The key question to ask when comparing loans is, “how much will this cost me?” Learning how to calculate the APR of a loan will allow you to compare apples to apples when searching for the best deal available. The problem is millions of borrowers don’t even know what an APR is.

Personal loans, particularly when not issued by banks and credit unions, have long been seen as a mark of disgrace. A last resort only customers with bad credit and financial difficulties would even consider. Because of this, personal loans have carried a social stigma that has caused some financial advisers and potential borrowers to dismiss personal loans as a legitimate form of credit.

Small business owners are expected to fail. An accepted rule of thumb is that 8 out of 10 startups fail within the first 18 months, which may explain why small business loans are so hard to find, and why 38 percent of all startups rely on loans from family and friends. It is a catch 22 situation. A lack of access to loans with reasonable rates does not exactly help small businesses’ success rate either. CAN Capital is a leader in alternative small business finance that is, along with other small business lenders, trying to change that.

Presidential candidates make bold and outrageous claims and promises. The more shocking the soundbite, the better. Bush promised to cut taxes. He even asked us to read his lips, and then he raised taxes. Clinton promised a Universal Healthcare System called Promise, and, hmm, didn’t deliver. That is just how the system works – or doesn’t – depending on how you look at it.

The future of new businesses is disrupting old businesses. Jason Hogg and Nick Gould, founders of Lending.com, feel the business of lending is ripe for the picking and that they are the people to disrupt it. Hogg and Gould see personal and business lending as fragmented, complacent, inefficient and ready to be challenged. They have plans to improve things.

Making smart investment choices is the key to achieving your financial goals. The trick is knowing what a smart investment looks like. There are so many books, magazines and television programs dedicated to the subject, it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed by the information glut, especially when so called experts provide conflicting advice.

If you’re considering a credit union, you are probably attracted to the low fees and competitive interest rates. One of the reasons they can afford to do so because they’re not-for-profit. Credit unions are owned by their own members, not anonymous investors. While banks use profits to pay owners and shareholders, credit unions give their profits back to their membership. This allows them to offer better rates, improved returns, fewer fees, and lower minimum account balance requirements.

You’ve heard it all before. Turn the lights out when you leave a room, disconnect electronics when you’re not using them, and unplug phone chargers from the wall. Apparently, failing to do these simple tasks puts a huge drain on both your bank account and the earth’s non-renewable resources. Is this true, or is it just a green myth perpetuated by overenthusiastic doomsday tree-huggers set on micromanaging our lives?

Not long ago, any college student with a pulse who knew how to sign his name could take his pick of credit cards. Credit card companies would sponsor campus activities and hand out credit card applications like red cups at a frat party. Not surprisingly, college students, many of which were already struggling to make ends meet, accepted the cash and maxed out their line of credit.

Reverse mortgages are probably the most misunderstood loan product around. Depending on who you ask, they are described as abusive loans that prey on the old and poor or the panacea to all retirement problems. They are neither.