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Working from home may seem ideal, especially if you're a mom or soon-to-be-mom. But figuring out how to find the right job to fit your needs can be a real challenge. 

Plus, being able to separate home and work life, learning how to prioritize tasks, and figuring out how to focus on your job (while doing something like cradling a newborn) takes time. 

If you’ve ever applied for a loan and been denied — despite your good credit score and history of on-time payments — your debt-to-income ratio may be the unseen culprit.

Your debt-to-income ratio is the total of your monthly debts, divided by your gross monthly income. It’s a simple way for lenders to assess your current debt load — and your ability to take on new debt.

This number isn’t the only way lenders decide whether to give you a new loan. But it’s an important one. Borrowers with high debt-to-income ratios are generally considered at increased risk of defaulting, and may be offered higher interest rates and less flexible terms.

Here’s how to determine yours.

See also: Paying Off Student Loans 

If you’re getting restless in your office job, you might be wondering if striking out on your own and working from home could be right for you.

After all, the idea of rolling out of bed, commuting to the next room, and spending the day in your pj’s sounds like the ideal situation, right? Well, that depends.

If you want to reduce the monthly bill for your federal student loans, you have a lot of options.

There are currently four income-driven repayment plans that let you recalibrate the amount you pay per month based on how much you earn. The idea is that you pay what you can afford, as a manageable percentage of your income.

I've always loved the thrill of traveling and the chance to explore a new place and meet new people. But when I was a broke graduate with student loan debt, traveling was hard to do.

Not only did I not have the money, every personal-finance tip seemed to be saying the same thing: put every extra penny toward paying off debt. However, it doesn't have to be that way.