Retirement strategy now is nothing like it was 100 years ago, and for today’s college graduates the retirement outlook is even more uncertain. Gone are the days of relying on Social Security to provide for a comfortable retirement. For many of my baby boomer clients, Social Security provides a nice cushion for retirement savings but [...]
This week, Facebook goes public, but is the social media site really worth $100 billion? Also job growth was unexpectedly strong for January. And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and consumer advice on the Ilyce Glink Show February 5, 2012 on WSB Radio. Hello Facebook! This week, the social media giant [...]
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman intends to hold some of the nation’s biggest banks, including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase accountable for what he calls “deceptive conduct” in the foreclosure crisis. The lawsuit was filed Friday against several big lenders, charging the creation and use of a private national mortgage electronic [...]
Not long ago, I joined a popular weight management program to help me shed some post-baby pounds. (No comment on the fact that my “babies” were almost entering their double-digit years!) As I started learning techniques for shedding extra weight, I noticed something interesting. As my weight went down, my husband’s and my savings balance [...]
This may be a good time to refinance to a fixed rate mortgage from an adjustable loan if you think your ARM interest rate will go up soon. Q: We have a first mortgage which is a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) for about $200,000 and a second mortgage for about $50,000. A recent appraisal [...]
Lending money to family and friends can lead to problems, particularly if they get divorced. Recovering the money may be even harder. Q: My wife and I are in our late 60's and two years ago we loaned my son and his wife $60,000 for a down payment on a home. They bought the home [...]
Eighty-five percent of homeowners maintained or reduced their mortgage debt in the fourth quarter of 2011, many by refinancing their mortgages, according to a report released Thursday by Freddie Mac. Earlier this week, a report issued by NPR and ProPublica accused the government-sponsored entity (GSE) of profiting off underwater homeowners by investing in funds that [...]
I’m more of a winter person than a summer person—I’d rather endure 20 degrees over sweating through 100 degrees any day. However, your home and property may not hold up as well through the winter, and Mother Nature can be very temperamental. I urge everyone to make sure your homeowners insurance policy is ready to [...]
