When it comes to home mortgages, there are many options out there. You can go to a conventional, neighborhood bank, your credit union, or the online companies that are advertising on TV. Lately there have been a lot of commercials about people applying for a mortgage in their underwear, or in a movie theatre from their smartphones. Companies like LendingTree and RocketMortgage really want your business and emphasize the ease and convenience that they offer.

Choosing which option to go with is very important, not only in the short term, with insuring that you will be approved for financing the home of your dreams, but also in the long term of living with a 15 to 30 year mortgage. So in this episode I talk again with local real estate Broker Lynn Stambaugh of Cardinal Real Estate Services to see whether the convenience touted by online mortgage companies comes with any downsides that you should consider.

People in financial difficulty are often hounded by debt collectors trying to get them to pay. Although the constant barrage of phone calls and letters is bad enough, many times these collectors will use harassing and intimidating tactics in order to be the squeakiest wheel and get to your money first. Dealing with this can be very stressful and add to the overall desperation of those deep in debt.

But fortunately, there is federal law in place to protect you from this type of harassing behavior and even give you a basis to sue the debt collector for damages and attorney’s fees! It is called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and it is a powerful weapon against unethical and unscrupulous debt collectors. In this episode, I talk about how this law can be your sword and shield against harassment.