By Barry Coleman, NFCC Published: June 14, 2026 (Updated from August 2017) Few financial events are as anxiety-inducing as receiving a notice that a debt has been moved to collections. The sudden influx of aggressive phone calls, the looming threat of legal action, and the realization that your credit score—the gatekeeper to your financial future—is…
By Bruce McClary, NFCC Updated: June 22, 2026 (Originally published: October 2016) For many prospective homebuyers, the journey toward purchasing a property is a long-term marathon, not a sprint. It involves months, sometimes years, of disciplined saving for down payments, calculating closing costs, and obsessively monitoring credit reports. Yet, amidst the excitement of house hunting,…
By Hermond Palmer, NFCC June 24, 2026 Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in August 2020. Given the evolving economic landscape and the ongoing importance of housing stability, the following guidance has been updated to reflect current best practices for homeowners facing potential mortgage default. For many, a home is more than just a…
By Sarah Brady, NFCC | Updated June 25, 2026 In the modern professional landscape, the traditional career trajectory often involves moving beyond one’s current geography. Whether it is a promotion requiring a transfer to a corporate headquarters or a complete lifestyle shift to a new state or country, relocation is frequently positioned as the ultimate…
In a significant judicial development for the future of the American healthcare workforce, a federal court issued a nationwide injunction in June 2026, halting the U.S. Department of Education’s attempt to enforce new, restrictive borrowing limits on specific professional degree programs. The ruling serves as a temporary but critical reprieve for thousands of students—particularly those…
For decades, leverage was the lifeblood of the real estate investor. It was the fundamental pillar upon which the BRRRR (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) strategy was built, fueling a generation of wealth creation that seemed, for a time, virtually unstoppable. By using low-cost debt to control high-value assets, investors amplified their returns, creating a…
As of July 1, 2026, the landscape of graduate and professional education financing in the United States will undergo its most significant transformation in decades. The era of the "unlimited" Grad PLUS loan—which allowed students to borrow up to the total cost of attendance—is coming to a definitive close. In its place, the federal government…
By: Abby Shafroth Date: July 1, 2026 As of today, July 1, 2026, the landscape of federal student loan repayment has undergone its most significant transformation in a decade. Driven by a volatile combination of legislative action and judicial intervention, millions of Americans holding federal debt must navigate a new reality. The implementation of the…
For millions of aspiring students, the path to higher education is often paved with the expectation of family support. However, reality frequently tells a different story. Whether due to financial constraints, personal estrangement, or a desire for complete financial independence, many students find themselves needing to navigate the complex world of college financing entirely on…
For millions of Americans, the burden of student loan debt is a defining financial challenge. As interest accumulates daily, many borrowers find themselves in a cycle where monthly payments barely make a dent in the principal balance. Refinancing—the process of replacing existing loans with a new private loan at a potentially lower interest rate—has emerged…
