For the first time in over 100 years, the State of Alabama had more deaths than births for the calendar year 2020. The unofficial numbers are 57,641 births and 64,714 deaths, of which 7,182 deaths were attributed to COVID. In total, nearly 14,000 Alabamians have died by COVID. COVID deaths have devastated many families in […]
The housing market has gone through the roof over the past year. Home sales in hot markets often sell within the first day for prices well above the asking price. Guess what is next? Higher property taxes! Many people over the age of sixty-five don’t realize or forget that they are likely eligible for an exemption […]
On the popular social media site, Tik Tok, a recently circulated video has gained a lot of notice. Its premise is that a smart financial move is to take out a 30-year mortgage on your home instead of a 15-year mortgage and invest the difference. The video distinguishes between a 15- year mortgage and a […]
The catastrophic damage in Louisiana and throughout the Northeast caused by Hurricane Ida is an important reminder of the value of homeowners insurance. According to the Insurance Information Institute, 2019 reported that 5.1% of insured homes had a homeowner’s claim. 97% of those claims were attributed to property damage, and 3% were losses from liability […]
The eviction moratorium was established early in the Covid-19 pandemic to provide relief for those struggling to pay rent due to the impact of Covid related health and financial issues. The initial moratorium technically expired on July 31, 2021, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) attempted to extend it without the proper legal authority […]
In recent SquareOne Financial Foundations blogs, we reviewed topics focused on saving for emergencies and retirement, but now let’s shift gears and dig into one of the most critical yet most misunderstood components of your financial life—credit. What is credit anyway? Simply put, credit is one’s capacity to borrow money or gain access to goods […]