What can you do to help yourself get pre-approved? Remember when getting a mortgage was easy? Now, you need pre-approval. So how can you increase your chances of passing that all-important test? You want a lender in your corner. Sellers and agents don’t want to waste their time working with a buyer who isn’t pre-approved. [...]

It may be better to downsize that big home rather than keep it. You want to retire, and you own a large home that is nearly or fully paid off. The kids are gone, but the upkeep costs haven’t fallen. Should you retire and keep your home? Or sell your home and retire? Maybe it’s [...]

Before you make any extra mortgage payments, consider some factors. Should you pay off your home and own it free and clear before you retire? At first glance, the answer would seem to be “absolutely, if at all possible.” Retiring with less debt … isn’t that a good thing? Why not make a few extra [...]

In the coming years, many Americans will face the challenge. 70% of people currently over age 65 will require some long term care someday. That is the estimate of the U.S. Administration on Aging, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.1 Will Medicare or private health insurance pay for it? The [...]

Congress agrees on a bill. How would it change the financial landscape? President Obama will likely sign a bill into law ordering changes in the ways banks, credit card issuers and mortgage lenders interface with consumers. One could successfully argue these won’t stave off another financial meltdown, but here are the key features of the [...]