In recent years, reverse mortgages have been enthusiastically marketed to homeowners ages 62 and over. Optimally designed for homeowners with at least 50 percent equity in their home, reverse mortgages allow homeowners to tap into that equity, providing them with a regular monthly payment – the...
If you’re new to investing, some of the information on the Internet can be downright confusing. While investing itself is fairly straightforward, many people find themselves shying away from the entire process because they simply don’t understand the terminology, which can be somewhat overwhelming...
Sometimes simple is best. Many of us tend to complicate our financial situation; overthinking our options while ignoring the basics.
But like anything else, the simplest rules are often the most important ones; and the ones most likely to be ignored. How many of these rules do you follow?
- ALWAYS...
The American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA) recently published a list of personal finance trends that we should all be concerned about. These trends highlight the fact that almost 63 percent of Americans today are unable to pass a basic financial literacy test.
Here are the troubling trends, as well as...
If you’re a beginning investor, it’s likely you’re concentrating on building your portfolio. But as important as it is to build that portfolio, you should also ensure that it’s diversified.
Why is a diversified portfolio so important?
There are three key reasons why diversifying is important:
- A...
Managing finances properly is mainly common sense. While we’ve all made financial mistakes, most of those mistakes are easily rectified, particularly when promptly corrected. However, there are some financial decisions that can be much harder to recover from. Here are just a few of them:
- Spending...
There are many ways that we support our favorite charitable causes. However, one of the most beneficial ways to support a favorite charity now and into perpetuity is through planned giving. While almost any larger nonprofit organization has an active planned giving program, it may come as a surprise...
While the name may be amusing the reality of zombie debt is anything but funny. Zombie debt is old debt that has been written off years ago, only to be sold to debt collectors for pennies on the dollar. In many cases, the debt is years old, and may not even be valid.
Zombie debt collectors use a...
Giving money to philanthropic causes is important to many of us. Year end giving in particular is popular with both donors and charitable organizations. The most common way to give money for most people is to simply write a check or put a donation on a credit card. The charity then typically sends...
It seems like we’ve been conditioned to shop since birth. While an occasional splurge is nothing to get worked up about, we’ve become incredibly wasteful in the process. Landfills from coast to coast are full of our discarded belongings such as furniture, equipment, appliances, and electronic...
Here are the answers to some of the most common investment questions you’ve always wanted to ask.
1. When should I start investing?
When you have the means to do so. One of best places to start investing is with your employer’s 401K or 403B plan, particularly if they offer a match on contributions...
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked financial questions.
I’ve just started my first job. Do I really have to start saving for retirement now?
Yes. While it’s important to wait to invest until student loans and any credit card debit has been paid off, if your current...