market. For raises and promotions, professionals working in virtually every sector must bolster their credentials by taking continuing education classes. The University of Phoenix offers a professional development curriculum that may help with career advancement.

The Walmart MoneyCenter has been a popular addition to the store, offering customers a kiosk for check cashing, bill paying, money transfers, prepaid card reloading, and coin-to-cash conversions. Walmart’s money services department opens early at 7 a.m. each morning and closes late at 10 p.m.

Across the board, health care is one of the biggest expenses for Americans. Altogether in 2015, Americans spent $3.2 trillion on health care. In 2016, the average American spent $10,345 on health care. In 2023, the average per person health-care cost is expected to rise to $14,944.

“Don't Leave Home Without It” is one of the most memorable ad slogans ever created. The familiar tagline refers to the American Express (AMEX) credit card. There are over 45 million AMEX cards in the United States and almost 110 million globally. Over 20 percent of all credit card transactions in the US are made with an AMEX.

Securing a loan for purchasing a home or vehicle is fairly straightforward. Even though many lenders are ready to make loans for those purchases, what about all the other things you wish you could buy? Can you get a loan to purchase jewelry? How about a sailboat? Or a timeshare? Or a tiny home?

Personal loans are commonly used by many Americans to pay emergency expenses, cover unexpected bills, and pay down high-interest debts. Other Americans use these non-collateral, unsecured loans to finance home improvements or to make large purchases. Across the country, many banks, lenders, and financial institutions offer personal loans. Below, we look at personal loan products offered by Bank of America.

Every April, millions of Americans stress out about their taxes. To reduce stress, many turn to accountants and tax preparation services. When the ensuing mushroom cloud of paperwork settles down, sometimes the numbers show that a refund isn’t in the cards and money is owed to Uncle Sam. That leads many to reach out for help. Below we look into the pros and cons of using a personal loan to pay your taxes.

Since launching in 2012, Avant has made personal loans to over 600,000 people who have borrowed over $4 billion. Based in Chicago, the company was started by Al Goldstein, John Sun, and Paul Zhang.

Founded in 2011 by four Stanford Graduate School of Business students, SoFi was originally geared toward people seeking affordable funding for their education. Originally, SoFi (short for Social Finance Inc.) connected students with alumni, recent graduates, and institutional investors. Borrowers benefited from lower interest rates than those offered by the federal government while investors collected returns. By focusing on low-risk students and graduates, the company was able to reduce loan defaults.

Founded in 2006, Prosper is a San Francisco-based company that offers unsecured personal loans in a peer-to-peer lending format. The company is not a bank and does not use its own funds. Instead, it matches borrowers with investors. The company underwrites the loans, and then it charges a fee for loan-matching.

Almost everyone hates going to the dentist. We squirm at the thought of the pain, the needles, the drill, and the cost. At some point, we all end up there for a regular cleaning, to get a cavity filled, or for crowns.

Taking out a personal loan based on an advertised interest rate does not mean that you automatically receive the advertised rate. So how can a lender advertise a certain rate for personal loans, but not give you that rate?

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Comerica is one of the largest banks operating in the U.S. It was founded in 1849 and is one of a handful of banks to make it through the Great Depression. Comerica continues to grow, acquiring banks across the country. Most recently, it purchased Sterling Bank.

Originally established as the Commercial Travelers’ Savings Bank (later the Trust Company of Georgia) in 1891, SunTrust bank has grown through mergers and acquisitions to become a regional banking powerhouse. The bank continues to be headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with the 60-story SunTrust Plaza skyscraper as its headquarters. Since the early 1900s, the Atlanta-based bank has had a notable relationship with the Coca-Cola company, an iconic brand synonymous with the Empire City of the South.

These days, there are many ways to borrow money. You could take out an unsecured or signature loan and pay it off in one lump sum or in installments. There are also different types of collateral loans which allow you to borrow money against an asset that you own, such as your vehicle. However, not all of these financial products are as easy to use as a personal line of credit.

It can be hard to get a loan from a bank, but it’s near impossible if you don’t meet their basic requirements. Most financial institutions use an automated process to weed out risky applicants as early into the process as possible. One red flag is if the applicant is not employed. Banks will sometimes deny such applicants outright.

In 1955, a merger between Chase National Bank and The Manhattan Company created the Chase Manhattan Bank. Back in 2000, Chase merged with J.P. Morgan & Co, forming JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., which does business as Chase Bank. Now, Chase is a multinational banking giant and one of America’s ‘Big Four’ banks. It ranks fourth in Forbes’ Global 2000 list and third on Forbes’ list of America's Top Public Companies.

In an ideal world, everyone would have ‘rainy day’ money set aside. These funds would only be used in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as an accident, illness, emergency home repairs or unexpected car repairs. The average American has little savings and tends to rely on credit cards to cover their ‘rainy days’.

In its 2016 State of Credit report, the credit bureau Experian revealed that the average American has two credit cards and carries $5,551 in credit card debt, up from $4,404 in their 2015 report. WalletHub estimates that in 2016, the average household carried $8,377 in credit card debt, up from $7,893 in 2015. At the moment, the total credit card debt in the US is almost $1 trillion, the largest it has been since late 2008.

In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, many Americans lost their jobs, and some lost their homes. Since then, the United States has been on a steady path to recovery. Even though the unemployment rate is the lowest since 2007 and many families are back on their feet financially, millions still struggle to make ends meet.

Look around you nowadays, and you’ll see most people doing something on their mobile devices. Everyone is texting, reading articles, listening to music, playing games, checking in on social media or doing any number of other tasks.

Between 2007 and 2010, the United States experienced one of the worst financial situations since the Great Depression of the 1920’s. In response to the crisis, President Obama enacted legislation in an attempt to overhaul the American financial system and prevent future collapses.

Traditionally, taking out a loan involves a stack of paperwork. When faced with a mound of papers filled with financial jargon, how many of us read all the details and the fine print? How many of us make sure we understand the financial terms used in the loan agreement and the fees we are charged?

Nicknamed "The Old Pueblo," Tucson, Arizona is a desert jewel. With just over half a million residents, it is the second largest city in the state, behind only Phoenix. Home to the University of Arizona, the city also plays host to a number of popular festivals each year including the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the Tucson Folk Festival, and the Tucson Rodeo (Fiesta de los Vaqueros).

In America, getting a college education has traditionally been an avenue for finding a good, steady job. Yet the high cost of college tuition forces many students to use student loans. As a result, Americans currently carry more than $1.3 trillion in student debt.

We look at some troubling statistics about American finances and show you ways to deal with financial setbacks.

We look at what the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise short-term interest rates will mean for credit card interest charges.

Since breaking off from Signet Financial Corp back in 1994, Capital One has grown into one of the largest banking companies in the U.S. Known mostly for its long line of credit cards; the company also provides a variety of other financial products, including a personal loan option. Information about this offering can be hard to find, so we wanted to provide a closer look as a resource for those who may be interested in this type of funding.

We go in-depth on how our free service can be used to try to find a loan that you can use to consolidate your debt. There are some important things to consider as you go about this process, so please read on to find out what you need to know about debt consolidation loans.

Taking out a loan for business or personal expenses is sometimes a necessity. Two of the main sources for these types of loans are banks and private lenders. In this article, we compare banks and private lenders and look at some of the pros and cons of each.

Financial companies use the term “personal starter loan” to describe a variety of different financial products. So, depending on the company you choose, your loan could be for as little as $500 or all the way up to $25,000. One thing unites all these different types of loans: They are generally for expenses involved with starting your life after you’ve finished school. And they usually have lower-than-average interest rates.

There are many reasons to take out a loan, but when you’re on a pension, borrowing money isn’t always easy. You might even think it’s impossible, but that’s just not true. There are funding options available for those who are living off a retirement account. You can still borrow money. We can help you figure out how.

Salt is cheap. So are blogs about debt. Most give you the same five tips: negotiate with your creditors, ask your employer for an advance on your paycheck, meet with an expert, seek out community organizations and government assistance, and borrow from your friends and family. Those tips are great and they might help you out of the tight spot you’re in. You just need to be careful.

Starting something new can be difficult and challenging, but also rewarding. Although a lot of people have entrepreneurial spirits, they might not follow through with dreams because they lack the finances. But for people who have dreams, money should not be a barrier. Along with loans for starting a farm, below are some ways that people use personal loans to start something new.

A fresh start loan is a financial product used to pay off debt and rebuild one’s credit rating. It can be utilized after a series of financial setbacks has made it difficult for the borrower to obtain traditional funding. The requirements for obtaining this type of funding will vary by lender, but you should expect to see conditions such as being 18-years-old, having an open bank account, and being a U.S. citizen.

Well, it’s enough to make you sick; when you don’t have the money you need to pay what you owe fast enough to avoid late fees, it can lead to ulcers. One way out is a personal loan, but even with the innovative risk assessment models used by today’s online lenders, many still find themselves unable to get funding. If you find yourself in this type of situation, read on for tips on how to pay off debts fast even when you don’t have money.

Loans can be fun. Really. A mortgage means you’re about to step inside your new house. Loans for cars, vacations, weddings, and honeymoons all go toward exciting life events. But, this is not why most people use loans. The most common reason to borrow money is to pay off what you already owe. These "debt consolidation loans" don’t have the glitz and glamor of other financial products, but they are necessary for those unready for a looming due date.

If you were one of the 11 million people with Costco’s last exclusive credit card (the American Express one) then you probably received the new Citi Anywhere Visa Card in the mail sometime in the last couple months. Let's see whether that card is worth keeping or not.

Long-term financial planning is the key to wealth, but if you aren’t ready for a new lifestyle, these quick tips may be just what you need to tweak your budget so you can get some immediate results.

In the 2015 David O’Russell film Joy, Jennifer Lawrence portrays real life entrepreneur Joy Mangano, inventor of the self-wringing Miracle Mop. As a divorced mother of two who lives with her mother and grandmother, Mangano knows that life has more to offer her.

Personal Loans are sometimes defined as unsecured loans that require no collateral. They can be used for any purpose or any need - vacations, business expenses, home repairs, medical bills or anything else. To determine your eligibility for a Personal Loan, a lender usually consults your credit score.

Older Americans represent one of the fastest growing segments of the country’s population. According to the AOA (Administration on Aging), there were over 46 million Americans over the age of 65 in 2014 which is about 15% of the population. This number is expected to grow even more in the next few decades. By 2040, the number of Americans over 65 will be more than 60 million. That number could exceed 150 million by the year 2060.

LoanStart.com is a free loan-matching service that connects potential borrowers like you with one of our affiliate lenders. To help you get a loan to meet your needs, we work with a number of respectable lenders.

On average, there are over two million Google searches done every second. That translates into over three billion searches every single day and over one trillion searches each year. In the United States, Google has over 75-percent of the overall search traffic and almost 90-percent of the organic search traffic.

Like every other industry, the financial sector has its own set of terms. For those who are unfamiliar with them, these words and phrases can be confusing. To help ease some of the confusion this jargon can cause, we have defined some common financial terms you might encounter when applying for a loan.

Ask any financial expert and they’ll tell you to be careful with online loans. This is because it can be hard to distinguish legitimate online installment loans from scam sites. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best tips for avoiding bad loan websites.

Maybe you’ve already read about Florida’s war against the CFPB’s proposed loan regulations. In case you haven’t, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman recently challenged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed federal short-term loan laws. She introduced a bill of her own. Her bill says that states should be given the opportunity to come up with their own short-term loan laws. The idea is that these state laws would potentially take precedence over any federal laws. If her bill passes, it’d delay federal regulations for a couple of years to give states time to decide on their own laws.

Start by asking yourself two questions: Why do I need a loan and why do I have bad credit? There are a number of reasons for bad credit. Each can have a different bearing on the loans you’re eligible for and the interest rate you’ll receive. Here are five of the most common reasons people end up with bad credit.

Over the past several years, the American financial climate has changed drastically. One of the major changes was the passing of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act and the subsequent establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

In the past, people with low FICO credit scores typically had more trouble taking out loans to pay bills. It’s because this particular credit score has been the standard for credit checks – one of the things a potential lender might look at before qualifying you for a loan. Recently, though, the need for a good FICO score to secure a personal loan online has dwindled.

When unexpected expenses threaten your financial stability, taking out a personal finance loan online is one way to handle them. But after you borrow the money, you will need to pay it back. Here are some tips on how to plan on paying back the money you owe.

Over the past decade, the cost of living has been on the rise across the nation. Medical care costs have risen 50 percent during the same time period. The cost of food and drink have risen almost 40 percent. And although household income has also been on the rise, many families’ incomes have not kept up with increasing costs.

Honored in songs like Ray Charles’ Georgia and Gladys Knight & the Pips Midnight Train to Georgia, the state of Georgia has been capturing people’s heart for years with its warm hospitality and Southern charm. The Peach State has tons to offer - from the coast to the mountains, from the small towns to the big city of Atlanta, from high school football to professional sports, the state has something for everyone.

There are many lenders who offer direct personal loans online. Good ones and bad ones. The process is straightforward and simple. Oftentimes, even those with “not so great” credit can qualify for these loans. We should point out that we are not a lender. This article is for informational purposes only.

Have you ever thought about starting your own business but don’t have the money to finance it? Or do you have a dream vacation that you wish you could take, but can’t quite afford to do it? Taking out a personal loan is one way to afford these things.

We are not a lender. Instead of applying for a loan through our site, you request a personal loan and we try to match you with a lender. We’re really good at what we do and we think it’s an important service, but we are not a lender. We do know a thing or two.

When taking out a personal loan, some people think that it is better to borrow more money rather than less, just in case extra expenses come up. As tempting as it might be to borrow the maximum amount that a lender offers you, it might not be a good idea.

Personal loans can help to cover whatever expenses you might have. But if you are struggling financially, borrowing money won’t solve your long-term money issues. At the same time, taking out a short-term personal loan can be a good option for your short-term needs.

Americans carry a lot of debt – credit card debt, mortgage loan debt, student loan debt, automobile loan debt, personal loan debt, and other types of debt. In fact, Americans are deeper in debt than we’ve ever been before. And while debt has been increasing, earnings have lagged behind. This means that many individuals and families are spending much more money than they are making, often on necessities rather than luxury items.

Banks borrow money from the Federal Reserve, also known as the central bank. The Fed is in charge of keeping inflation low. So when the economy is strong, the Federal Reserve makes it more expensive for banks to borrow money. (They do this by raising the federal fund rate, or the interest charged to banks for borrowing additional reserves.) This discourages banks from borrowing money, which decreases the amount of money available to everyone. Thus, inflation is avoided.

It’s a lot easier to get pre-qualified for a personal loan than approved for one. Even pre-approval usually includes a conditional commitment, but pre-qualification is little more than a formality – one that holds little weight and is usually skipped by lenders who see it as unnecessary.

Short on money? You’re not alone. According to BusinessInsider.com, 43-percent of families in the U.S. spend more than they make. That leads to loans, and the average borrower is taking out over $4,000 per loan.

Don’t get us wrong, we love an epic Halloween costume. It’s just that we think you can make one of those yourself. You’ll likely need to buy a few festive accessories to round out the edges, but for a Halloween costume on a budget – like if you’re trying to stretch your student loan funds or pay back a cash advance – you can be ghoulish without giving up the ghost of your bank account. Here are ten picks for inexpensive Halloween costumes you can make yourself.

Every year the top toy analysts (yes, they exist) look through all the major toy releases and pick out the ones they think will be the most popular. For many parents, this wisdom is priceless. It can mean the difference between a great or ruined holiday. Trust me, I've been there.

Tuition rates are surging, and that’s just one of the payments that makes going back to school so expensive. Combine that with the fact that the average American has over $7,000 in credit card debt, and it’s easy to see why so many students have to take out a loan to pay for school. We can help you figure out a loan amount that might be right for you.

When I first heard about “peer-to-peer lending,” I thought it was a shady way to share digital files. When I learned that it was actually an online loan, I was still doubtful of its legality. I was wrong. P2P loans have nothing to do with P2P file sharing. In fact, peer-to-peer lending offers some of the best interest rates out there for the borrower. Let’s dig a little deeper into this relatively new type of personal loan so you can see if it’s the right type of loan for you.

When you have bad credit and no money, everything is an emergency. From a flat tire to a surprise medical procedure, even small struggles can turn into major crises when you can’t afford them. Don’t panic. There’s actually an easy solution for your short-term debt problems – a personal loan.

Historic. That’s the word a recent Forbes article used to describe the rise of online lending. What’s the reason for this exponential growth? We offer five suggestions as to why borrowers have begun to embrace the online loan.

It’s estimated that the average U.S. family spends about $5,000 yearly on home remodeling. So it’s not surprising that one of the main reasons for taking out a personal loan is to cover the cost of home improvements.

In mathematics, a radius is a straight line extending from the center of a sphere or circle. It’s useful for determining the circumference or area. It’s easy to determine where a radius begins. In life, it’s not always so simple to figure out the best starting point for a major undertaking. At LoanStart, we try to make the process of finding a personal loan as simple and effective as possible.

At LoanStart, our number one goal is to pair you with a personal loan provider. Unfortunately, our we don’t always find a lender for everyone who wants a loan. When you can’t secure alternative financing, what’s the alternative? Let’s look at the solutions that may be available when you think there’s nowhere else to turn.

Collateral is anything used as security for payment of a debt or performance of a contract. When taking out a loan, you offer collateral in exchange for a loan. Also known as secured loans, this type of funding is less risky for a lender than unsecured loans. Learn more now.