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Looking to buy a home in 2017? Start securing your financing now 12/19/2016 11:00am • As we inch toward the end of the year, consumers and lenders alike begin looking toward the post-holiday season -- the start of 2017 -- and the potential for a home purchase in the coming year. But whether this is your first home purchase or your seventh, home lending in 2017 promises to be diffe 5 Simple Moves That Can Help Your Credit In 2017 12/18/2016 07:00pm • How's this for a New Year's resolution? "I resolve to make 2017 the year I stop being intimidated by my credit score and start taking control of it!" Sure, it may not be your typical resolution. It won't help you eat better, lose weight, get organized, spend more time with your family or travel the 5 Ways to Cut 401(k) Fees Down to Size 12/18/2016 07:00pm • Despite what some investors might think, 401(k) plans aren't free. In fact, it's just the opposite. 401(k) plans are loaded to the brim with fees, including front and back load fees, 12b1 fees, and investment management expenses. Hey, you can't expect the Fidelity Investments and Vanguard Funds of College becoming less affordable for Maryland students 12/15/2016 10:32pm • Katishi Maake, correspondent ANNAPOLIS, Md. — During this past election cycle, presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both highlighted increasing college debt as one of the most important issues in the country. Since the 2008 economic recession, student loan debt is the 8 Retirement Myths Debunked 12/14/2016 07:00pm • During your working years, you may have rarely thought about your retirement. When you did, you probably had only a vague, general notion of what your retirement would be like. For many years your retirement probably seemed so far off that you could easily postpone learning, planning and saving for There Are Cracks Forming in the College Education Business 12/14/2016 07:00pm • Unfortunately, one of the defining characteristics of the millennial generation is student debt. If you or someone in your family is a millennial, you've probably heard some variations of these staggering statistics. There are 44.2 million Americans with student debt. Total student debt now stands 6 Ways to Save on Travel During College Breaks 12/13/2016 07:00pm • Every couple of months, Kelly Smith makes the 450-mile drive from Tampa to Atlanta to visit her father during one of her school breaks. The University of Tampa senior says she cuts down on her travel spending using a fuel perk points program at Winn-Dixie, a regional grocery store chain. "I buy all What to Expect for the 2017 Housing Market 12/12/2016 07:00pm • It's been a great year for real estate. Spurred by the Federal Reserve's mixed reports and low inflation, mortgage rates continually slid through October to historic lows near 3.5 percent. Compared to 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau reports new home sales are up over 12 percent and the National Associa What Italy's Big Vote Means for Investors 12/12/2016 07:00pm • Now, more than ever, Italy looks like a big, fat mess for investors. On Dec. 4, Italian voters roundly rejected constitutional reform. The immediate impact was the resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. He had promised to do so if the result went against him. That means at least one campaign p Rethinking a Mortgage While Retired 12/11/2016 07:00pm • It's one of the cardinal rules of retirement planning: pay off the mortgage before quitting work. Giving up your income while still supporting a big debt can mean chewing away at your retirement savings way too fast, and can leave you in a tight spot if something goes wrong. But paying off a mortga What's Your Fiscal Fitness Number? 12/11/2016 07:00pm • Financial gurus are taking a page out of the employee wellness handbook and have begun calculating an investor's "fiscal fitness." The idea is to know how your lifestyle can affect your finances and investments. TD Bank, after a 2015 survey, says 70 percent of consumers agree that financial health Q&A: I-66 toll lanes west of the Beltway 12/08/2016 01:36pm • WASHINGTON — State transportation leaders are shedding some light on the details of a deal that Virginia signed Thursday with private companies to finance, design, build, operate and maintain new toll lanes along Interstate 66 outside the Capital Beltway. While what’s known as “commercial c 8 credit card tricks you need to know before you shop 12/08/2016 05:50am • Smart shoppers will spend time researching, comparison shopping and looking for deals before making a purchase. But when it comes time to check out, many consumers won't think twice about how they pay. Not all payment options are equal, especially when it comes to credit cards. The credit card yo More Veterans Use GI Bill Benefits to Study Overseas 12/07/2016 07:00pm • From the Philippines to Iceland, an increasing number of U.S. military veterans are heading overseas to complete degrees at global universities, thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Many veterans say appealing aspects of studying at an overseas college include learning another language and receiving ch Holiday gift ideas that build financial knowledge 12/07/2016 09:26am • WASHINGTON — A holiday gift of financial knowledge will last longer than a gift card or a fruitcake (OK, maybe not a fruitcake) and pay off for the rest of the recipient’s life. An area financial adviser shared her recommendations for some great choices. Dawn Doebler, senior wealth adviser at