Author: Cathy Carpenter

About The Author

Cathy Carpenter is the Senior Vice President of Lending at HRCCU and has over four decades of experience in lending. Cathy started her career as a teller at HRCCU and worked her way up the ranks, allowing her to work closely with the community to assist with obtaining mortgages, auto loans, and more.

Mom, dad, and kids travelling by car with dog in the backseat

GREENLight Auto Finance Review: Is GREENLight the Right Auto Loan for You?

Choosing the right vehicle finance method — or deciding whether to finance at all — can be just as complex as choosing the vehicle you want to buy. Today, drivers have a variety of payment options, including leasing, traditional auto loans, and GREENLight auto loans, a less-known but potentially practical option. GREENLight auto loans are… Read more »

woman with her hair pulled back wearing a black coat standing behind the driver’s side door of a black car

When is the Best Time to Buy a Car?

Buying a car is a big decision. From saving for a down payment to calculating the real cost of an auto loan, smart buyers know that it is important to consider every financial aspect of such a major purpose. For that reason, taking time to consider when the best time is to buy a car… Read more »

two women sitting at a gray conference table reviewing financial paperwork

What Mortgage Lenders Look for in Bank Statements

When you are trying to buy a home or get a home equity line of credit, a lot of paperwork is involved, from credit reports to legal contracts. In particular, mortgage lenders require a lot of documentation to put together a full financial picture of potential borrowers. This financial assessment involves reviewing bank statements from… Read more »

woman with red nail polish on her fingers wearing a black shirt with a white pattern shaking the hands of a man wearing a black coat, holding house keys

Understanding Bank Appraisal vs. Market Value When Buying a Home

When consumers are in the market to buy a home, financial factors are often top-of-mind. This includes everything from monthly payments and interest rates to the difference between the appraisal and market value of homes they are considering buying. In a dynamic real estate market, understanding bank appraisal versus market value is critical when it… Read more »

man wearing a black shirt holding a glass mason jar filled with coins that has been labeled “savings”

How Beginners Can Get an Auto Loan

Buying your first car, whether it’s brand new or previously owned, is a huge and exciting milestone in life. However, navigating the world of auto loans is also incredibly complex. For those who are unsure about how to get a car loan, it’s important to get educated — and pre-approved, before going to a dealership…. Read more »

overhead shot of a suburban neighborhood with white and tan houses and green lawns

Our 2022 Housing Market Predictions for Spring

Throughout much of 2021, buyers  found the housing market challenging to navigate. All-time low mortgage interest rates combined with a finite number of listed properties led to bidding wars that drove asking prices upward by 18.5% according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) — leaving many prospective homebuyers with no choice but to rent…. Read more »

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How to Pay Off Student Loans & Get Rid of Them Fast

Currently, the average graduate in the United States accrues over $37,650 in student loan debt to pursue a bachelor’s degree. And it’s not uncommon for it to take 20 years to pay off that student debt. The numbers speak volumes. Of the 45 million student borrowers in the U.S., 95% are indebted up to $36,500… Read more »

man and woman sitting at tan desk calculating their DTI ratio using white notepad, silver laptop, a black iPhone, and calculator

A Complete Guide to Debt-to-Income Ratio

Prospective borrowers who are looking into mortgages or other financing options have likely heard the phrase “debt-to-income (DTI) ratio” — which may cause them to ask, “what is DTI and why does it matter?” Despite the name, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is often expressed as a percentage and is one of the multiple factors that can… Read more »