Right now, for homeowners who are looking to refinance and homebuyers taking out a purchase mortgage, there’s a lot of good news when it comes to closing costs. Closing costs have fallen this year almost as much as they rose last year, though they can vary dramatically depending upon where you live. Plus, if you’re [...]
It’s tough enough to budget money—by which I mean keeping your expenses from exceeding your family’s income—when you have regular paychecks. But if you’re self-employed like me, or if you work on commission, you know it can be even tougher. In most cases, your family’s set monthly costs don’t change all that much, but, on [...]
At a recent dinner party, several people in attendance announced that they had just been laid off and were facing unemployment. Some were among the 300 folks laid off at Intuit. Others were from the L.A. Times, which recently stopped publishing Los Angeles Magazine. And still other attendees said that their clients were facing recent [...]
Creating vision is the key to your success in investment and the housing market. Are you renting a home? Facing foreclosure? You need a roadmap to get you where you need to go. And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and consumer advice on the Ilyce Glink Show on September 23, 2012 [...]
The Internet, satellite communications, and WiFi. Cozy laptops, iPads, and other portable devices. These things make it so easy to work or run your business from anywhere. One of TaxMama’s favorite sayings is that her students can attend her classes from anywhere on or off the planet—even the International Space Station—as long as there is [...]
One of the scariest letters you can get is an IRS audit notice. It may be tempting to just not deal with it—but what happens if you ignore it, praying it will go away? It won’t. If you ignore the notice, the IRS could disallow all your tax deductions—and perhaps your dependents. You’ll end up [...]
When you’re young and working, retirement planning isn’t always a top priority. Many people defer that kind of thinking until well into their middle years when genuine fears sink in about their readiness for retirement. Retirement years should be something to look forward to—but they only will be if you have prepared. Check out these [...]
Going solo on health insurance can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be if you break it down. Unlike employer-sponsored plans that have to accept everyone at the same price, private plans in most states base their prices on several factors such as the applicant’s age, weight, smoking status and medical history. This makes [...]
The stock market rises again. What does this mean for homeowners and the housing market? Can this growth continue in the face of persistent unemployment and other economic ills? And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and consumer advice on the Ilyce Glink Show on September 16, 2012 at 12:00 Eastern Time [...]
A divorced couple should sign a promissory note for the full amount owed. If one ex won't sign, that partner should quit claim the interest. Q: I have heard you speak many times on WGN radio and last year you were kind enough to respond to an email question regarding foreclosures. Here is another true [...]
