ENB Insights

Protecting your financial data from theft can seem like an uphill battle. It's easy to feel helpless when you hear stories of growing fraud schemes and scams. It’s scary to think that your debit card, credit card, and banking information could be  stolen and sold on the black market or used to pay for someone else's shopping spree. While keeping your data safe takes effort, it isn't as difficult as it seems. Here are five steps you can take to keep your personal information out of the hands of thieves.

Home values are on the rise across the country, which is excellent news for homeowners. Qualified borrowers can use a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to access the monetary difference between their home's market value and any loan balances or liens owed on the property. These funds can be used for almost any purpose, but homeowners who are strategic with their HELOC spending can enhance their financial standing before year-end. Here's how.

Beginning tomorrow the first payments from the expanded child tax credit will start to be sent out to some 39 million families, according to the IRS. The enhanced tax credit, formed in March as a part of the American Rescue Plan, was put in place to help provide added relief to families raising children.

To say the current real estate market is a seller’s market, is an understatement. We can’t remember a time in recent history, when would-be homebuyers were rushing to make offers on newly listed homes, like they are today.

After careful thought and planning, you’ve decided to take the plunge into home ownership.  You have a pretty good idea in which area you want to buy and are about to start interviewing Realtors.  At this point, many first-time homebuyers pause and ask themselves, “What exactly is the first step I should take when buying a home?”  At ENB, we recommend setting up a meeting with a Mortgage Expert to discuss prequalification.

For borrowers looking to apply for a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit, the value of your home is going to be a significant factor in determining how much you can be approved for. As a result, it’s normal for you to wonder what your home is worth. There are a couple of ways a borrower can find this information, each with varying degrees of accuracy.

If a home renovation tops your summer to-do list, figuring out how you'll pay for it likely comes in a close second. According to HomeGuide, the average cost to remodel is between $19,800 and $73,200. Even if you have money set aside for your project, making sure you don't go over budget could help you avoid remodeling remorse. Here's how to stick to your home renovation budget.

Selling your home for top dollar makes financial sense. You could use the funds to move into your next home, deposit the proceeds into your retirement savings account, or fulfill another financial goal. But determining what makes buyers go to battle over homes in today's market isn't always as simple as an internet search. Your local real estate market may be enough to start a bidding war, but your neighborhood and property type could also influence how far above your asking price buyers will pay.

If you’re starting to think about retirement, it’s understandable if you don’t simply want to sell your business to an outside buyer and walk away. Your business is part of your legacy, and you want to see it continue to flourish and support the loyal employees who’ve helped you build it. But have you created a roadmap for how you will…

Among the many new terms you'll learn when buying your first home, "escrow" is apt to be one of the most challenging to understand. This is often due to the fact that escrow functions differently depending on where you are in the home buying process. Here are three things you need to know about escrow accounts as you prepare for homeownership.