Borrow

This website give us an overview of Adjustable Rate Mortgages, explains how ARMs work, and discusses some of the issues you might face as a borrower. It features a Mortgage Checklist to help with your decision.

Whether you are buying a house or refinancing your mortgage, this information can help you decide if an interest-only mortgage payment (an I-O mortgage)--or an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) with the option to make a minimum payment (a payment-option ARM)--is right for you.

This Department of Agriculture website provides information on an array of topics around Financial Security. It includes information on the work of land-grant university partners and Cooperative Extension, to help youth, economically-vulnerable individuals and families, and consumers making financial decisions. It also includes information on research focused on household savings behavior and family-owned businesses.

This website provides information that can help you and your family adapt to tough economic times. The features resources include brochures, articles, and links to other pages about money management.

Instructional materials and tools that can increase your understanding of the Federal Reserve system, economics and financial education. All of the Fed web sites, curriculum, newsletters, booklets and other resources are free.

Under the federal Consumer Leasing Act, you, the consumer, have a right to information about the costs and terms of a vehicle lease. This resource will help you compare lease offers and negotiate a lease that best fits your needs, budget, and driving patterns.

Information on how to obtain your credit report, how credit scores are determined, how to verify reported information, and how to improve and maintain a good credit score.

This paper investigates the effects of credit scores on consumer payment behavior, especially on debit and credit card use. Anecdotally, a negative relationship between debit card use and credit score has been reported; however, it is not clear whether that relationship is related to other factors, such as education or income, or whether it is a mere correlation.

Abstract: American women tend to be less financially literate than men, which is consistent with a household division of labor in which men manage finances. However, women also tend to outlive their husbands, so they will eventually need to take over this task. Using a new survey of older couples, I find that women acquire financial literacy as they approach widowhood. At an estimated increase of 0.04 standard deviations per year approaching widowhood, 80 percent of women in the sample would catch up with their husbands prior to the expected onset of widowhood.