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A list of the best mortgage lenders in the countryA list of the best mortgage lenders in the countryREAD MORE
2017 passed with some of the best mortgage lenders bringing in a lot of business and helping many Americans realize their dream of owning a home. With their trusted reputation and quick processes, here is a list of the best mortgage lenders of 2017:
Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans has surpassed the performance of all other competitors and was touted as the top choice among the best mortgage lenders of 2017. It is a Detroit-based operation and left behind about 30,000 lenders in the list. The most significant factor that worked in the advantage of Quicken Loans is that they shifted their working from a traditional office set up to an online portal, making it quite a favorite for borrowers looking for mortgages at the touch of a click.Wells Fargo
By the end of the fourth quarter of 2017, Wells Fargo recovered from the losses that it suffered due to the reputation debacle in the year 2016. It reported a whopping growth of $1.7 billion as compared to the third quarter with a total revenue of $23 billion in the entire year. Even though they were overtaken by Quicken Loans which reported a revenue of $25 billion, the San Francisco-based company still managed to stay at the second position in the list of best mortgage lenders of 2017.Bank of America
Revenue-wise, the third position goes to the Bank of America which reported $13 billion of earnings in the mortgage market. Being a trusted name in the traditional market as well as having a large consumer database, the leading bank is a preferred option for an array of financial services.While the statistics may vary, even names like Chase, PennyMac, US Bank, and Nationstar did a great job in providing mortgages to borrowers who were in need. Their reputation still stands for the year and if you are looking at buying a house this year, then these names should definitely top your list of consideration.
The other choices in our list of the best mortgage lenders of 2017 are Loan Depot, U.S. Bank, Caliber Home Loans, Flagstar Bank, and United Wholesale Mortgage. When you are looking for a mortgage, remember these options are the best for you!
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A simple guide to savings accountsA simple guide to savings accountsREAD MORE
Everyone has a checking account. It’s an easy way to manage your money. However, these accounts generally don’t pay an interest on your money. Saving accounts are bank deposit accounts that pay you an interest on the money that you deposit.
Savings Accounts
There are a few different types of savings accounts you can choose from:Regular Savings Accounts
These are deposit accounts that you can set up in banks, They are insured by the FDIC so your money is quite safe. Savings accounts have minimum balance requirements. they don’t let you withdraw money from them as easily as a checking account. These accounts are meant to be your savings, after all, not fund your regular expenses.Some accounts might let you write checks a few times a month. Interest paid on savings accounts are generally low, around 0.06%.
Online Savings AccountThese accounts are offered by traditional brick & mortar banks and online only banks. Generally, online banks offer a higher rate of interest than traditional banks, since they don’t have the large overheads that are involved in operating a traditional bank. These accounts are more flexible about minimum balance requirements. You can operate these accounts online or through the phone.
The interest rates on online savings accounts can be above 1%, especially if the balance is high. Some savings accounts, both regular and online, can offer higher interest rates based on how much you deposit into the account.
Money Market Deposit Accounts
These are different from regular savings accounts from the perspective of the bank. Usually, banks can only loan money in savings accounts to their customers. With Money Market Deposit Accounts, banks can invest these deposits in debt instruments like treasury notes, municipal bonds, certificates of deposits, and other securities with short maturity periods. The minimum balance requirement tends to be higher on these accounts when compared to normal savings accounts. Your money is safe since the deposit is backed by the FDIC. These investments yield higher returns, so the interest rates on these deposits are higher than regular savings deposits. But they’re not as high as the interest on online savings accounts. As of March 2017, the highest interest rate on a money market deposit account stands at 0.85%.Certificates of Deposits(CD)
These are deposits made for a fixed term, and the interest accrues on the deposit until maturity. These deposits are generally made for periods that range from one month to five years. There’s a penalty for early withdrawal of money from a CD. Interest rates on these deposits can be a lot higher than regular savings accounts. The current average being 0.79% APY. One online bank, Capital One 360, offers a rate as high as 2.30% APY on 60 month deposits.Automatic Savings Plans
These facilitate regular savings. You decide how much you’ll transfer each month from your checking account to the savings account. Then you’ll set up automatic transfers of a fixed amount to the savings account each month. These accounts help you save funds for vacations, buy appliances etc. Savings accounts may not yield as high a return as other investments, but they’re a good way to provide security. You can build cash reserves for leisure and emergency requirements through this method. -
10 best business schools that can give an impetus to your career10 best business schools that can give an impetus to your careerREAD MORE
Your alma mater has a huge impact on molding your career; this is where you learn the nuances of the profession you are going to choose in future. Enrolling in the best business schools will definitely give an impetus to your career, and the degree you attain from such business schools are instrumental in launching you directly into high-paying careers without you having to go through the regular grind of job hunting. If you wish to become the next Michael Bloomberg or Steve Ballmer, you need to find a common ground with these biggies, and that would be enrolling in one of the best business schools.
If you are keen on establishing your future business and taking it to unprecedented heights, you need to start somewhere, and this begins with enrolling yourself into one of the 10 best business schools. The 10 best business schools in the country are the Harvard Business School (Harvard University), The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), Booth School of Business (University of Chicago), Sloan School of Management (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University), Graduate School of Business (Standford University), Haas School of Business (University of California, Berkeley), Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College), Columbia Business School (Columbia University), and Yale School of Management (Yale University).
Harvard Business School (Harvard University)
The Harvard University is one of the oldest and most popular universities in the world. In addition to being widely popular, the Harvard Business School has the most expensive MBA program. If you see the Harvard grads that are now billionaires, you would find the course fees worth it. You need an average GMAT score of 731 to get into one of the best business schools of 2018. The employment rate of fresh Harvard graduates is 78.9 percent, which reflects this business school’s credibility.The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania)
The Wharton School is the second-most expensive business school that is known to churn out ambitious graduates who have made it big in whichever arena they chose for themselves. Wharton’s stellar reputation, the 92.6 percent job placement, and high average starting salary are what makes it a sensible investment. In fact, the very fact that you’ll get a highly-placed job within the first three months of graduating from Wharton places this business school among the 10 best business schools.Booth School of Business (University of Chicago)
The full-time MBA program from Booth School of Business ensures that its graduates secure a high-paying job within the first three months of graduating. Its full-time MBA program focuses more on training students to deal with the real-world business scenarios; they encourage practical business knowledge through experiential learning and lab courses where students are given the opportunity to work with actual early-stage startups.Sloan School of Management (Massachusetts Institue of Technology)
This business school is among the 10 best business schools in the country, and you need an average GMAT of 722 if you wish to enroll in this business school. Around 93.9 percent of the graduates of this business school were employed within the first three of graduating. Major companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft usually hire the students who successfully graduate from this business school.Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University)
The donors of this business school were the famous John L. and Helen Kellog, the heirs of the famed cereal company. The school has a strong international presence; its International Growth Lab pairs the students with the ESADE in Barcelona and the Hong Kong’s University of Science and Technology for devising new strategies to face international business’s real problems at hand. A GMAT Score of 732 is one of the requisites of getting into this business school.The Graduate School of Business, Haas School of Business, Tuck School of Business, Columbia Business School, and Yale School of Management are affordable when you compare the tuition fees of these business schools with the likes of Harvard Business School. Moreover, the GMAT score you need to get into either of these business schools ranges between 717 and 730, ensuring that only the best can get a seat at these prestigious business schools.
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How to solve cat litter box problemsHow to solve cat litter box problemsREAD MORE
If you’re frustrated with how your cat uses its litter box, you’re not alone. Most cat owners admit that their furry friends develop issues with their litter boxes, which can be anything from not using the box altogether to defecating or urinating inside and outside the box. Health and behavioral issues could be attributed to this. Thankfully, there are a few tried and tested methods that can help solve your furry companion’s litter box problems.
Consult the vet
Before you try anything else, it’s best to take your cat to the vet. Sometimes, health issues can prevent your cat from using the litter box properly. These issues may include painful urination, constipation, diarrhea, injured paws, arthritis, dementia, diabetes, or kidney problems. The vet may inquire about your cat’s litter box problem in detail and recommend a urinalysis, stool check, or a blood test.Place the box in an appropriate location
Like humans, cats need privacy when they do their business. If the litter box is currently located in a high-traffic area, move it to a quiet place where there’s the least disturbance. However, make sure that the new place isn’t too far or isolated, like in the basement. Also, avoid keeping the box close to their bed or food bowl.Have enough litter boxes
If you own more than one cat but only one litter box, you may need to buy one for each cat. This may be especially necessary if you have an adult cat at home because they don’t like to share their private space with anyone else. Also, place a box for each cat in separate rooms.Clean the box frequently
Just because they’re animals doesn’t mean they don’t need a clean place to relieve themselves. In fact, their sense of smell is much stronger than humans, so smelly litter boxes can be off-putting to them. Make sure to scoop the box every time your cat has used it, and wash them with unscented soap and warm water once a week.Experiment with different litter
Cats develop a preference for a surface on which they like to eliminate waste. Interestingly, their choice may abruptly change for no particular reason. So, if your cat never uses a litter box or no longer uses the same box, bring multiple boxes with different surfaces, such as clumping litter, non-clumping litter, newspaper, sand, sawdust, and carpet remnants, and let them choose.
