Understanding your IRS audit rights provides confidence and protection if you’re ever selected for examination of your tax return—a particularly important concern for self-employed individuals, business owners, and anyone with complex finances affecting mortgage qualification. While IRS audits are stressful, knowing your rights to professional representation, fair treatment, appeals, and privacy helps you navigate the […]

EMV chip credit cards with metallic squares on the front provide significantly better fraud protection than traditional magnetic stripe cards by creating unique transaction codes that can’t be reused. If you’ve received replacement cards with these chips (EVM stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa), you’ve likely wondered what the technology does and whether it actually

Credit report monitoring is essential for protecting your financial health and catching identity theft before it damages your credit score or derails major purchases like buying a home. Your credit report contains detailed information about every credit account, payment history, inquiries, and public records—all of which impact your ability to qualify for a mortgage and

Learning how to save money car insurance shopping can free up hundreds of dollars annually for other financial priorities like saving for a home down payment or emergency fund. Auto insurance is one of the larger recurring expenses for Nebraska families, but many people overpay by not comparing quotes, missing available discounts, or carrying inappropriate

Following mortgage application do’s and don’ts is critical to ensuring smooth loan approval and avoiding last-minute denial or delays. Many Nebraska homebuyers unknowingly sabotage their mortgage approval by changing jobs, opening new credit accounts, making large purchases, or other financial changes between application and closing. These “10 Commandments” outline exactly what NOT to do during

Qualified Mortgage rules implemented after the 2008 financial crisis provide important protections for homebuyers by ensuring lenders verify your ability to repay before approving a loan. These QM rules prohibit risky loan features (like negative amortization and interest-only payments for extended periods), cap debt-to-income ratios (generally 43% or below), and require verification of income, employment,

It’s a sad state of affairs—but millions of passwords have Creating strong password security is essential for protecting your financial accounts, personal information, and identity—especially when applying for mortgages and managing sensitive financial data online. With data breaches increasingly common, using weak or repeated passwords puts your bank accounts, credit cards, email, and mortgage documents

Choosing a loan officer based solely on interest rate quotes can be a costly mistake that leads to delays, frustration, and potential deal failure. While competitive rates matter, your loan officer’s experience, communication skills, problem-solving ability, and commitment to your success are equally important—especially when unexpected challenges arise during underwriting. With 25+ years of Nebraska