Charles Essmeier
|
| Charles Essmeier is the
owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational
Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and
credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to
information regarding home equity loans.
|
Articles by this Author
»
Consolidate Your Student Loans Now
|
The Federal student loan program has benefited thousands of college students in the forty years since it was introduced. Interest rates for the program have historically been quite competitive, and the program has allowed many people to acquire a college education who otherwise might not have been able to afford ...
|
»
Home Equity Loan – Not just for home repairs, and tax deductible, too!
|
Thanks to the combination of low interest rates and skyrocketing property values, home equity loans are more popular than ever. The value of home equity loans taken out by Americans has doubled in the last two years, and the market for them shows no signs of slowing down. Obtaining a ...
|
»
Mandatory Credit Counseling for Those Considering Bankruptcy
|
Most Americans are aware of the sweeping changes in U.S. bankruptcy law that were made by Congress recently. These changes, strongly supported by the credit card industry, were designed to make it more difficult for Americans to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the Federal bankruptcy code. Chapter 7 ...
|
»
No Fee Mortgages Coming Soon
|
Buying a home, especially for the first time, can be a daunting experience. There are endless credit checks, bank checks, employment checks, appraisals and more paperwork than seems to make sense. Adding to the angst associated with buying a home is the endless list of fees that are added to ...
|
»
Change in Texas Law May Make Reverse Mortgages More Popular
|
Texas was one of the last states to allow homeowners to take out home equity loans. Laws going back to the nineteenth century strictly prohibited home equity lending, as legislators feared that unscrupulous lenders would take advantage of homeowners for the purpose of seizing their homes through foreclosure. This made ...
|
»
Student Loans Can’t Be Swept Away Through Bankruptcy
|
Bankruptcy is in the news these days, as Congress has finally overhauled the Federal bankruptcy law after years of talking about it. The credit card companies, rightly or wrongly, have been pressuring members of Congress to tighten the bankruptcy statutes, saying that too many people were willfully spending money they ...
|
»
Are you ready for a 40-year mortgage?
|
Real estate prices have been increasing steadily over the last five years, particularly on the East and West coasts. In parts of California, homes are selling for 33% more than they were a year ago. This has made it more difficult than ever for first-time homebuyers to purchase a home. ...
|
»
Credit Cards –What is the “Universal Default Clause?
|
Most people who carry major credit cards are well aware that the interest rates associated with them tend to be higher than for other types of lending, such as home or auto loans. Anyone who has paid their credit card bill late more than once or twice is also aware ...
|
»
Watch out for Payday Loans
|
Most people who carry major credit cards are well aware that the interest rates associated with them tend to be higher than for other types of lending, such as home or auto loans. Anyone who has paid their credit card bill late more than once or twice is also aware ...
|
»
Home Equity Loan - Beware of the lingering lien!
|
A problem that often arises when people try to refinance their home is the discovery of a pre-existing lien from a previous loan that was not removed by the lending company. The cost of removing a lien and returning the title to the homeowner, a process known as reconveyance, is ...
|
»
Home Equity Line of Credit –Great Idea for Rainy Day
|
Most Americans tend to live on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis, and the typical household has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt. Adding to that is the fact that Americans are saving money at the lowest rate in history. We spend what we earn, when we earn it, and there’s little or ...
|
»
Minimum Credit Card Payments to Rise
|
For years, major credit card companies have allowed cardholders to make minimum payments of 2% of the outstanding balances on their credit cards. Having customers pay the minimum doesn’t reduce the balance by very much, but when the 18-30% interest rates that many credit cards charge is applied, the result ...
|
»
New Bankruptcy Legislation May Make it Harder to Find an Attorney
|
The recently passed Bankruptcy Abuse prevention and Consumer Protection Act will make it harder for people with problem debt to have their debt eliminated through filing for bankruptcy. This new legislation will make it harder to have debts wiped out by the courts, and will require more debtors to pay ...
|
»
Home Equity Loans –Research Your Lender Carefully
|
Real estate prices are rising across the country, and Americans are tapping into their home equity like never before. Americans took out $431 billion in home equity loans in 2004, and that amount may increase in 2005. The reasons vary; some are using the money for home improvement, others are ...
|
»
Free Credit Report –Watch Out for Scams
|
Many people may still not be aware of an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) that Congress passed last year. This amendment allows U.S. citizens to receive a copy of their credit report, for free, once per year. The plan is being rolled out slowly in order to ...
|
»
Interest-only Mortgages Have Their Pitfalls
|
Rising home prices, particularly on the East and West coasts have put the costs of home ownership seemingly beyond the reach of many. And yet, home ownership is up nationwide, and the percentage of Americans who own their homes is the highest it has ever been. How is this possible? ...
|
»
Utah, the Nation’s Bankruptcy Capital
|
Congress recently passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, designed to minimize frivolous bankruptcy filings and to require debtors to repay some of their debt. Once it takes effect in October, 2005, the law will make it harder for those with problem debt to have their debt wiped ...
|
»
New Bankruptcy Law – Where’s the Consumer Protection?
|
On April 20, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act, a piece of sweeping legislation that brought about the most sweeping changes in personal bankruptcy law in the last quarter century. This bill, which takes effect in October 2005, passed with the overwhelming support ...
|
»
Debt Consolidation – Discipline is Required if Consolidating with Home Equity
|
Debt consolidation is a popular topic these days. The average American carries nearly $10,000 in credit card debt and credit card debt of $100,000 is not all that unusual. New legislation that takes effect in October 2005 is going to make it harder for those with problem debt to file ...
|
»
Options for Reducing Credit Card Costs
|
Americans are using credit cards more than at any time in history, and credit card companies are reaping record profits. One of the reasons that the credit card industry is so profitable is that so many of us use our credit cards unwisely. If you have good credit, you ...
|
»
Home Equity – Is it Time to Cash Out and Move?
|
During the last five years, home prices have increased nationwide. In some parts of the country, notably California, home prices have doubled or even tripled. The median price of a home in the Los Angeles area is now nearly $450,000 and in the San Francisco area, the price is approaching ...
|
»
Reverse Mortgage –Be Sure You Need It Before Applying For One
|
Reverse mortgages used to be considered the last resort of desperate retirees who needed to borrow against their home equity in order to pay for medical expenses. With home prices across the country rising at astonishing rates, more and more retirees, aged 62 and over, are taking out reverse mortgages ...
|
»
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 before you finally pay ...
|
»
Credit Report – Check Yours Regularly and for Free
|
In the twenty-first century, there are few documents that have a greater impact on the lives of Americans then their credit report. Credit rating determines one’s ability to buy a home, a car, or to obtain a credit card or a job. Since these things are important, it is equally ...
|
»
Credit Cards and Home Equity Loans –Read the Fine Print
|
These days, everyone’s lives are burdened with paperwork. With newspapers, magazines, bills, junk mail, and who-knows-what taking up space in their day, few people have time to look at every piece of paper that comes their way. Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more necessary to carefully examine bills and contracts, ...
|
»
New Bankruptcy Law Will Not Protect You from Identity Theft
|
Recently passed by Congress with overwhelming support, the oddly-named Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was designed to eliminate “bankruptcy of convenience.” The perceived problem is that many compulsive gamblers, shoppers and drug users often run up huge debts on easily available credit cards with no intention of paying ...
|
»
More Options for Reducing Credit Card Costs
|
Borrowing money against your credit cards has always been among the most expensive ways to borrow money, and when you fail to pay your bill in full each month, borrowing is exactly what you’re doing. You’re not alone; the average American household now carries more than $8000 in credit card ...
|
|
|
/Images/logo_01.jpg){kind=logo}
/Images/top_icon_03.gif){kind=icon}
/Images/icon_search.gif){kind=icon}
Advanced Search
/Images/icon_blog.gif){kind=icon}
/Images/new_06.gif){kind=small}
/Images/new_08.gif){kind=small}
/Images/icons_42.gif){kind=icon}
/Images/add_loan.gif)
/Images/icon_art.gif){kind=icon}
/Images/new_11.gif){kind=small}
/Images/icons_32.gif){kind=icon}
Categories
/Images/ic_42.gif)
/Images/ic_19.gif)
/Images/ic_05.gif)
/Images/ic_03.gif)
/Images/ic_07.gif)
/Images/ic_24.gif)
/Images/ic_27.gif)
/Images/ic_38.gif)
/Images/ic_20.gif)
/Images/ic_11.gif)
/Images/ic_09.gif)
/Images/loans.gif)
Loans/Images/spacer.gif){kind=spacer}
/Images/icon_fav.gif){kind=icon}
Your Favorite Articles
/Images/icon_recent1.gif){kind=icon}
Recently Viewed.../Images/icon_popart.gif){kind=icon}
Popular Articles/Images/icon_popauth.gif){kind=icon}
Popular Authors
/Images/RateSecA.gif)
/Images/RateSecI.gif)
/Images/icons_47.gif){kind=icon}
full story