Welcome to the finance shopping mall! This is your one-stop store to get a credit report, sign up for automatic bill pay, get the latest stock reports, get a loan, do your taxes, get insurance for your house, home or boat, consolidate your finances, or get legal advice. Our stores in the Finance Shopping Mall will provide you with help with you financial and legal needs.

Finance Tip: Pay a little extra each month on your mortgage by "rounding up." You will add equity to your home, giving you extra flexibility when you decide to move or re-mortgage. If you prepay $100 a month on a $150,000 loan, you will save $72,952 in interest and shave seven and a half years off the loan. You do not have to commit to paying a specific amount every month. Just round up your payment to the nearest hundred.

Once you have become a reliable saver, it is time to think about how to earn a better return. One very simple way to do that is to take some money from your bank savings account and buy a certificate of deposit. Consider this: Bank passbook accounts are paying about 2% or less. If you buy a 1-year CD, you can get about 2.59%. Granted, it is not like just a few years ago where you could get 5% (at an annualized rate) on a 1-month CD, but it’s better than a passbook. Next, you will be ready to start investing towards a future large purchase, such as an investment home, or towards your retirement fund.