Melissa has a degree in English and marketing from University of California Irvine. She is a creative and accomplished content writer and editor with comprehensive experience developing rich, compelling content for a variety of websites. With her expertise in writing a broad range of content, combined with outstanding interpersonal skills and commitment to exploring innovative ideas, Melissa has done an excellent job developing content for blogs, articles, social media, and the company website. When she is not writing, Melissa spends most of her time cooking, traveling the world, and catching her favorite Broadway shows.
What You Need To Know About Bounced Checks
Posted on Nov 29, 2018 by Melissa Cook
Bounced checks occur when the promise to pay that you’ve signed can’t be processed because you don’t have enough funds in your checking account. They’re also referred to as rubber or non-sufficient funds (NSF) checks and are an expensive hassle that may cause the account you’re trying to pay to...
Read More
The Best Ways To Loan Money To Friends And Family
Posted on Nov 29, 2018 by Melissa Cook
Most of us are fairly generous people, and we want to help a family member or friend when we can. But the fact is, a person who can’t get a personal loan from a traditional source often has damaged credit or no credit, both of which make such a borrower a...
Read More
Clear Language Establishes Trust And Minimizes Anxiety When It Comes To Finances
Posted on Oct 18, 2018 by Melissa Cook
How financial concepts are presented can have a big impact on how people feel about their bank statement. In August, Credit Karma worked with Qualtrics to survey over 1,000 people about their reactions to two descriptions of adjustable rate rules, one technical and one conversational. Their responses were highly correlated...
Read More
How To Protect Your Child’s Identity At Every Age
Posted on Oct 18, 2018 by Melissa Cook
Your child’s identity can be at risk at any point in life. Children are easy targets because of their clean credit. So how can you protect Junior from a bruised credit history before he or she is even old enough to say, “credit card?” You see, some lenders require a...
Read More
Credit Cards And Auto Loans Push Total US Debt Total To $12.29 Trillion
Posted on Oct 18, 2018 by Melissa Cook
Americans are shopping again and they are increasingly charging it. Growth in credit card and auto loan debt added to the $35 billion increase in aggregate household debt for a total of $12.29 trillion at the end of June according to government reports. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York...
Read More
Why October FAFSA Deadline Could Help Students Make Smarter Choices About Paying For College
Posted on Oct 18, 2018 by Melissa Cook
A new change to the process of applying for federal financial aid could lead students to make smarter choices when borrowing for college. Starting this year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which was previously available for students and their families to fill out in January, is available...
Read More
Obtaining A Mortgage After Bankruptcy
Posted on Feb 24, 2018 by Melissa Cook
It is still possible to purchase a house after filing for bankruptcy. It can be challenging and you will have to wait some time before your finances are able to bounce back but it is doable. The most common guideline you’ll have to follow to purchase a home after bankruptcy...
Read More
Credit Reports
Posted on Feb 24, 2018 by Melissa Cook
A Credit Report is a detailed report of credit history that is gathered by three credit bureaus; Transunion, Equifax, and Experian. Credit accounts like personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, medical bills and car payments are some of the items that can be on your credit report. Lenders look at your...
Read More