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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

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Bad Credit, Big Decisions: A 2025 Loan Guide

By Sabado Domingo

In 2025, managing personal finances is more complicated than ever before. Rising inflation, stagnant wages, and economic uncertainty have pushed many Americans to the edge. When unexpected expenses arise, such as car repairs, medical emergencies, or ...

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Leave a Comment June 20, 2025

The Pros and Cons of 7 Popular Student Loan Refinancing Options

By Enero Febrero

It's a sad reality that most students still can't graduate from a four-year university without being saddled with thousands of dollars of debt. And if you choose to stick with your standard loan repayment plan without looking into other options, you ...

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April 23, 2025

3 Things That People Overpay For

By Sabado Domingo

No matter how thrifty you think you are, the truth is, most people are constantly spending money; it's just part of being an adult. And if you have any level of property or responsibility at all, you have operating costs and overhead, just like a ...

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April 16, 2025

How Do I Get Prequalified for a Mortgage?

By Len Penzo

The difference between being prequalified or preapproved for a home loan can be a critical factor in determining whether or not you'll get the home of your dreams. In short, prequalified homebuyers are far less attractive to sellers than shoppers who ...

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April 3, 2025

How to Get Preapproved for a Mortgage

By Len Penzo

The difference between being prequalified or preapproved for a home loan can be a critical factor in determining whether or not you'll get the home of your dreams. In short, preapproved homebuyers are far more attractive to sellers than shoppers who ...

Continue reading How to Get Preapproved for a Mortgage

March 20, 2025

8 Payday Loan Alternatives That Loan Sharks Don’t Want You to Know

By Gerrid Smith

When you examine the numbers, it's difficult to deny that payday loans are detrimental to your finances. Yet people use them -  despite the fact that there are payday loan alternatives out there. The trouble is, payday loans affect real people with ...

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February 12, 2025

How to Handle Foreign Business Partnerships

By Sabado Domingo

So, you're looking to break into an international market? When it comes to foreign business partnerships, there are numerous reasons why you may wish to choose one in order to expand your own company. There are also a great many things that you'll ...

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October 23, 2024

10 More Financial Old Wives’ Tales Masquerading As Rules of Thumb

By Len Penzo

There are people out there who swear that if you're lucky enough to see the first flower of springtime on a Friday, it's a sign of impending wealth. I know. I don't buy it either. Still, let's assume these folks know what they're talking about; ...

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October 21, 2024

What Is a VA Loan?

By Len Penzo

What is a VA loan? Well ... VA loans are government-backed mortgages that are insured by the Veteran's Administration. VA loans are available from qualified lenders to homebuyers who have served in the US military including: Soldiers and sailors ...

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August 22, 2024

What Is an FHA Loan?

By Len Penzo

An FHA loan is a government-backed mortgage that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Although anyone can apply for an FHA loan, they were designed to help people with lower incomes qualify for a mortgage. Because FHA loans protect ...

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August 8, 2024

4 Traditional Banking Alternatives Many People Overlook

By Anum Yoon

You might be one of many people who is getting tired of increasing and tricky bank fees. Perhaps you're at the point where you're even looking at switching to a "new" way of banking that's different from the typical big-name bank you've used for ...

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August 6, 2024

Discounted Cash Flow: What It Is, and How It Works

By Sabado Domingo

discounted cash flow

One of the most common methods for assessing the value of a business or investment opportunity is the discounted cash flow (DCF) method. This approach involves calculating the present value of the future expected cash flows, taking into account the ...

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July 22, 2024

What are Mortgage Points?

By Len Penzo

Mortgage points -- commonly referred to as simply "points" -- are the fee that a borrower pays to the lender for a lower interest rate; one point equals 1% of the loan amount. Points are also tax deductible. Homebuyers can typically reduce their ...

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May 30, 2024

How Do Mortgage Fees Work?

By Len Penzo

The mechanics behind how mortgage fees work are really quite simple. Mortgage fees are service charges that the lender imposes on a borrower to process the loan. When you apply for a loan, the lender is required to give you a document known as a Good ...

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May 16, 2024

The Fed, the Market, and the Wisdom of Crowds

By Len Penzo

Those of you who have been reading my weekly Black Coffee columns are aware of my repeated lamentations that, thanks to the manipulation of interest rates by the Fed and interventions and bail-outs by our federal government -- which inhibit ...

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April 22, 2024

Infographic: A Quick Lesson on How Currency Moves

By Len Penzo

The movement of currency is a complex cycle that involves a number of different entities. So how does currency move? Well ... it begins at federal facilities throughout the United States and follows an intricate path that takes it through banks, ...

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April 17, 2024

Why Inflation Is Taxation Without Representation

By Len Penzo

Inflation is a tax that doesn't require legislative approval. In other words, inflation is taxation without representation. Let's look at an example. Assume your savings account earns a very modest 3% interest. Whether that interest is taxed at 100% ...

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April 4, 2024

Why You Should Never Cosign A Loan for Anyone

By Len Penzo

Cosigning for a loan is one of the dumbest financial moves you could ever make. By cosigning, you not only assume liability for the borrowed money, but you also make it tougher on yourself to qualify for large loans -- regardless of your payment ...

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February 8, 2024

Beware: A Credit Card for Excellent Credit That Doesn’t Fit the Bill

By Odysseas Papadimitriou

You might think that credit cards for people with excellent credit are universally the best products available, and that the quality of a credit card naturally rises in accordance with the credit level required to get it. And you might believe that ...

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February 7, 2024

What’s the Difference Between Currency vs. Money?

By Len Penzo

Most people use the terms "currency" and "money" interchangeably. However, there is a very subtle -- but significant -- difference between them. If you're one of the few folks out there who understand the difference between currency and real ...

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February 5, 2024

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