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13 Documents Mortgage Lenders Need From Homebuyers 07/22/2015 08:00pm • One of the changes brought about by the foreclosure crisis was a realization that, before granting loans, lenders need to verify that borrowers can make their monthly mortgage payments. That led to a number of changes in how mortgages are granted, including what is called the Ability to Pay Rule, w Millionaires Before 30: Smart Finance Skills or Dumb Luck? 07/22/2015 08:00pm • KC Beavers was only months out of his 20s when he realized his net worth was over $1 million. Far from being the son of a CEO or celebrity, Beavers' path to wealth was through frugal living and smart finance decisions. While running a photography equipment startup, Beavers and his wife spent little The 5 best tips to save $1M for retirement 07/22/2015 11:00am • WASHINGTON — Everyone knows they need to save for retirement — especially with company pensions becoming extinct over the next generation. At some point you’re going to stop working and will have to live on whatever you have saved, plus whatever you’re entitled to receive from Social Sec 4 College Savings Strategies for Parents With Student Loans 07/21/2015 08:00pm • Lucy Knutson says she was fortunate because her parents helped pay for her undergraduate education. But when she decided to go to law school, she had to foot the bill, and she graduated with more than $100,000 in loans. Now that she's a mom of two, she and her husband automatically put money from A Timeline of Federal Student Loan Delinquency, Default Consequences 07/21/2015 08:00pm • In June, The New York Times published an opinion piece that encouraged students burdened with debt to consider letting their loans default. As you might imagine, this argument created a lot of chatter -- at least around Student Loan Ranger headquarters. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and we c 10 Life Events That Require Financial Planning 07/20/2015 08:00pm • Sometimes, even the best events in life -- a birth, new job or dream relocation -- require a financial plan. They might necessitate the need for more insurance coverage, a new budget or guidance from a financial advisor. Here are 10 positive events that should inspire you to do some financial plann Greece Adjusts to New Normal as Banks Reopen 07/19/2015 08:00pm • Greek banks were open for business Monday for the first time in three weeks, as packages of emergency aid allowed the embattled Mediterranean economy to finally start getting back on track. Greece's government is still reportedly keeping a tight cap on just how much cash people are able to withdraw The Interest Rate Risk for Today's Retiree 07/19/2015 08:00pm • I am consistently asked by clients, friends and co-workers what the biggest risk is in today's market. When I tell them interest rates and high-quality, longer-term bonds that present a high risk and limited return, their reactions always surprise me. Do yourself a favor and pull up a 50-year cha How Marriage Affects Your Student Loan Repayment 07/19/2015 08:00pm • It's wedding season. And brides and grooms are combining all the parts of their lives -- their hearts, their families, their households and yes, their student loans. Sorry romantics, but marriage may require a heart-to-heart about those pesky student loan payments. That conversation was necessary 5 Signs Your Credit Card Debt Is Out of Control 07/19/2015 08:00pm • It's easy to let your credit card debt slip out of control. Despite your good intentions, one or two purchases over your budget can snowball from a small balance to a heap of debt. In fact, the average U.S. household carries more than $15,000 in credit card debt, according to NerdWallet's July analy Are the US and Venezuela Quietly Making Diplomatic Progress? 07/18/2015 08:00pm • Contentious relations between the U.S. and Venezuela in recent years that have seen that country's leftist leaders accuse the United States of engineering coup attempts and domestic unrest appear to be quietly giving way to renewed efforts at diplomacy. In the past several months, State Department C The Iran Nuclear Deal Is a Nightmare 07/16/2015 08:00pm • The nightmare is now. It doesn't begin the day 10 years from now when Iran could break out with a nuclear weapon. It doesn't begin next year, the year after or the year after that, when we begin to worry that the designated inspectors are being sporadically stalled in seeking swift access to a suspi 3 Good Reasons to Break Up With Your Credit Card 07/16/2015 08:00pm • Summertime is wedding season, which can provide ample opportunities to reflect on our personal relationships. But now is also a good time to take another look at your relationship with your financial products -- especially your credit card.As with finding a mate, picking the right credit card is all Obama and Boehner Are Right to Call for Criminal Justice Reform 07/16/2015 08:00pm • Speaking Thursday in Philadelphia, President Barack Obama tried to impress on the NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights organization, the importance of addressing the problem that "in too many places, black boys and black men, Latino boys and Latino men experience being treated differently under t 7 Dangerous Credit Card Mistakes You're Making 07/15/2015 08:00pm • Consumer credit makes buying the stuff we want and need easy and convenient. Credit can also bail us out of a jam, especially if our emergency funds aren't quite up to the task. Unfortunately, that convenience comes at a price. Aside from uncontrolled, in-the-moment spending, credit card use opens u