Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Khadija Khartit is a strategy, investment, and funding expert, and an educator of fintech ...

If you try to sell or refinance your home, you could get an unexpected surprise when you close the deal — somebody could have put a lien on your property years ago and you might not know about it.“A ...

A lien is a legal right, or claim, to your property acquired by a creditor. The purpose of a lien is to hold a property item — it doesn’t have to be a house — as collateral for a loan or debt. If you ...