Gustavo Barroso, Realtor - DRE 01995565

Low credit shouldn't stop you from getting a second mortgage to pay off debt or make home repairs. What home project would you use the money for?

Refi Options for Those With Low Credit Scores If you want to get a second mortgage so you can make renovations to your home, it can be difficult i...

Lose your wallet? Call the credit bureau and ask for a fraud alert. Here are some important steps to take.

Steps to Take After Identity Theft Reacting quickly is essential after you’ve been the victim of identity theft. It can lessen the dama...

Found some inconsistencies in your credit report? Here's what you should do.

How to Dispute Credit Report Errors If you’ve checked your credit reports lately for errors, congratulations! That’s a smart first step ...

Having trouble keeping track of your monthly payments? You might be damaging your credit score.

How to Negotiate a Clean Credit Report A late payment on a credit bill or other debt such as a mortgage can have a significant impact on yo...

Is your home aging-proofed? Read these tips on aging in place.

Aging in Place: Safety Tips to Help Make It Possible One third of American homes today house residents over the age of 60, and 90 percent of those reside...

Some cost-saving steps to consider

9 Ways to Save on Life Insurance Buying life insurance can seem like a difficult and expensive endeavor if you haven’t done it before...

Do you have a dark room that you'd love to lighten up? These tips can help.

5 Easy Ways to Brighten a Room Do you have a room in your house that always seems dark no matter what? Perhaps it’s due to lo...

Old stone fireplace? Keep it safe and looking lovely with a quick, easy facelift.

Maintaining the Beauty of Your Natural Stone Fireplace In your home or in your vacation cabin, a handsome stone hearth is often the gathering place for com...

Do you plan to repaint? Don't forget about gray as a color choice.

5 Reasons to Paint Your Walls Gray When it comes to painting your space, there are myriad options: bright and sunny yellow, the classic...

Retirees, consider saving money by moving to a smaller home or a less expensive location!

Nearing Retirement but Haven't Saved? 4 Smart Solutions If you’re nearing retirement and haven’t saved much for it, you’re not alone. Forty-eight percent of...

How out-of-date is your kitchen? These seven trends are yesterday's news.

Kitchen Trends That Are Going Out of Fashion Most of us spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preparing meals and cleaning up. In many cases, we sp...

Adding a dog to your family? Here are common expenses to know.

The Costs of Owning a Dog One of the biggest responsibilities a child—or a family—can take on is adopting a dog as a pet. Feed...

Have kids? It's never too early to start preparing for college, and student loans aren't the only way to fund their education.

Alternative Ways to Fund a College Education The average student loan debt for a college graduate in 2016 was $37,172, according to Forbes. That’...

FYI...improved credit scores could just now be coming to fruition for many consumers.

How FICO 9 May Increase Credit Scores How medical debt and other collection items are tallied in a credit score is changing, potentially i...

No. 4: Points drop in value!

4 Surprising Credit Card Rewards Facts Credit card rewards can be a free way to travel and get cash back for your daily expenses. But if yo...

Have a medical bill with an upcoming late payment date? Take care of it before it impacts your credit.

How Unpaid Medical Bills Affect Your Credit Score Paying your medical bill is one of the last things on your mind when you’re at a hospital emergency ...

Are you a new parent? It's an adjustment, so here's what you'll need to think about.

5 Financial Moves New Parents Should Make Having a child can require many adjustments. Losing sleep and changing dirty diapers are just some o...

Increasing your credit score takes time, but there are a few things you can do to quickly gain a few points.

Four Ways to a Higher Credit Score Improving your credit can take time, often many months. But there are some things you can do to rais...

Knowing which bills to pay first can help you better manage your debt.

Prioritizing Your Debt Payments If you’re in debt up to your eyeballs, or at least up to your waist, it can be hard to see which deb...

Establish goals and habits now to prepare.

5 Financial Tips for First-Time Parents So a babe is on the way? Congrats! Along with the chaos of, well, everything that is to come, your f...

Ever wondered what to do if flooding is predicted in your area?

How to Prepare Your Home for Flooding While no one ever wants to imagine their home filling with water, for many areas of the country, flo...

Are you aware of the benefits your credit card offers?

Best Ways to Use Credit Card Concierge Somewhere on your credit card statement—or maybe even on the back of the card—is contact information...

Mold can become a costly problem. Here's how to prevent it from forming.

How to Prevent Mold Mold inside a house can cause serious health problems, including sinus irritation, congestion, heada...

The process of living on only one income can be daunting if not scary, but don't despair!

Down to One Income? It's Not the End of the World If you purchased your home as a two-income family, the prospect of living on only one income can be ...

Too much credit card debt? Here's four ways to manage it with your creditor.

What Is a Negotiated Debt Settlement? If you’re buried by credit card debt, a negotiated debt settlement with your creditor may be worth c...

A HELOC can be beneficial, but be wary of taking on debt.

How Does a Home Equity Line of Credit Work? If you want to make an important purchase but do not currently have the money, you don’t necessarily...

Want a home with cleaner air? Try one of these air-filtering plants!

Dual Purpose Plants: Cleansing and Decorating A good-looking houseplant adds pizzazz to your home. It can also be the next best thing to a live-in...

Checking your credit report often can help you spot unauthorized inquiries.

How to Deal with Unauthorized Credit Inquiries Unauthorized credit inquiries are a sign that someone has fraudulently applied for credit in your na...

Looking to change the mood of the day? A little creativity can go a long way.

3 Ways to Add Creativity to Your Day Creative-types can feel stalled if they don’t have a frequent creative release. But with work ...

Starting an emergency fund can be difficult, but cutting your extraneous spending for just one month can make it easier.

How a No-Spend Month Can Solve Your Cash Flow Problems Nearly half of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, and 61 percent don’t have enough money to ...