To hackers and identity thieves, few things could be more enticing than cracking open a business. From corporations to small businesses, there’s the potential to gain access to the personal information of hundreds, thousands or even millions of customers in a single hack. Financial advisory practices are particularly alluring targets because they handle so much money,… Read More

This post originally appeared on Money Talks News. Unless you have a lot of free time, or don’t care about getting the best deal, real estate agents are a necessary part of buying or selling a house. They know the industry in and out and make the task a lot easier for you. But, as with any special… Read More

In the past few years, millions of homeowners across the country have been able to enjoy positive equity on their homes for the first time as a result of rising prices and falling debt, and this is certainly true of those who are 62 years old or more. The amount of equity held by homeowners within… Read More

Ten years ago I was a successful middle-aged professional with substantial savings and investments, an enviable real estate portfolio, and happily on track to my first million. Today, I am a 51-year-old woman with little set aside for retirement, living paycheck to paycheck, and a very long way from financial independence. Am I just another… Read More

Have you struggled to maintain good credit? Or do you avoid credit, and try to pay for everything in cash? Or perhaps your credit took a dive during the recession. If so, you may find getting credit frustrating and difficult. You may have even given up on trying to get a credit card or auto… Read More

Many companies are now looking to big data to increase their business, but this may also leave them just as vulnerable to data breaches as they were before, raising the question of how well they can protect your information. Today, just 35 percent of companies believe they have the ability to detect a data breach… Read More

The interest rates on student loans issued by the federal government is set to double at the start of July if lawmakers cannot come to an agreement to extend the current rates. However, with just weeks until the deadline, federal officials say a number of obstacles still remain that would prevent the plan from going… Read More

In recent weeks, we’ve seen some pretty devastating weather disasters around the U.S. In fact, we’ve seen devastating ecological events globally during the past decade — tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes; the list goes on and on. For some of these potential disasters, we have insurance available to help us rebuild. When we do have… Read More

Step 1: Determine a Destination If you’re like me, you probably already have a bucket list of travel destinations. That’s great. But before I decide on a destination for a particular trip, I research the cost and weather using these tools: Numbeo.com: The world’s largest user-contributed database on cost-of-living worldwide. SoloTravel.org: A site which offers… Read More

Getting a mortgage is challenging enough — with strict underwriting requiring detailed explanations, sourcing of monies and debt ratios — but adding a divorce to the picture makes it even more technical for the divorced borrower. The good news is despite most divorce situations, many can still successfully get a mortgage. What to Plan For… Read More