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Thursday’s need-to-know money news

October 24, 2013 By Liz Weston

RelationshipToday’s top story: Why Millennials may not be able to retire until their 70s. Also in the news:How to avoid cell phone bill surprises, the pros and cons of taking social security early, and how to calculate if you can refinance your home.

Millennials May Not Be Able To Retire Until Age 73
Crippling student debt could force Millennials to work an extra decade.

How to Avoid Cellphone Gotchas
Don’t let your cellphone become a money pit.

What age is best to start taking Social Security?
The pros and cons of taking social security early.

End-of-Year Tax Planning Tips
It’s never too early to start getting your taxes in order.

How to Figure Out If You Can Refinance Your Home
Two simple ways to calculate refinancing options.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: cell phone bills, millennials, mortgage, refinancing, Retirement, Social Security, tax tips

Reverse mortgage: what to consider

September 30, 2013 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: All my friends have said I should get a reverse mortgage to be able to live more comfortably and still stay in my house. I would think our greedy banking system would give you only 50% of value and have a high interest rate that would chew up the remaining value. What is your advice on the merits of this option?

Answer: A reverse mortgage program that lets you tap too much of your home equity wouldn’t be in business very long.

Reverse mortgages allow people 62 and older to borrow against the value of their homes without having to make payments on the debt. Instead, the amount they owe typically increases over time because interest is charged on the loan, and that adds up. Lenders get paid back when the owner moves out, sells the house or dies. If the house is worth less than the debt, the lender (or more often the insurer) suffers a loss.

Too-generous lending standards have already caused trouble for previous iterations of the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, the federally insured option most often used by borrowers. Too many borrowers grabbed big lump sums up front, straining the program’s reserves and leaving the borrowers with few options if they ran into hard times later. Defaults rose as borrowers failed to pay their property taxes and insurance premiums as required.

The Federal Housing Administration, which insures HECMs, has tightened the rules so that borrowers can access less of their equity upfront. Fees also have increased.

How much you can borrow using a HECM depends on your age, the home’s value and current interest rates. Interest rates for lump-sum withdrawals are fixed, while those for lines of credit you can tap over time are variable.

You’ll certainly get a better (or at least less expensive) deal if you borrow 60% or less of your home’s value. The mortgage insurance premium for loans below that level is 0.5% of the home’s appraised worth under the new federal government rules that go into effect Monday. Those borrowing more than 60% face a premium equal to 2.5% of the home’s value. That’s in addition to a 1.25% annual mortgage insurance premium.

There’s no getting around the fact that these are expensive and complex loans. They’re usually not a great choice for people who have other assets to tap. They also can prove a land mine for people who drain their home equity too early and wind up with no resources later in life. On the other hand, they can provide a more comfortable retirement for those who would otherwise be strapped for cash, particularly if the borrowers opt for a steady stream of monthly payments rather than the upfront lump sum.

If you are considering a reverse mortgage, you should talk to a fee-only financial planner who is familiar with the program and who can review your other alternatives.

Filed Under: Q&A, Real Estate, Retirement Tagged With: mortgage, Retirement, reverse mortgage

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

September 4, 2013 By Liz Weston

Offering AdviceGetting creative with your down payment, must-have documents for estate planning, and common mistakes to avoid when buying your first home.

5 Creative Ways to Come Up With a Down Payment
None of which involve selling a kidney!

3 Retirement Planning Tactics to Adopt Before You Hit 60
These tactics will make the transition to retirement go more smoothly.

Documents that Should be Part of Everyone’s Estate Plans
These documents are a vital part of any estate plan.

9 ways to cut your student loan debt
Reducing student loan debt isn’t impossible.

5 First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes to Avoid
These common mistakes could have long term repercussions.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Down Payment, Estate Planning, first-time homebuyer, mortgage, Retirement, Student Loans

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

August 22, 2013 By Liz Weston

HomeHow to beat car dealers at their own game, managing your own wealth, and how to stay in your home after losing a spouse.

The Secret to Beating a Car Dealer
How to negotiate the best deal when purchasing a new car.

Why You Should Manage Your Own Money
Tips on how to manage your own wealth.

What’s the right mortgage for you?
Selecting the proper mortgage is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make.

Where It Costs The Most (And Least) To Own A Car
See where your state ranks.

After spouse dies, how to keep the house?
Advice on how to make decisions during one of the most difficult times of your life.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: car buying, money management, mortgage

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

July 31, 2013 By Liz Weston

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailGetting a mortgage with bad credit, busting financial myths, and how to survive back-to-school shopping with your teenager.

How to Get a Mortgage With Bad Credit

Buying a home is still possible even with bad credit.

7 Personal Finance Myths That May Have Fooled You

Mythbusting, finance style.

5 Financial Decisions That Sound Smart But Are Really Dumb
What sounds good at that time could be bad in the long run.

How to Avoid New Bank Fees
Tips on avoiding the ever growing list of bank fees.

How to Handle Back-to-School Shopping With Teens
Back-to-school shopping with your teen doesn’t have to be a nightmare.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: back to school, banking, Credit, mortgage

Friday’s need-to-know money news

June 7, 2013 By Liz Weston

House With Tree DamageThe inconvenient costs of convenience checks, the effects of the sequester on the unemployed, how to save money by purchasing an energy efficient home, how to save your financial sanity when your kids move back home and why hurricane season means it’s time to check your auto insurance coverage.

The True Costs of Credit Card Convenience Checks

The checks sent by your credit card company under the guise of convenience could lead to some very inconvenient fees.

Why the Unemployed Are Seeing Smaller Checks

The effects of sequestration mean 11% to 22% cuts for unemployment checks.

Bill Would Sweeten Loans for Energy-Efficient Homes

Purchasing an energy-efficient home could land you a larger mortgage and a lower interest rate under a Senate bill introduced with broad real estate industry support.

How to Set Money Ground Rules For A Boomerang Kid

With over 13% of parents having a grown child living at home, it’s important to set financial ground rules in order to keep the peace.

Hurricane season: Make sure your car is covered

Hurricanes damage hundreds of thousands of cars, but insurer rules prevent last-minute buying of coverage. Now is the time to review your policy.

 

Filed Under: Liz's Blog, Saving Money, The Basics Tagged With: auto insurance, Credit Cards, Insurance, mortgage, mortgage rates

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