6 Benefits of a Discover Online Savings Account
Start saving with a convenient, high-yield account that has no fees.*
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Start saving with a convenient, high-yield account that has no fees.*
The post 6 Benefits of a Discover Online Savings Account appeared first on Discover Bank – Banking Topics Blog.
Now more than ever before, weâre seeing more adults choosing to live at home as they grow in years, or what is known as aging in place. Living at home helps aging adults maintain their lifestyle for as long as possible, rather than moving into a nursing home or assisted care center. In fact, three-quarters …
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The post Home Improvements and Modifications for Aging in Place appeared first on Redfin | Real Estate Tips for Home Buying, Selling & More.
Buying your first house is a big decision. Not only is it a major financial investment, but the location of your home determines your community, neighbors, and perhaps where your children go to school. Becoming a homeowner isn’t for everyone—but if it is one of your financial goals, I recommend that you begin preparing as far in advance as possible.
In this post, you’ll learn 7 key home-buying tips to get prepared, save money, and become a happy homeowner. Plus, I’ll cover some generational trends and challenges that Millennials, Gen Xers, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Gen may face when buying a home.
According to a National Association of Realtors study, 36% of home buyers are Millennials or Gen Y, who are age 37 or younger. And 65% of these buyers are first-timers who are also married couples. They’re increasingly buying single-family homes in the suburbs.
Gen X buyers, who range in age from 38 to 52, make up 26% of home buyers. The NAR report shows they are ethnically diverse, in their peak earning years, and purchase more expensive homes compared to other generations. They’re the most likely to choose homes based on convenience to work and the quality of school districts.
Younger Boomers from age 53 to 62 make up 18% of home buyers. They typically move for a job or to downsize after their kids leave home. Older Boomers in the 63 to 71 age range make up 14% of home buyers. They’re more likely to move the longest distances for retirement, to downsize, or to be closer to family and friends.
Those age 72 to 92 are part of The Silent Generation and make up just 6% of home buyers. Most have already retired and have the lowest income compared to other age groups. They’re more likely to purchase a residence in a senior-care facility than a detached home.
The process of buying a home is largely the same no matter your age. But keep reading for tips to overcome some generational challenges you may face and how to get the best home deal possible.
Most of us start out renting because it doesn’t require a big upfront financial investment. But the downside to renting is that your monthly payments are a pure expense. In other words, once you pay rent, that money is gone forever.
When you own a home, it comes with some nice financial perks, including:
Additionally, when you own a home, you can have the lifestyle you want, spread out, and express your personal style.
But depending on where you live, renting may be more affordable than owning a comparable home. This is usually the case in big cities, such as New York and San Francisco.
Renting also comes with a convenient lifestyle, especially if you don’t like dealing with maintenance, doing yard work, or you travel frequently. So, no matter your age, knowing if you should buy a home really depends on:
For the vast majority of home buyers, you’ll need to qualify for a home mortgage to purchase property. Building credit is always important, but it’s critical before buying a home. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned homeowner, your credit is a primary factor that mortgage lenders consider when evaluating you.
Not only does repairing and building credit help you get approved for a mortgage in the first place, it’s the key to locking in a low interest rate that saves huge amounts of money over the life of your loan.
For example, if you get a $200,000 fixed-rate mortgage with excellent credit, you’ll pay about $145,000 in interest with a 30-year loan. But if you have average credit, you’ll pay close to $190,000 in interest for the same loan.
Having less-than-stellar credit costs you $45,000 just in interest. Even if you sell your home before paying off the mortgage, having excellent credit translates into a monthly payment that’s $125 less than if you have average credit.
If you invested $125 per month for retirement, instead of paying it to a mortgage lender, it could easily grow into a nest egg worth over $200,000 within 30 years. Small financial habits, like how you handle credit, really add up. Read 6 Steps to Build or Repair Your Credit Before Buying a Home for key strategies to follow ahead of your home loan application.
Building credit takes time, and Millennial home buyers may have a short credit history or more student loan debt, compared to Gen X and Baby Boomers. That means Millennials should review their credit reports and make financial adjustments earlier in the home-buying process than older buyers.
There are many great programs for first-time homebuyers that may include mortgage interest subsidies or down payment assistance. But did you know that even if you owned a home in the past, you may still be eligible?
Many first-time homebuyer programs define a first-timer as someone who has not owned real estate in the past three years.
Many first-time homebuyer programs define a first-timer as someone who has not owned real estate in the past three years. So be sure to investigate and ask your mortgage lender how these programs could save you money, no matter your age or even if you owned a home in the past.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and one of its agencies, called the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), have helped more than 30 million people become homeowners since 1934.
These agencies don’t make loans, but they insure loans. That means lenders that give them will get paid even if the borrowers don’t make loan payments. This encourages lenders to give mortgages to hopeful homebuyers who might not qualify otherwise.
With an FHA loan, you don’t need excellent credit or a high down payment to qualify. The loan limits for a single-family home vary throughout the country but typically range from the low $100,000s to just over $200,000.
Ask your lender for details about FHA programs for first-time buyers. Or contact a HUD housing counselor for free or low-cost advice about your options.
Before you can qualify for a mortgage, you’ll need to prove to a potential lender that you have enough in savings to fund a down payment. It’s a one-time cash payment you pay at the home's closing.
You must make a down payment because home lenders generally won’t finance 100% of the purchase price. The bigger the down payment you can make, the less risky the loan is for the lender.
When you make a purchase offer on a home you can request that the seller pay some or all of your closing costs.
Plus, there are closing costs in addition to a home’s purchase price. These costs vary depending on where you buy a home. But remember that in real estate, everything is negotiable.
When you make an offer on a home, you can request that the seller pay some or all of your closing costs. You can also haggle with your mortgage lender not to charge certain upfront fees.
If you do negotiate with a lender to avoid fees, just make sure that it doesn’t cost you more in the long run. They can make up for fees by charging you a higher interest rate or including fees in the total amount of the loan, which means you’d end up paying interest on your closing costs.
The money for a down payment can come from your savings or gifts from family. If you’re already a homeowner, your down payment can come from the money you make when you sell your current home.
If you can make a 20% down payment on a home, you’ll avoid paying private mortgage insurance or PMI. PMI is s a special kind of insurance that lenders typically require you to pay when you borrow more than 80% of the value of a property, even if you have excellent credit.
So, exactly how much down payment you’ll need is difficult to pin down. It depends on the price of the home, the type of mortgage you get, and customary closing costs in the market. In general, you need enough cash to cover these main costs:
Once you begin saving money for a house down payment, you’ll probably get a little anxious about where to keep it. You might be tempted to invest it with the hope of turbocharging its growth.
But financial markets are volatile in the short term, which means you could lose all or a significant portion of your money right before you need it. Instead, tuck your down payment savings in a high-yield, FDIC-insured savings account.
That ensures your money will be completely safe, give you flexibility, and earn some interest to boot. Online banks typically offer the highest interest rates because they don’t have as much overhead as institutions with local branches. However, local credit unions can be competitive—if you qualify for membership.
Once you’re ready to become a homeowner, have good credit, and plenty of down payment funds, the next step is to get preapproved for a mortgage. Not only does a pre-approval tell you how much you can afford, it indicates that you’re a serious buyer who could close the deal quickly.
Depending on the seller’s circumstances, being able to close quickly could give you a huge leg up. They may accept your offer instead of a higher one that would take longer to close.
But remember that just because you’re pre-approved for a certain amount doesn’t mean you should borrow it. You’ll have other costs every month, in addition to the mortgage payment. These are called the PITI, which stands for principal, interest, taxes, and insurance:
Taxes and insurance can be rolled into your mortgage payment and then paid by your lender on your behalf. Additionally, you’ll have to pay utilities, maintenance, and perhaps homeowner association dues.
Don’t make the mistake of stretching your finances too far to buy a home. It may leave you house-rich but cash-poor and unable to save for other goals, such as retirement.
When you make an offer on a home, use your poker face with the seller or real estate agents. As I’ve mentioned, in real estate everything is negotiable. So, be interested, but not too eager.
Most sellers expect you to negotiate on one or more factors of the deal such as purchase price, potential repairs, and closing costs. Always make a purchase offer contingent on the results of a professional home inspection, a C.L.U.E. home insurance claim report, and additional evaluations customary in your area, such as a termite report. Do your due diligence carefully.
Before the closing, you should receive the Settlement Statement, Form HUD-1 from the real estate agent, closing attorney, or title company. Review it carefully, ask questions about charges you don’t understand, and make any necessary changes.
The closing agent will have a stack of documents for you and the seller to sign. You can handle it in person or remotely through the mail. The mortgage and deed will be recorded in the county records registry and you’ll receive a copy of everything. And finally, you can celebrate becoming a homeowner.
It’s easy to get swept up in the beauty of a home, its décor, its neighborhood, or the new lifestyle that you envision there. But take a step back and view every real estate purchase as an investment, even if it’s going to be your home sweet home.
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Key house image courtesy of Shutterstock.
Do you want to become debt free? Would you like to no longer have debt payments hanging over your head? Do you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck, and instead be able to save for the future? Paying off debt is hard work. If it weren’t so hard, then it would be no problem […]
The post Learn How To Become Debt Free – Stop Living With Debt For Good! appeared first on Making Sense Of Cents.
Annuities are typically purchased for retirement purposes. While they are not for everyone, they can be the perfect pension substitute or a supplement to a pension that might not be sufficient to provide for your living expenses. But one of the big worries that most people have when it comes to retirement is inflation. No […]
The post Cost of Living Rider for Your Annuity appeared first on Good Financial Cents®.
Youâve always heard itâs important to save as much as you can, but what does that really mean? Realistically speaking, saving can be hard once your paycheck hits your bank account. Bills, necessities, and extra wants may slowly diminish your…
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The post How Much of Your Paycheck Should You Save Each Month? appeared first on MintLife Blog.
With rents rising and wages stagnant, affording rent can be an insurmountable burden.
The path from helpless baby to world-changing adult is walked via baby steps. Tried-and-true improvement through marginal gains.
Here are some of the tried-and-true methods, along with benefits unique to each approach.
No one likes medical surprises in the form of emergency dental or medical attention. Working adults who neglect doctor and dentist visits are taking serious risks.
Living right and staying healthy means getting the medical attention you need, and getting it routinely. Especially after the age of 50, it's smart to have a full medical exam once per year. There's a reason medical coverage typically reimburses in full for annual check-ups and twice-yearly dental exams. Carriers would much rather pay for a relatively inexpensive wellness exam or check-up than fork over a sizable sum of money for long-term treatment regimens that could have been avoided with preventive care.
Purchasing life insurance does two very important things. First, it allows you to provide for your family's financial needs after you're gone. Second, if you get permanent coverage, like a standard whole life policy, you can sell it if you ever need money in an emergency, or for any reason at all.
There's genuine peace of mind that comes with knowing your loved ones are protected from financial stress after you pass away. And if you face unexpected bills and need a ready source of funds, you can simply go online and get several estimates on the sale price of your whole life policy.
The process is fast and simple. Plus, when you sell your life insurance policy, the only amount of the proceeds that are taxable are those that exceed the tax basis (the total amount of premiums you've paid to date). Selling can be a very wise move, too—often, when one spouse passes away, when there's a dire need to pay unexpected medical or other kinds of bills, or the premiums become too high.
Stress has the potential to cause medical problems, but it also can make you miserable. The good news is that there are effective ways to beat stress and minimize its effects. Learning to meditate or taking part in guided relaxation sessions are two popular strategies. Regular exercise, stretching, and yoga are other choices that many people find satisfying for keeping stress at bay.
When you get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, it's much easier to wake up refreshed and feeling good every morning. Having the inner calm and physical relaxation that comes with regular, restful sleep means being able to take on the day with a positive outlook and a body that's ready to withstand 16 hours of activity. When you realize that sleep is part of your lifestyle, it's easier to make a commitment to get the amount you need.
There's an entire industry based on the concept of PMA, or positive mental attitude. Classic books about winning friends, influencing people, and simply thinking in order to grow rich point to the immense power of the human mind.
Of course, maintaining a positive attitude is easier said than done. It takes effort, patience, and persistence. But once you decide to cultivate a PMA, you're already finished with the first step of the journey. The upside is that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books and no-cost online videos about how to create a positive outlook and attitude. The rewards are measurable and real and include things like being able to sleep more soundly, handle life's challenges more adeptly, and find solutions in the face of adversity.
As the classic tune from the 1940s suggests, it helps to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive. Those timeless words of wisdom contain some potent advice. One way to make your life better is to say goodbye to destructive, negative forces, habits, and ways of thinking.
What does that mean for everyday people who seek self-improvement? It means they have plenty to gain from banishing harmful behaviors like smoking, drinking too much alcohol, taking part in dangerous sports like cliff diving, base jumping, and amateur race driving.
That's not to say there's anything wrong or with those activities when you do them in moderation and with appropriate safety measures in place. But they carry enough risk to make insurance carriers raise rates or flat out deny coverage to participants. So, if you have the desire to purchase an insurance policy that pays a death benefit to someone when you pass away, steer clear of extreme sports and risky hobbies.
Planning, both long- and short-range, gives you options and advance warning about financial and other types of problems. Consider making written, detailed plans about buying a first home, your career path, educational goals, relationship goals, whether you want to have a family or not, long-term care insurance, etc. Planning makes things real and attainable. A lifestyle that incorporates planning is a sustainable, rewarding one.