October 2019

How to Finance an Investment Property: 5 Tips and Tricks from the Pros

Whether you want to retire early or need some extra cash, rental properties are a great option. Learn how to finance an investment property today! Building wealth and generating a passive income are the top benefits of investing in real estate. You might have been considering making these investments, but don’t have the hard money to buy these properties. Believe it or not, you don’t have to use all your savings to build a real estate empire. Learning how to finance an investment property is vital to becoming a real estate mogul. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here are the top 5 tips you should follow to get the best deal when you finance investment properties. Take a … Read more

What Is Affirm and Is It Worthwhile for Consumers Financing Big Purchases?

by Hank Coleman

When you’re tight on cash and need to make a relatively large purchase, it can be challenging to decide how to pay for it without breaking the bank. Some folks immediately whip out their credit cards, while others look for ways to avoid the purchase until they can afford it. Another more moderate approach could be paying for the purchase in monthly installments over a set period of time (e.g., 3, 6, 9 or 12 months) through a lending program. One increasingly popular way for consumers to finance their purchases over time is by checking out with Affirm, which serves as a viable alternative to credit cards by letting you pay over time without incurring late fees, compounded interest, or … Read more

4 Scenarios Renting vs Buying Makes More Sense

by Hank Coleman

Most financial wisdom you come across these days strongly advocates for homeownership, but is this really the best financial path forward for some people? What about renting vs buying? We have no problem renting movies, leasing cars, staying in vacation rental homes, and even clothing (thanks to those personalized style subscription services that consumers are flocking to in order to keep their wardrobe fresh) – why do we always assume that owning a home would be a better option than renting? Of course, there are tons of benefits to owning your own home, the most important of which being that you don’t have monthly mortgage payments once your loan is paid off in 15-30 years. Whereas renters will continue paying … Read more

PocketGuard Review – Easily Track Your Spending and Create a Budget

by Hank Coleman

There are only so many hours in a day to manage everything from house chores and work to preparing meals, staying in touch with family and friends, and taking care of your kids, pets, plants, etc. When you add in multiple financial management obligations like remembering payment deadlines, allocating funds to the appropriate accounts, tracking your spending and regularly putting money into savings, life can get pretty hectic! Fortunately, there are plenty of new, innovative solutions for simplifying consumers’ busy lives, and I’m not just referring to robotic vacuum cleaners (though those are certainly helpful!). Take PocketGuard, for instance. This app is designed to transform your personal financial management strategies by streamlining the budgeting, payment scheduling, and spending-tracking processes for … Read more

How to Ask for a Pay Raise Without Getting Fired

by Hank Coleman

According to a Careerbuilder survey, a whopping 56% of workers have never asked for a raise, and women are less likely to ask than men. An analysis by Salary.com found that failing to negotiate could potentially cost you more than a million dollars over the course of your career. But, how do you ask for a pay raise? There are a couple of techniques that you can use to learn how to ask for a pay raise. Although unemployment rates are currently at their lowest levels since before 9/11, a major problem for many people in the workforce is stagnant wage growth. Some local and state governments have increased their minimum wages in an attempt to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of living, but even so, … Read more

Can You Save for a Mortgage Down Payment With Student Loan Debt?

by Hank Coleman

Tips Saving Down Payment and Buying A House With Student Loan Debt

According to Mother Jones, the median income for Millennials has decreased by 10% since 2000 while average home prices have increased significantly from where they were in 2000. This massive gap is caused by a combination of stagnant (or even deflated) wages and a housing market roaring back to life after the 2008 era crash. It is often preventing many people under 35 from being able to purchase their own homes. Student loan debt isn’t helping either. But, should you consider saving for a down payment and buying a house with student loan debt still hanging over your head? The answer may surprise you! But, sluggish income growth and unaffordable homes aren’t the only things holding younger potential homebuyers back. The average … Read more