If you’re like most of us, when you’re planning your holiday budget, you spend a lot of your time thinking about ways to save money on gifts. But if you’re not careful, holiday decorating can also end up costing you a pretty penny. Here are some smart ways to make your house look festive without [...]
Nothing says “I care” quite like a handmade holiday gift. Bonus: Homemade gifts can be a great way to stretch your gift budget and to let the whole family flex their creative skills. Here are a few ideas to jumpstart your DIY holiday gift list: Whatever you make, go assembly line. In other words, plan [...]
Tips for the holiday season: decluttering and donating. Best practices for organizing your home and itemizing charitable donations. The holiday season is the perfect time to declutter, organize, and ditch your extra stuff. You’re not only about to receive a lot more stuff, but decluttering your home will also help keep some of that holiday-induced [...]
A new round of mortgage-backed securities lawsuits are making their way through the system. Mortgage lenders are charged with improperly reselling mortgage loans as shoddy investments. The housing market continues to try to make its way back. And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and consumer advice on the Ilyce Glink Show [...]
Trying to find great investment properties requires careful planning and research. The location and amenities of your home are important in deciding whether or not it will be an asset. Q: First off, I love all of your greatly informative articles and blogs. Thank you for providing the public with such useful information. I was curious to [...]
Choosing a real estate listing agent can be tricky. Sometimes a discount agent or fixed price agent can work just fine. Q: A fixed price real estate listing company is an advertiser on your radio show. I accept advertising for what it is. However, I do respect your opinion and really wonder if you would [...]
When the bank is stalling your short sale, there may not be much you can do to make the process go quicker. However, most banks realize that taking a short sale offer is better than the foreclosure process. Q: My husband and I purchased a home in 2006. But I lost my job in 2010, drained [...]
When calculating your property cost basis, it is recommended you speak with an accountant to correctly determine the purchase price between the land and home. Q: We purchased a single 22-acre parcel in late 2004. In order to refinance this year, we had to split the single parcel into a 4-acre parcel that contains our [...]
If you are switching to a new job, you will need to decide what to do with the funds that are in your retirement accounts at your old job. Taking the time to carefully weigh your options in order to make the best financial decision can be critical to your retirement planning. You generally will [...]
Many consumers are worried about how to protect themselves from potential 2013 tax hikes. We talked with Certified Financial Planner Rick Rodgers, who discusses how to handle the potential changes coming next year. Please consult your own financial planner or tax advisor before acting. Q: How will a tax hike in 2013 affect IRAs, and [...]
