Pros and Cons of Putting Less Than 20% Down Payment on a House

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Why I Don't Mind Losing Money as a Landlord

For decades, 20% has been the golden standard for down payments on a home, but is that still the case today? With more and more Millennial consumers entering the housing market – many of them already averaging $27,000 in non-mortgage debt – lenders have increasingly offered favorable options to help individuals and families achieve their homeownership dreams without requiring the full 20% down payment beforehand. After all, a 2020 report from the National Association of Realtors found that a whopping 30% of 22-29 year-old homebuyers agreed that “saving for a down payment” was the hardest part of the home-buying process (20% of 30-39 year-olds agreed with this statement as well). Of those survey respondents, 59% of the 22-29 year-olds and … Read more

Top 4 Key Financial Planning Strategies for Dual Income No Kids (DINK) Couples

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dual income no kids

The costs of having kids have skyrocketed over the past several years, as expenses like childcare, education tuition, and other essentials continue to outpace average inflation rates. For dual income no kids (DINK) couples, kid-related costs won’t factor into your financial planning efforts for the most part, which means your budget, savings goals, and investment strategies will look pretty different from other families’ finances. Regardless of the reasons why you’re child-free, it would be best if you still had a solid financial strategy in place to ensure you and your partner are secure in both the short and long term as a dual income no kids (DINK) couple. You may not need to worry about affording childcare, contributing to 529 … Read more

Top 5 Essential Ways the COVID-19 Pandemic Will Change Personal Finance

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change personal finance

When Covid-19 first hit the U.S. in the spring of 2020, we witnessed one of the largest and fastest unemployment spikes in American history. While the stock market has rebounded to all-time highs during the pandemic, Main Street has been spiraling downward.  Covid will change personal finance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that 11% of adults in the U.S. didn’t have enough to eat over the past 7 days (compared to 3.4% of adults who reported insufficient access to food over the course of 12 whole months before the pandemic). The CBPP data from January 2021 also showed that 21% of adults were behind on rent, and 35% had reportedly struggled to pay for typical household expenses … Read more

Is Ethereum a Good Investment? Everything Cryptocurrency Investors Need to Know

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ethereum

Ethereum has been considered by many – including Forbes – as “the next Bitcoin”. It’s built off blockchain technology like Bitcoin. Still, Ethereum provides an extra layer of functionality such as automated smart contracts, which enable self-executing code without the user worrying about any third-party intervention. But, Is Ethereum a good investment? Many of these smart contracts are powered by Ethereum’s cryptocurrency/token called “ether”. Ether is the money of the Ethereum network, and you can buy, sell, trade, and store ether in much the same way as Bitcoin. What makes it so appealing to so many also explains its volatility when it comes to price. It changes fast, which means there’s a lot more room for growth! This is why … Read more

How Rising Healthcare Costs Can Frustrate Your Retirement Dreams

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unexpected hospital bills

Although older adults (ages 65 and older) only account for 16% of the current U.S. population, data from the Kaiser Family Foundation found this age group accounts for 36% of all healthcare spending in the U.S. each year. When you factor in people 55+ years old, this demographic comprises just 29% of the U.S. population but accounts for 56% of all healthcare spending. Rising healthcare costs can crush your retirement dreams. The fact that older people have more expensive, more frequent healthcare needs than younger people is no surprise. Still, it’s alarming to see just how much money quality geriatric care requires, especially when healthcare costs are rising much more quickly than wage growth and cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for social … Read more

How to Easily Make Money Renting Your Land for Camping

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renting your land for camping

Ever since Airbnb first took the sharing economy by storm in 2008, dozens of similar home-away-from-home platforms have sprung up to provide niche travel experiences for consumers seeking alternatives to traditional motels and hotels. It’s been largely a win-win experience for guests and hosts alike: travelers get access to more affordable, unique accommodations, and homeowners get extra income on the side without having to leave the comfort of their own homes. But, did you know that you can make money renting your land for camping? Beyond the usual Airbnb options – such as renting a room in someone else’s private residence or booking an entire home for yourself and friends or family – multiple websites now let you host and/or … Read more