January 5, 2017 / Jon Dulin Are you struggling to get out of credit card debt? Are you scared to open the mail, fearing the credit card statement is in there? Do you close your eyes and take a deep breath before you look at your outstanding balance when you do get the statement? I...
The Sharing Economy – What, Why and How?
Is the Sharing Economy the Future of Capitalism ? December 27, 2016 / Sara Colley Do you make enough money today? Do you spend little enough to get by? Traditionally we all worked our jobs, saved our money, and spent it where we chose. Today it isn’t so easy or clean. Many feel that they...
All About Car Loans
December 26, 2016 / J. Jones, Staff Writer Auto loan debt is soaring among households worldwide. According to one study, in the United States alone, in 2015, the average household had $132,158 in credit card debt, and $27,865 of that was auto loan debt. Those numbers were even higher in 2016. Americans are paying higher...
Success Story – Making Money via a Side Gig
December 21, 2016 / Jenny Kerr How I Turned My Hobby into An Income Stream (in more than one way) I want to start off by telling you a little about my story (I won’t go into all the details, you can read my about me page if you want to know more) and how...
5 Side Gigs to Earn Some Extra Cash
December 6, 2016 / Staff Writer Anyone who is working a day or full time job knows it is still a tad bit difficult to make ends meet at times. You have to give every single time to make it another month. There is no given time that you do not sacrifice at least one...
Ruin your credit in one hour
December 6, 2016 / Casey Fleming, Editor How can you take your credit score down 50, 100 or even 150 points in a single hour? It’s possible, and what is amazing is that it’s not that hard. People do it all the time. Let’s start with a little background. Your credit score is a measure...
Financial Planner, Investment Advisor or Asset Manager – Which is Right for You?
Jacob Johnson / November 11, 2016 So, you’re looking into investing, or maybe have been cracking at it for a while when a friend says, “My investment advisor told me to buy this mutual fund”. You ask, “What’s an investment advisor?” Another friend over lunch that same day says that they finally got their estate...
Will Fannie and Freddie Go Broke?
Casey Fleming Nov. 5, 2016 A couple of news outlets this week picked up a report that concluded that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be broke by 2018. Say what? Since we are having the best year in the mortgage business since 2007, and Fannie / Freddie (“the agencies”) make 90% or so of...
You now have more rights if debt collectors are after you
Casey Fleming / October 28, 2016 Have you ever had debt collectors calling you? Most of us have, even those with perfectly good credit histories. Sometimes there is a final bill for a cell phone, medical or utility bill, and sometimes it’s just a mistake. And of course, sometimes we run into troubles and can’t...
What’s wrong with using insurance as an investment?
Need new content here It is a very costly way to invest. There’s the cost of the insurance protection itself – which, by the way, is usually more expensive than what you would pay for a regular term insurance policy. There are the marketing and sales commissions. There’s also the “surrender charge” that may be...
The 5 Best Credit Cards for People New To The World Of Credit
Patrick Crozier / October 12, 2016 If you are new to the world of credit, you aren’t alone. Millions of young Americans just entering college or the workforce are learning they need to establish credit quickly and efficiently. Being only an authorized user on your parent’s credit card, however, isn’t doing you or your credit...
New Way to Pass on Real Estate Upon Death
Jamie Elder / October 10, 2016 There are only three certainties in life: taxes, death, and someone is going to be fighting over your estate if you die without putting your intentions in writing, especially if you own real estate. Of course you probably know you should have either a trust or a will, but...
Pick Your Team of Budget Directors
Sara Colley / October 8, 2016 Primary Wage Earner If you are a single person, you needn’t worry about asking anyone else to contribute to your budget plan. However, you may want input from outside experts to help you create a realistic one. Talk to your financial planner if you have one, of course, or...
Non-Negotiable Budget Categories
Sara Colley / October 7, 2016 Non-Negotiable Budget Categories Some expenses you will not be able to easily change. It is important, therefore, to get your initial budget numbers right in these categories, or else you are not likely to be able to successfully follow your budget. In each of these categories you probably can...
Cutting Utilities
Sara Colley / September 24, 2016 Cutting Expenses, Continued Utilities When most folks think of utilities they think they can’t possibly cut back anywhere. You’d be surprised. Cable / Television The first place to look is your cable or satellite bill. Cable is no longer the lifeline it once was. You can get most television...
Groceries and Home Supplies
Groceries and Home Supplies This is a tricky category for cutting expenses, because you can’t really cut back on food, and you might end up spending more on this category if you cut back on other categories, such as dining out. However, because it is one of the larger categories for most families in terms...
Automobile
Next we’ll look at your automobile expenses, because for many folks it’s an opportunity to make fast progress with big reductions in spending. We all like shiny new cars that shout out to the world what kind of personality we want to project. Who do you want to be: rugged, elegant, edgy, rich? But if...
Entertainment
We’re going to attack entertainment next. This may not be your second, third or even fourth largest category, but for most folks it is a category where the potential for cutting back is very high. Not fun, maybe, but very high. Dining Out Eating dinners out costs between 5 to 10 times as much as...
Where Should You Park Your Moola? Your Options for A Small Savings Account
Where Should You Park Your Moola? Your Options for A Small Savings Account The time has come to open a savings account. Maybe you’re saving up for college, or perhaps you’re dreaming of a new car. But wait a minute – you don’t know your arm from your elbow when it comes to finances. You...
Designing Your Budget, Continued – Categories That Are Easier to Adjust
Designing Your Budget, Continued – Categories That Are Easier to Adjust Debt Repayment Other than mortgage debt, if you have chronic debt then you hopefully understand why it’s important to get out of it if you can. Interest expense is eating up your retirement – and that’s not an exaggeration. High debt is keeping you...
Americans owe nearly $1.3 trillion in student loan debt
Add new post here…Add new post here…Add new post here…Add new post here…Add new post here… VISIT STUDENT LOAN HERO SITE General student loan debt facts First, let’s start with a general picture of the student loan debt landscape. The most recent reports indicate there is: $1.26 trillion in total U.S. student loan debt 43.3...
How to Create a Successful Family Budget
Are you ready to live with a successful family budget? Since you clicked on this link, it’s likely you’ve at least asked yourself that question. Family budgets, however, are hard to make and harder to keep. The rewards of living within a successful budget, on the other hand, are terrific. Let’s see if one is...
3 Reasons Wealthy People Never Pay Off Their Mortgage
by Hilary Hendershot After the 2008 housing crash a lot of people started to seriously question the wisdom of having a mortgage. That is if they were able to even keep up with their payments. The phrase “house poor” became a catchphrase for describing homeowners who bought beyond what they could reasonably afford – because...
Side Gig One – Fincon
There are a lot of factors that go into answering this question. Example: you may have a real estate agent who works for a real estate broker and makes only 60% of a 3% earned commission on a transaction, while a Mortgage Broker makes 2% on this same transaction. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say this...
10 Debt Management Tips for New College Grads
replace with new post here From Money Talk Magazine Congratulations, college graduate! You’ve just completed an important milestone in your life. So now it’s time to face reality. If you had financial help along the way, it won’t be long before those you owe come knocking. The student loan debt won’t pay itself. So, you’ll...
Getting a Mortgage 1 Year After BK or Foreclosure
An old client contacted me yesterday worried that she would not be able to get a mortgage to buy a home. Her loan had gone into default a couple of years ago and a Notice of Default – the first step in the mortgage process – had been filed. To your credit report, this is...
19 Things a New Homeowner Should Do Immediately to Save Money
by Trent Hamn 19 Things to Do Immediately to Reduce Your Home Energy and Maintenance Costs 1. Check the insulation in your attic – and install more if needed. If you have an unfinished attic, pop your head up there and take a look around. You should see insulation up there between the beams, and...
The Next Housing Crisis?
More and more of my clients are asking me “Are we at the top of the market?” It’s a good question. An even better question is why they think I would know any better than any schmo on the street, but we’ll set that aside for the moment. Last year I wrote an article titled...
How to Avoid Mortgage Fraud – Casey Fleming on Realtor.com
I got another nice by-line in an article today, and this one was quite well-written, and in Realtor.com, which is a very relevant site. Not only that, it was on one of my favorite topics – mortgage fraud. It’s worth reading, especially if you’re considering mortgage fraud. Read it here. Here is an excerpt from...
How to pay your off your debts fast.
By guest blogger Craig Dewe How To Pay Off Debt Fast Using The Stack Method Whether it’s consumer debt on credit cards, student loans or a mortgage, most people find themselves weighed down by debt at some point in their lives. This can keep us working jobs we hate just to pay the bills and...
318-How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage: Advice from Casey Fleming, Author of “The Loan Guide”
318-How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage: Advice from Casey Fleming, Author of “The Loan Guide” For most people, housing decisions are the largest financial decisions that they will make. And the mortgages usually associated with housing are the largest debts most of us will take on. And yet how much time and energy do...
Long Term Interest Rate View – Opposing Views
Where will interest rates be in 2017? (This graphic does not appear to correlate closely with the actual projections.) I write about interest rates a lot, because folks seem to want to know. In my experience, it’s not hard to be right most of the time when projecting out, say, 24 hours or so. Beyond...
U.S. News & World Report Site – Casey quoted on reverse mortgages
As expected I was quoted in an article on reverse mortgages on the U.S. News and World Report website! Here’s the link: Here is an excerpt. How to Buy a Retirement Home With a Reverse Mortgage Before launching into this kind of mortgage, ask yourself how long you’ll stay in the home and if you...
Interest Rates Slide Down Gently to a New Low
Last week I wrote that interest rates were likely to move mostly in response to the stock market. The stock market idled most of the week, moving down unsteadily Wednesday and Friday. Money moved into Treasury bonds driving yields down gently (see red line in the chart immediately below) but mortgage-backed securities did not follow....
The Loan Guide: How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage. Book available on Amazon
About the Author Casey Fleming began his career in the mortgage industry in 1979 as an appraiser. He founded and built one of the largest appraisal firms in the San Francisco Bay Area, earned the highest appraiser designation in California, and testified as an expert witness in court. In 1995 he began his transition to...
The Inflation-Interest Rate Connection: Uncovering the Impact
Inflation is an economic concept that is discussed often, but it can be difficult to understand. What is the inflation-interest rate connection? What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and how does the Fed’s inflation target affect interest rates? What are the risks of inflation and how can savers protect themselves? This article will answer...
What Drives Interest Rates?
Have you been watching interest rates going up and down, and wondered why? What drives interest rates? Are they totally unpredictable, or can we get a sense for what direction interest rates are headed? As it turns out, they are not totally random. You just have to think like an investor rather than a borrower. ...
Is Insurance an Investment?
You may have heard that one of the best financial decisions that you can make is to purchase an insurance policy to cover you in the case of an unexpected loss. It is easy to assume that you made some sort of “investment” when you purchased this policy, but that couldn’t be further from the...
Dawn Wells, Burt Reynolds and Geoffrey Owens Teach Finance
9/7/2018 | When we are young, we think that all it takes to be financially secure in your golden years is to make a lot of money while we can. Recent celebrity news is teaching us something different. No matter how much money you make in your life, it’s carefully managing your money – with...
Coast into Retirement with the Smart Addition of a Great a Vacation Home
When you finally hit retirement, you want to take things a little bit easier. After all, you worked hard to reach this point so it’s time to enjoy life! A well-chosen vacation home can be the perfect addition to your new lifestyle. Money first. Truth be told, you put a lot into reaching this stage...
Is Now a Good Time to Sell My Rental Property?
3/14/2048 | Casey Fleming |Is it time to sell your rental property? The odds are good that if the answer isn’t “yes,” it will be soon. Let’s examine why: Diminishing return on assets We tend to evaluate income-producing property using a cap rate; the net income on the property is x% of its value. But...