Every homeowner wants the lowest possible interest rate on their mortgage. And with interest rates at historic lows the thought of paying less interest and more on principal makes a lot of sense. But as appealing as the idea of refinancing is, homeowners nearing retirement should consider several factors...
I’m FREEZING! And that’s a good thing. I was recently notified by a large financial institution that someone was trying to open a credit card in my name. And even though I don’t have an account with the institution, there were red flags that made them put the application...
“Hey, when am I going to get my money?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard beneficiaries ask that question when they’ve been named in a Will or Trust. It’s not uncommon for the beneficiary to put pressure on the executor or trustee to speed up the...
When do you want to retire? For a lot of Americans, the answer is just as soon as possible. And it’s no wonder. Only 20% of U.S. workers are passionate about their jobs. 55% don’t like what they do. It’s a means to an end. They just want to...
Well, here’s a shocker—the cost of healthcare is getting more expensive all the time—much more. And with the highest inflation rate in forty years draining people’s purchasing power, more Americans are finding it harder to pay their medical bills too. It wasn’t much easier in 2021. The Kaiser Family...
You’ve done all the planning. Your trust is set up. You’re comfortable that your estate will be distributed exactly as you want. There’s just one more decision to make—an important one. Who should be the trustee?
James J. Ferraro, JD is vice president and legal counsel at Argent Trust Company....
One of the advantages of the Social Security system is the Survivor Benefit. Of the 65 million people receiving Social Security, approximately 6 million receive the Survivor Benefit because they are the widow, widower, surviving ex-spouse, minor children or permanently disabled adult children of a deceased worker. The amount...
“I
can’t wait to retire!” Have those words ever come out of your mouth? Oh, the
thought of divorcing that demanding, unreasonable boss; doing what you want
when you want; burning all the bridges you never intend to cross again. It’s
the payoff for all those years of hard work.
Unfortunately,
the retirement dream we’ve...
What a crazy housing market! Skyrocketing prices, no haggling on the asking price, and bidding wars that create offers way above the asking price. It’s almost become a national pastime waiting for the monthly Zillow estimate to arrive to see what your home is worth now. Yes, if you’re...