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Join us for the PPACG Retirement Series webinars to learn about Social Security and Retirement on Sept 4, Retirement Reimagined: Finding Purpose on Sept 11 & Caregiving with Compassion on Sept 25. Register now at ent.com/events or view more upcoming classes.
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A Football Fan’s Guide to Budgeting for Game Day
Football, friends, and food are a winning trio, but without a game plan, the bill can tackle your wallet before the first snap. This guide turns tips for creating a budget-friendly game day party into an action-packed playbook so you can savor every touchdown without fumbling your finances.
5 Rookie Money Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Have you ever had an unexpected bill wipe out your good intentions, or caught yourself wondering, “What should I do with my money?” You’re not alone. Late-night searches for money advice can leave anyone confused. One blog tells you to skip the lattes, while another pushes a cryptocurrency side hustle. Instead of adding to the noise, this guide breaks down five of the most common money mistakes and, more importantly, how to sidestep them.
Seven Credit Score Pitfalls to Avoid
When lenders size you up for a mortgage, credit card, or small-business line, they aren’t reading your diary—they’re scanning your credit score. According to Experian, the average U.S. FICO Score was 715 for 2024 (Horymski, 2025), placing much of the country in the “good” range. However, that average hides lower scores for millions of consumers who stumble into common credit score pitfalls.
How Do I Refinance My Mortgage and Consolidate Debt?
Paying different credit card bills, a personal loan, and a 30-year mortgage every month can feel like managing a dozen spinning plates at once. Refinancing your home loan to combine higher-rate balances into a single, lower-rate mortgage — known as a debt consolidation refinance — transforms that juggling act into one predictable payment.
How do you refinance your mortgage for debt consolidation? We break down how a mortgage debt consolidation refinance works, when the math favors you, and how to weigh the risks and rewards.
What are the Differences: VA Loan vs Conventional Loan
Choosing the right credit union mortgage loan shouldn’t feel like decoding a secret manual. Yet when people first compare a VA loan vs a conventional loan, the jargon — funding fees, PMI, conforming limits — can stall the search before it starts. This guide strips away the haze by lining up the two products feature by feature. You will see how each loan handles down payments, credit scores, interest rates, and closing costs, and you’ll finish with a checklist that points you toward the option most likely to fit your budget, service record, and future plans.
Why Are Mortgage Rates So High?
If you are mortgage shopping this year, you are feeling the rate sticker shock. The average 30-year fixed rate sits around 7 percent, more than double the record lows of 2021 (Mortgage News Daily, 2025). Why are mortgage rates so high today? In short, mortgage rates are higher because the bond market — where mortgage prices are set — adjusted the cost of money. This shift came after the Federal Reserve responded to a period of high inflation. A careful look at policy, prices, and growth helps explain the surge in rates and the impact of mortgage rates on housing in 2025 and beyond.
Top financial course offerings
Money Mapping
Every journey begins with a single step — so start your quest for financial success here. Learn how to pinpoint your financial goals, and then explore budgeting and savings strategies that’ll help you reach your destination. Approx. 30 min.
Diving into Credit
Your credit score can have a sink-or-swim effect on your purchasing power. Take this deep dive into learning how your score is determined and why it’s important, and you’ll emerge with tips on how to use credit responsibly.
Navigating Financial Decisions
You make plans to ensure smooth sailing — but we all encounter financial storms along the way. Learn to adopt good money habits and how to navigate debt repayment so you can chart your course to financial empowerment. Approx. 30 min.
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Mortgage proceeds: Home sale proceeds calculator
One of the most important questions consumers ask themselves is, “How much money will the sale of my home yield?” This is largely dependent on two things: The amount you still owe on the home and what you will have to pay your realtor for selling the home. If you have a second mortgage or a home equity loan on the property, you will have to pay that off when you sell the home. When you sell a home, you will also have to pay interest on your outstanding mortgage balance from the date of your last payment until the time of the sale. You are also liable for property taxes up to the day you sell the home. At times, sellers have additional expenses. Local governments will often require that you pay a transfer tax when the home is sold. Incidental closing costs may also nibble at your proceeds.
Auto loan calculator: Calculate a vehicle payment
Your monthly auto loan payment is based on the net purchase price of the vehicle, the loan term and the interest rate for the loan. The loan amount is based on the net purchase price of the vehicle (plus sales tax) or the vehicle price less any cash rebate, trade-in or down payment. If you have an outstanding balance on the vehicle you trade-in, that amount is added to the price of the vehicle you are purchasing.
HELOC Payment Calculator: Calculate Your Home Equity Line of Credit Payments
Repayment of a home equity line of credit requires that the borrower makes a monthly payment to the lender. For some home equity lines of credit, borrowers can make interest-only payments for a defined period, after which a repayment period begins. Interest-only payments are based on the outstanding loan balance and interest rate. During the repayment period, the payment includes both repayment of the loan principal, plus monthly interest on the outstanding balance. Loan payments for the repayment period are amortized so that the monthly payment remains the same throughout the repayment period, but during that time, the percentage of the amount that goes towards principal will increase as the outstanding mortgage balance decreases.
Loan payment calculator: Estimate your monthly payment with this simple loan calculator
Use this calculator to estimate your rate and monthly loan payment for a car, motorcycle, recreational vehicle or personal loan. You can also use this calculator to contact an Ent Lending Specialist.
Rent vs buy calculator: Should I rent or buy a home?
Deciding whether to rent or buy a piece of property is one of the biggest financial decisions anyone can make. Consider several factors when making this decision. Your decision to rent or buy a home may depend on how fast prices and rents increase and how long you stay in your home. In certain circumstances, renting rather than buying may be more advantageous. It’s best to compare the cost of renting to the cost of buying a home by adding up all the required expenses for each option.
You’ll need to factor in the cost of rent, a security deposit and expected rent increases versus all the expenses that go into buying a home, including your monthly mortgage payment, purchase price of the home, property value appreciation, the interest rate you will pay on your loan, your marginal tax rate and the yield you might receive on savings. When looking at these factors, consider each option's present and potential future value. The better financial choice is the one with the lower present value and the best long-term potential.
Use our Rent vs. buy calculator to compare the cost of renting and buying in your area based on various factors. The results will show you how much you will pay over the years to own a piece of property compared to how much you will have to spend over the same period to rent a home or apartment. Enter the following information to see your results:
Financial Health Calculator: How Am I Doing Financially?
The first step towards a better financial quality of life is knowing where you stand. Take this quiz to see your financial health score.
Debt consolidation calculator
Debt consolidation involves merging several debts into a single debt, often with a lower interest rate and more favorable terms. It is a strategic financial move where an individual merges credit card balances, personal loans or medical bills, into a single debt with a structured repayment plan.
Usually, the new loan has a lower interest rate than the average interest rates of the individual debts being consolidated. If you want to simplify your debt management, use the debt consolidation calculator. It will show you how to reduce the overall cost of getting out of debt.
Home loan calculator: Mortgage loan calculator for buying a home
The primary factors to consider when determining how much you can afford to spend on a home include your income and monthly debt obligations (car payments, student loans, credit cards, etc.), how much money you have for a down payment and your specific financial goals. Various loan programs are available, offering a range of options for different situations.
Ultimately, the best way to understand what is right for you is to talk to a licensed loan officer who can help you explore and understand what is right for you.
If you are pre-approved for a mortgage loan, use the Ent Mortgage Payment Calculator to estimate your monthly mortgage payment to figure out how much you need to pay every month. Your monthly payment goes towards the principal balance on your mortgage and the interest accrued during the last billing period. Pay your mortgage on time every month to avoid compound interest and late fees. Once you pay off the mortgage in full after a certain number of years, you will own the home outright.
Enter the following information to get started: