Most Popular
1500 questions
29
votes
6 answers
How can I know if a debt collector is holding onto a debt?
Some time ago, I was contacted by a debt collector. A prior landlord had claimed I had owed them six months of rent. The landlord sold the debt to a debt collector, who then silently held onto the debt for several years, building up interest, before…
Village
- 3,097
- 5
- 37
- 48
29
votes
5 answers
Should tenants pay for repairs if it's their fault?
Say a tenant accidentally flushed a hard object down the toilet, is it better for the tenant to take care of the plumber bill or call the landlord? Would this be good grounds for a rental raise in the future if calling the landlord?
Lightsout
- 2,041
- 2
- 18
- 27
29
votes
6 answers
Destroying Checks Scam?
I am afraid my brother-in-law is getting scammed again but cannot find any info on this present one. Apparently someone sends him checks that he is to destroy. Apparently this bunch amounts to about 40k. In theory he is suppose to get paid to do…
Jd Knud
- 299
- 3
- 3
29
votes
7 answers
Can lose everything even when house is almost paid off?
I have a dumb question I've been wondering about. It doesn't apply to me; it's just theoretical.
Suppose there's an older couple who bought a house 27 years ago. They have faithfully made the payments on their mortgage, and currently their equity…
BSise
- 291
- 1
- 3
- 3
29
votes
7 answers
Should I provide my username and password for my brokerage account to my mortgage lender to verify my assets?
I’m applying for a mortgage, and found a potential lender from a referral from my real estate agent. The initial application process seemed normal and very similar to what I’ve experienced with other banks. I expected to verify my assets by…
HPierce
- 401
- 1
- 4
- 5
29
votes
3 answers
Does Bank Manager's discretion still exist in Mortgage Lending
UK-Based
Once upon a time, banks gave mortgages based on the branch manager having known Joe Bloggs for 20 years and making a judgement call about whether he was good for the money.
These days mostly everything is done by punching numbers into the…
Brondahl
- 2,465
- 2
- 18
- 25
29
votes
8 answers
What stops you from using fixed income in developing countries?
I was recently visiting a developing country and noticed that their interest rates are very high — ~15% with government bonds promising ~13% annually. I was just thinking, if the bid ask spread for that currency with the USD is B/A respectively,…
AspiringMat
- 419
- 1
- 4
- 5
29
votes
6 answers
What can Amex do if I cancel their card after using the sign up bonus miles?
I recently applied for the Amex Gold Delta Skymiles card, with the intention of getting the sign up bonus (60,000 miles after $2k spend in first 3 months) and canceling the card before the first annual fee kicks in (as it is waived for the first…
Runeaway3
- 2,918
- 6
- 24
- 42
29
votes
5 answers
Contractor wants client to open checking account
I recently heard about a construction contractor who's building a house for someone, and this contractor wants the client to open a checking account with the contractor's name on it so that the contractor can use that account to pay for building…
BradDaBug
- 623
- 1
- 6
- 8
28
votes
8 answers
Can a casual investor effectively predict the direction of the stock market?
Is the stock market an efficient market, with assets whose direction of change in prices cannot be predicted by casual investors?
The reason I'm asking this is because certain family members are pushing me to "get into" the stock market. They claim…
Bridgeburners
- 397
- 3
- 6
28
votes
4 answers
Would switching jobs cause a mortgage to be turned down?
We have an accepted offer on our house. We are currently looking to buy a different house. We went through the pre approval process for a new mortgage and were approved to a certain dollar amount.
That being said I am also looking to take a new…
Anthony
- 363
- 3
- 6
28
votes
2 answers
How far removed from source does one need to be to avoid Insider Trading?
As I tried to research and ponder this question, I couldn't help but wonder:
How many steps (i.e., persons) removed does one need to be from a source of material/non-public information regarding a company to avoid accusations of insider…
theforestecologist
- 433
- 4
- 10
28
votes
5 answers
What method do I use to pay current expenses while paying off credit card debt?
I’m hoping you can help me with a question that seems very hard to google for some reason.
I have $20K in debt on 4 cards, and I have set up a plan to pay off the deferred card on time, and the highest interest after that while still paying minimums…
Chelsea
- 281
- 3
- 4
28
votes
3 answers
How could George Clooney have paid his friends' taxes?
According to an article published today in several media outlets including Fortune magazine, George Clooney once gave 14 of his friends $1 million dollars cash. The article also claims that Clooney paid the taxes on all of it so his friends could…
CodyBugstein
- 1,280
- 2
- 11
- 18
28
votes
1 answer
What are the limitations of use of "Electronic use only " debit card
I have a visa electron debit card and there is "electronic use only" marked on it, so I don't know where or when I can't use my debit card ?
AyoubM
- 383
- 1
- 3
- 6