It could very well be the first sign that the mainstream 'prime' mortgage is feeling the pinch of the credit crisis," said Julia Harris mortgage expert at Moneyfacts. Monday, 19 Nov 2007 09:52 Standard Life is to increase its mortgages rates, in a move that is expected to herald widespread rises, despite the Bank of England signalling a cut in interest rates next year. Lenders look to up mortgage rates. All the latest personal finance news - helping you make the most of your money. The...

The tax certificate becomes a lien on the property. If they don't pay up within two years, the investor holding the tax certificate can force a public auction of the property to get his or her money back. Typically, though, if there is a mortgage on the property, a lender will step in at the last minute and pay each year's back taxes plus fees to stop the sale. Homeowners who pay the delinquent property taxes after June 1 will pay the interest rate on the certificate, no less than 5...

Term life insurance rates are dropping largely as a result of increased competition among insurance companies. If you have dependent children, a spouse or anyone else who would suffer financially if you die, then you need life insurance. According to the Insurance Information Institute's forecast the cost of term life insurance policies will drop by an estimated four percent in 2007. The question is how much insurance do you need? Udell says a good rule of thumb to follow is to take out a...

Georgia is a mandatory insurance state, with minimum limits required for any vehicle of $25,000 maximum liability to any individual you may injure; $50,000 total liability for all injuries to others in an accident and $25,000 liability for repair to the other vehicles in a crash if you are at fault. It is important to make sure the vehicle is insured (as opposed to making sure the driver is insured), because while most people drive their own vehicles, some lend theirs to others from time...

The new taxes will include, but may not be limited to, an increase in the Maryland sales tax from 5 percent to 6 percent, an increase in income taxes and an expansion of the sales tax to apply to some services that are not currently taxed at all. The Senate narrowly passed a modified version of the governor's tax increase bill Friday, which makes the increase almost certain. What about cutting expenditures? Spending less money will balance a budget just as well as raising more money. With...

A Senate proposal to require the tax to be reduced proportionate to any federal tax increase would be eliminated. Closes corporate loophole enabling corporations to skip transfer taxes and real estate recordation taxes, or 2 percent of sales prices paid by residents and small businesses. A proposal aimed at making corporations pay more taxes in the state by preventing them from moving profits to out-of-state-subsidiaries will be put off and studied. Maryland's income tax rates will be...

Many do, figuring that workers wouldn't contribute to a 401(k) if they couldn't touch their money until retirement. With loans -- unlike hardship withdrawals -- workers don't have to say why they want the money. The loan is used to pay off card debt, which then frees up money to handle increasing mortgage cost. Just don't get in the habit of putting your mortgage on credit cards. Some companies that manage 401(k)s for employers report an increase in loans or hardship withdrawals from...

Here's how it works: Borrowers finance a new property or refinance existing property using a home equity line of credit with a checking account attached. Variations of this program are known by different names including "mortgage accelerator loan," "equity acceleration" and "money merge account. If things go wrong -- if interest rates spike or a borrower spends too much of their paycheck each month -- it could mean maxing out the line of credit and paying far more in interest than a fixed...

Car insurance carriers are set to release their proposed rates, and consumers will find out whether greater competition will relieve demands on their wallets. Until now, Massachusetts was the only state where regulators, not the market, set car insurance rates. In most states, drivers can choose from 100 or more insurers. The system was scrapped after some urban drivers saw their rates triple. Message (optional) Disclaimer: Boston.com does not share this information or keep it permanently,...