After the housing market collapse more than five years ago, lenders are now requiring that borrowers come up with bigger deposits before they can qualify for a mortgage to buy a home. While some home buyers have been saving for years to pay for their deposit, many only have a small portion of what they will […]
5 Ways to Finance a Deposit on a Property Read More »
Prior to 2008 most Americans were convinced that real estate investing was a guaranteed road to riches and that “housing prices never went down.” Then came the housing crash and from 2007 to 2009 the average house price lost about 25% of it’s value. So those who had borrowed 90% or 95% of their house
The Benefits of Owning a Vacation Rental Read More »
According to Harris Interactive’s 2013 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey, most people in the United States struggle to manage their family finances… a full 60% of adults don’t track their monthly spending. But managing family finance is not rocket science. Here are 5 tips that can make you a pro: 1) Income Must Exceed Expenses In order to manage money wisely, you should have
5 Hacks for Managing Your Family Finances Like a Pro in 2013 Read More »
When it comes to reducing electricity use at home, most people think of buying energy efficient washing machines and refrigerators. While this is not a bad approach, it does not encompass all energy saving aspects. One way of keeping energy costs at home down is by teaching your children the importance of saving electricity. Some
Simple Ways to Save Electricity Even a Child Can Understand Read More »
Financial health is a function of both income and expenses. There’s no doubt that unless you control your spending, you can never improve your personal finances. Charles Dickens put it this way in his classic book David Copperfield, “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought
Useful Tips to Get Your Finances On Track Read More »
The following suggestions were contributed by the Plainfield Police as a public service. ~ Tim McMahon, editor Don’t Overspend This Labor Day Weekend After months of heat, during which Illinois and Missouri were some of the hottest states on record, we’re finally coming down on the last big weekend of the season. Labor Day weekend is traditionally
Money Saving Tips for Labor Day Weekend Read More »
A Tax-Free Savings Account or TFSA is designed to help Canadian citizens save money without undue tax consequences. It is a flexible investment vehicle that is similar to an IRA in the U.S. but allows multiple withdrawals without penalties. A TFSA can help Canadians accomplish short- and long-term investment goals. How Does A Tax-Free Savings Account Work? Money
Canadian Tax Free Savings Account vs IRAs Read More »
We’ve recently written a couple articles on ETFs—exchange traded funds—to help investors understand the difference between them and mutual funds and to show how for nearly every mutual fund you can find an nearly identical ETF that charges much less in fees. And each time we come out with a new article we get even
Does It Make Sense to Pay High Mutual Fund Fees? Read More »
Did you know that 44% of Americans are “liquid asset poor” i.e. live from paycheck to paycheck? If you have less than 3 months income in savings you are “liquid asset poor” and are just one set-back away from disaster. If you are in this boat you are not alone. And it isn’t entirely your
Americans Barely Keeping Afloat Read More »
Many families these days are living paycheck to paycheck many companies have cut back on full-time employees in favor of part-time due to fear about Obamacare. So families are pinching pennies and just scraping by. Saving for the future is the furthest thing from their minds. However, it is still very important for families to save for the
Five Tips On Savings Accounts Read More »
When foreclosure notices start coming in, it’s tempting to shut down and ignore the problem, hoping it will go away. But without facing it head on, the problem won’t be going away. Losing a home that you’ve built over the years is unimaginably difficult, yet many Americans face this reality today. Getting over the initial
Tips for Surviving Foreclosure Read More »
With an average student loan debt near $27,000 per graduate, first-time home buyers are noticeably absent from the slow housing recovery. The days of a pregnant wife with a happy husband strolling into a new home and hanging a “sold” sign on the post are not faded, but have become obscured. First time home buyers
Buying Your First Home Read More »
