Nearly every personal finance guru in America will tell you that it's important to build and maintain a high FICO score -- and that good credit is a sign of financial prudence and responsibility. Lenders will reward you for that responsibility with a lower interest rate loan.

When Brian Hetherington complained to his father two years ago about the weighty 9% rate he and his wife were paying on their home-equity line of credit, Jim, the senior Hetherington, had an idea. He could lend the couple the $100,000 to pay off the loan and charge them only 6%. It's been win-win ever since. "We haven't missed a payment," says Brian, 43. And his folks are still earning a return on their money.

Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman got torn to shreds on ABC's Shark Tank after they demanded $1 million for only 10% of their company, College Hunks Hauling Junk, in exchange for an investment in a co-ed spin-off venture. "You're pigs," spat investor Kevin O'Leary. "And pigs get slaughtered." What do they have to say about it?

WalletPop editor-at-large Jason Cochran sits down every week with contestants and Sharks from ABC's Shark Tank. Watch now!

WalletPop's Lan Nguyen chats with Nicole Hall, editor in chief of LendingTree.com, on what you need to know before you approach a lender on any loan, from a mortgage to a car loan.

Social lending is becoming more popular for small personal loans, as a way to sidestep traditional banks (and high interest rates) and for someone in need to get some help with a touch of humanity. Read on to learn more.

Lending money is a touchy subject and in our current volatile economy, it's not uncommon for family and friends to turn to each other for a loan. We know how much you care for your loved ones, but this can cause significant problems ... especially when that loan goes unpaid.

The good news: mortgage rates are going to stay for a while near 5%, the lowest they've been in our lifetimes. The bad news: Unlike a couple of years ago, merely having a pulse is no longer enough to get a mortgage refinanced. Demand is high, standards are tougher, and approvals are relatively scarce. Read on to learn what you should know before you refinance.

President Obama this week called 14 top banking executives to the White House to announce he would support legislation protecting cardholders from abrupt interest-rate increases and fees, among other practices. Card issuers are fighting two cardholder-protection bills circulating on Capitol Hill -- one was cleared on Wednesday for a House vote, and another will be examined next week in the Senate. Read on to see how the U.S. is trying to change eight controversial card-company practices.