For most people, being a homeowner is the ultimate milestone, but is your loan really working for you? Banks are creating new innovative home loan options constantly, and with these tempting offers, it can be easy to slip into a mortgage trap. If you have had your current home loan for a few years, it’s very possible your circumstances or needs (or both) have since changed. You may even be considering completely refinancing your home loan. While your current mortgage may still fit into your budget, you could now be finding that you require some flexibility, or you’re looking to incorporate new features into your home loan that were not available before.…
Interest Rates
Beating Out Inflation
Inflation is that nasty little thing that eats away at your hard earned savings. For something that is essentially intangible it can do more damage than you realize. Granted the post recession effect on inflation has left it somewhat flat, but that isn’t going to last forever. In fact, right now we have some of the lowest interest rates we have seen in our lifetimes, and yet the stock market is hitting all time highs. To me this begs the question, “why are you so heavily invested in CD’s, money markets, and treasury bills”?
The recession has left many with a sour taste for investing, they are scared by the media, and they still have the dent in their 401K’s to remind them first hand of the dangers in investing. …
The Essentials of Buying Your First Home
The most expensive item that most people ever purchase is their home.  In terms of cost, every other purchase, from your car to your wedding, pales in comparison.  For first time home buyers, it can be a very exciting time, but also a very stressful time.  There are many factors to consider before a potential home buyer can even consider looking at homes. Â
 What is your Credit Score?
Knowing your credit score and making the best use of your credit score is an important step in the home buying process. Â If your credit score is poor, you might not qualify for a mortgage at all.…
Which Gender is Better with Money, Men or Women?
Sure, you have heard the stereotypes all before. We hear that men are better drivers than women, or that women have inequality in the workplace, or the athletic performances between the two. Have you ever considered the gender differences when it came to managing money? Quite honestly, this is a new topic for me.  A recent study found that while 42% of men were confident in their investment allocations, only 25% of women felt that same confidence. Also, while 80% of men have their cash flow in control, only about 63% of women could say the same thing. Though coincidentally, the percentages were both high and nearly identical when it came to investing in an employers 401K plan.…
Why Invest For Dividends
My job involves talking one on one with clients about their finances. When it comes to investing, most feel their savings accounts and CD’s are investments. I tell them they are losing money every day to inflation. When I tell them they need to invest a portion of their assets into investments that can at least beat inflation, they want nothing to do with it. The most common reason is because they previously lost money with an adviser and they’d rather get nothing in interest than lose money.
Then I have the smaller percentage of clients, generally the more wealthy that have a large portion of their money invested. …