Melanie Sedam One of the strengths of the home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) loan program is that there are not overly restrictive requirements, making these loans easier to qualify for than other financial products such as a mortgage refinance, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit (HELOC). You are eligible for a reverse…
Tag: Dollars and Sense
Features, March 2020
Dollars and Sense: Can You Improve Your Relationship with Money?
Jeff LeFave In your life, you will have all sorts of relationships – with your family, your friends, your co-workers, and even with civic groups and charitable organizations you support. But have you ever considered another key relationship – the one you have with money? Of course, this type of relationship has several aspects, such…
Features, February 2020
Dollars and Sense: Look for Changes in Retirement Plans
Jeff LeFave It might not have made the headlines, but a recently passed piece of legislation could affect the IRAs and 401(k)s of millions of Americans beginning in 2020. So, if you have either of these accounts, or if you run a business, you’ll want to learn more. The new laws, collectively called the Setting…
Features, February 2020
Mortgage Rates Have Dropped to Historic Lows
Melanie Sedam Mortgage rates have dropped to levels not seen since 2016 and homeowners are rushing to refinance. You can benefit even if you don’t cut your rate by a full percentage point – a rule of thumb you can safely ignore. The question is whether you will stay in your home long enough to…
Features, January 2020
Dollars and Sense: Is Market Timing a Smart Investment Strategy?
Jeff LeFave You may have heard that timing is everything. And in many walks of life, that may be true – but not necessarily when it comes to investing. To understand why this is so, let’s look at three common mistakes investors make. Selling investments and moving to cash when stocks are predicted to drop…
Features, November 2019
Dollars and Sense
Don’t change 401(k) mix during market drops Jeff LeFave As you’re well aware, we’ve seen some sudden and sizable drops in the financial markets in 2019. While market volatility is nothing new, the recent plunges happened during a period of general political and economic unease. Still, it can be harmful to overreact to such events…
Features, October 2019
Dollars & Sense: Be creative when withdrawing from retirement accounts
Jeff LeFave Like many people, you may spend decades putting money into your IRA, 401(k), or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan. But eventually you will want to take this money out. And, if you must start withdrawing some of it, how can you make the best use of these funds? To begin with, here’s some background:…
Features, September 2019
Dollars and Sense: The Paseo Financial Group
Melanie Sedam A recent survey, using public records, was conducted by a major title company here in Arizona to determine how many homeowners in the 55+ communities owned their home free and clear with no current mortgage payments. The results were startlingly low. Sun City West: Out of 18,218 homes, only 1139 homes (6.25%) were owned…
Features, September 2019
Dollars and Sense: Can “AI” help you become a better investor?
Edward Jones For the past several years, artificial intelligence, or AI, has increasingly found a place in many walks of life. Almost certainly, you use some form of AI, whether it’s your time on social media, your use of mobile banking, the navigation system on which you rely for directions, or any of the many…
Features, August 2019
Dollars and Sense
Fixed annuity could extend lifespan of retirement accounts Editor’s Note: “Dollars and Sense” is a new column in the Quail Creek Crossing dedicated to financial issues. This column is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information on the subject of personal finances. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any…