We're into the Christmas Run Up. The Dow, NASDAQ and S&P are all over the place, affected in large part by confusion in the EU. And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and consumer advice on the Ilyce Glink Show December 11, 2011 on WSB Radio. How can December 25th be just [...]
Refinancing is hard these days, but if you have a small or low balance loan, it may be harder and the refi costs are more important than ever. Q: In 2003, I refinanced my home with a $100,000 15-year mortgage at 5.25 percent. My balance now is about $50,000 and I have six years left [...]
After divorce, home equity in former marital home may be lost without good planning and consideration of housing market downturn. Q: My ex-spouse and I own a home together that sits on a big piece of property. When we divorced, he opted to continue to live in the house. Our divorce decree gave him he [...]
Just because you have retirement plans on your mind does not mean you can't get a loan, but you must be truthful on the loan application. Q: A caller to your radio show recently indicated that he was going to retire soon. I was disappointed that you would suggest a borrower be deceptive - granted, [...]
In this series, we will ask top experts for their retirement advice on the most common retirement questions from our readers. Every portfolio is different, but when it comes to your retirement planning, many people have the same retirement questions and make the same retirement mistakes. Retirement expert and certified financial planner Bill Losey shares [...]
If you’re going to be out on the road, auto insurance is a requirement. However, with the recent economic downturn, people have had to make some tough choices in their budgets and changes to their spending habits. Unfortunately, important expenses—like insurance—may sometimes get cut. What happens if you get into an accident with someone who [...]
Looking over my projected tax return, it seems my husband and I cannot itemize our deductions. The interest rate on our mortgage is so low that we no longer have enough interest to take Schedule A over the standard deduction for married couples. I’m now looking for other options for my charitable tax deduction. Do [...]
Paying down mortgage balance may be beneficial for many homeowners, but if your loan is underwater, is it still worthwhile? Q: I cannot find a straight answer to this anywhere. Is it worth paying extra on the principal on our loan if my home is underwater? We plan on being in the home for at [...]
In this series, we will ask top experts for their retirement advice on the most common retirement questions from our readers. Every portfolio is different, but when it comes to your retirement planning, many people have the same retirement questions and make the same retirement mistakes. How do I pick my retirement date? Be able [...]
With good timing and a good offer, you should succeed in negotiating with a seller. Our friends received an offer for their house while they were away on vacation. The initial offer came in about 12 percent below their asking price. They thought it was low. We thought it was a good initial offer. They [...]
