When selling your home today and in this market it is critical to price your home properly for a successful sale. Gone are the days when you could list your home at the top of the market, selling your home above what you listed at with multiple offers. When pricing your home for sale, this is not the time to "test" the market. It gives you something concrete to show your buyer. More
It's that time of year when all that "free" money starts rolling in. I'm talking about the bonus money, you know -- the fun money (otherwise known as our tax refund)! We are going to do so much with it and it seems to have such amazing powers. I mean a $1000 tax return can buy a car, furniture, big screen TV, or a family vacation all in one fell swoop. It is not mad money. More
For your convenience I have collected some basic information that can be helpful if you are thinking of buying your first home:• First and the most important is that you get pre-qualified for a loan. • Find out if you qualify for the first-time home buyer’s incentives. The U.S. You can fix a house, but not a neighborhood. More
You need no reminder to hold on to your tax records in case your returns are questioned by the Internal Revenue Service. But just how long do you need to save those old records that clutter up your closets and desk drawers? Unfortunately, there is no flat cutoff and the time limits go all over the lot.
But wait! The audit, admonishes the IRS, can begin "at any time." More
There's some debate among financial planners as to the best way to pay down debt. The basic steps in this method include:1. List all debts in order from the highest interest rate to the lowest interest rate. 2. Commit to paying the minimum payment on every debt. 3. Determine how much extra can be applied to the highest interest rate debt. 4. 5. 6. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. More
2006 is a little more than half way over but we have already seen some major changes in the IRA rules. This article will summarize two of these changes and what they mean to you.Income Limit for Roth IRA Conversion RepealedClients often ask me whether they should do a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs grow tax free and money doesn’t have to be taken out during your lifetime. More
NeighborWorks campaign generates $5.39 billion in new loansInman NewsA national campaign that seeks to bring home ownership within reach for low-income and moderate-income families has generated more than $5.39 billion in new mortgage lending from Jan. About 22 percent of the campaign's recent home buyers are African-American. 137. Reprinted with permission of Inman News More
Presumably the object of having a bank account is to save you money, or at least to help you more easily and properly manage it. But there are also several ways in which your use (or misuse, as the case may be) of your personal banking account could lose you money. Below you'll find out how to avoid the eight most common blunders when it comes to personal banking. 1. 2. Many people do. More
A loan in which real estate is used as collateral - a guarantee that the loan will be repaid and on time - is usually called a commercial mortgage. While it is much like a residential mortgage, the difference is simply that the collateral and the building purchased with the mortgage is used for commercial rather than residential purposes. More
Americans Think Wealth Is Harder For Them to Accumulate Than Do Planners
Two recent surveys, released today by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), reveal that financial planners believe it is easier for Americans to accumulate personal wealth than do Americans themselves. Barnash, CFP®. 8%. More
