Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Identity Online

While the Internet is increasingly becoming our go-to source for instantly connecting with others, conducting business, shopping and more, there are certain safety precautions we need to consider. Whether we’re at our desktops at the office, on our mobile devices on the road, or accessing the Internet through a computer in a public space, such as a hotel business center, we must be cognizant of cyber crime and know where the risks lie.

According to David Nelson, an FDIC fraud specialist, there are specific steps you can follow to minimize the risk of identity theft and other online attacks. Here are his top five suggestions:

How to Repair Your Credit Post Bankruptcy

From losing a job to losing a home, many Americans have suffered the slings and arrows of the recession over the past few years. This has forced many to make the difficult decision of filing for bankruptcy. While bankruptcy is the least desirable option when in financial distress—leaving a large scar on your credit rating for 7-10 years—it is often the only one left.

Even once they emerge from a bankruptcy, many are still confronted with a long-term impact on their credit rating, making it nearly impossible to find credit at a reasonable cost. According to the credit experts at ApprovalGuard.com, many creditors will not lend to you for one to two years. When you finally begin to qualify again, you will typically be categorized as “extra high risk,” which is often accompanied by lower credit limits and very high interest rates.

The good news is that nothing in credit is forever.

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Mortgage Rates are Great, IF You Qualify

By TOM LAURICELLA

With interest rates near rock bottom and home prices down, this ought to be a great time to buy a home. But for most people, it's a lousy time to get a mortgage.
Years after the collapse of the real-estate market and resulting financial crisis, it takes nearly pristine credit scores and hefty down payments to get the best rates.

Andy Rash

"Since 2009, credit has become a lot tighter," says Greg Reiter, who follows mortgage-backed bonds at RBS Global Banking & Markets.

Top 5 DIY Staging Tips

If you are preparing to put your home on the market this summer, it’s important to realize that every prospective home buyer that comes through your doors will view your home differently. And with today’s highly competitive market, it’s critical to include effective staging as part of the marketing of your home. The objective is to make sure your home stands out and garners the broadest appeal possible. An experienced real estate agent can help you select a home stager to work with, or you can work with your agent to stage the home yourself. Here are five great tips to get you started:

10 Tips to Survive the Housing Downturn

The economy is starting to improve but the housing market has yet to show any significant signs of recovery, which has some homeowners nervous.  Home prices are hovering near their recession lows, hit in April 2009, according to the latest Case-Shiller home-price report.  It's a buyer's market and by many projections, it won't shift to a seller's market for a good year or more.  So how do homeowners, who have most of their equity in depressed real estate, slog through until it becomes a seller's market?  Here are 10 tips from real estate moguls who have survived several housing-market downturns.

Answers to 5 Common Questions About Default

Unfortunately, in today's slowly recovering economy, many homeowners continue to find themselves in financial trouble. There are many options available to distressed homeowners -- unfortunately, most people are not aware of what these options are. To help clarify confusion and shed light on optimal homeowner options, real estate finance expert Marian Anthony, answers five questions distressed homeowners often have: