It's as if you need to be a Philadelphia Lawyer to know even the basic innerworkings of tax codes, personal loans, or even the daunting process of buying a home. Today's seemingly unstable economy only makes things that much more ambiguous.

But there are ways you can be wise when it comes to spending your money, or doing simple things, such as taking out a personal loan if you're desiring a bigger purchase.

Jason Norton, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at DuTrac Community Credit Union, stopped by the studio today to discuss everything from home-buying to a new DuTrac branch, which is set to open in Bettendorf, IA on July 1st.

DuTrac gets a new branch:

This Bettendorf branch will be the 14th DuTrac location, sitting at 2770 Middle Road. The new building is a 9,000 square foot facility set to have everything from administrative offices to a "community room." An open house will take place on July 8th from 11 am to 2 pm. Customers will be able to eat and mingle with their loyal DuTrac representatives.

Understanding the perks of personal loans:

Norton also made sure to note that personal loans are easy to obtain at DuTrac. Although some people might be skeptical of loan terminology, such as "secured" or "unsecured," Norton spoke about how these words/rates exist simply because, unlike a credit card, there's no collateral backing up the loan, so to speak.

"You come in [to apply for a personal loan] or apply online and you're done," Norton said. "[There's] no hidden fees or surprises. You're in and out quickly, and you'll have the money you need in one or two business days."

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Norton said that maybe you'd like a personal loan so as not to overcharge your credit card, or you simply don't have the funds but anticipate you will at a later date. Either way, he added that DuTrac also boasts one of the best interest rates in the area when it comes to personal loans.

Considering buying a home? Some things to know:

While he was in studio, I wanted to make sure I asked Norton about the prospects of buying a home at a time when it's as if you can't turn on the news without hearing about an imminent housing market crash. If The Wolf of Wall Street taught me anything, it's that nobody truly knows when/if the market is going to go "up, down, sideways, or inside-out." All we can utilize are empirical data trends and rely on expert opinions.

"In Dubuque and the Midwest in general, I think you'll see a situation where prices stabilize. You're going to see on the coasts, as you always do, some type of movement [in regards to home prices]" Norton said.

He also added that when it came to the idea of home values plummeting, Norton didn't foresee homes in Dubuque and the surrounding communities necessarily losing significant value should there be a housing market crash. However, he did say increasing interest rates are grounds for concern.

"I'd tell folks, if you're interested in buying a home, speak to your realtor and have them talk to you and work through the math with you. Get prequalified [on our website]. Our realtor folks would be happy to talk with you about what it takes to qualify[....] not many, you'd be surprised, and you can get that home you've always dreamed about."

Listen to our conversation!:

Take a listen to my interview with Jason Norton of DuTrac for the full details of all that we discussed! And as always, you can visit DuTrac online here!

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