Articles by Kevin Mercadante

Kevin Mercadante is a former mortgage loan officer and blogger behind Out of Your Rut. He is an expert in mortgages, career strategies and retirement planning. Education: B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Montclair State University.

Should You Pay Off an Old Debt with a Collections Agency? Find out whether it is a good idea to pay off an old debt held by a collections agency because there are situations when you are no longer legally responsible. Should You Still Finance a Car If You Can Pay in Full with Cash? Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Should You Still Finance a Car If You Can Pay in Full with Cash? You've got enough cash to pay for a car. But, there's that question in the back of... Title Loans: How Do They Work? Should You Use Them? Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Title Loans: How Do They Work? Should You Use Them? You’ve probably seen title loans advertised on TV, as well as title loan... Do You Have to Report PayPal Income to IRS on Tax Return? Find out whether you have to report the income that you received via PayPal -- to the IRS on your tax return, including the relevant tax rules and forms. Credit Card Piggybacking: How It Works to Help Build Credit Find out how credit card piggybacking can help someone build good credit when they can't qualify for their own credit card. What to Do If Your Balance Transfer is Denied Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante What to Do If Your Balance Transfer is Denied A 0% introductory APR on balance transfers – typically running from 12 to 21... Falling Interest Rates: How It Could Affect You and What You Can Do About It Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Falling Interest Rates: How It Could Affect You and What You Can Do About It For the past two years, the Fed kepts rates high to keep the economy going coming... The Dangers of Keeping Too Much Cash at Home Before you keep a large stash of cash at home, consider the drawbacks of leaving this money under the mattress vs. in a high yield savings account at a bank. Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF): Protecting Deposits in Massachusetts Learn how the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) works in conjunction with deposit insurance from the FDIC to protect depositors at certain Massachusetts banks. What is a Sinking Fund? How to Use It as Part of Your Budget Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante What is a Sinking Fund? How to Use It as Part of Your Budget Just about everyone is familiar with the key concept of a budget. Also, most...