In December of 2020, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two largest government-controlled mortgage companies, which purchase half of all mortgages in the US, applied an additional 0.5% fee to all of their conventional loan purchases. The fee, intended to reduce Covid-19 and the housing market risks, added approximately $1,400 in costs to an average […]
Wells Fargo recently announced it would no longer offer personal lines of credit. Instead, customers with account balances will be required to begin a payoff schedule. The typical open line-of-credit might be for as little as $3,000 or as much as $100,000. These accounts were used for such things as home improvements or loan consolidations. […]
Our last SquareOne blog covered retirement savings for individuals with defined contribution retirement plans through their employer – the 401(k) with the Employer Match. However, suppose you are one of the 36% of private industry workers whose employer does not offer a defined contribution plan. In that case, you may be looking for options on […]
Could delaying Social Security be the key to winning the retirement game? For many couples, the answer is a definite “Yes.” For most pre-retirees, the full SS retirement age is sixty-six (and a few months). That is the age when you can receive your full benefits based on your work history. However, you can begin […]
Last week’s article, Wealth Creation Made Easy, discussed a few time-tested rules to help you achieve significant wealth. The article highlighted three areas – that should you have consistent success in achieving, will provide you with a framework in creating wealth. Let’s take a deeper dive and discuss a few additional thoughts to make following […]
What does it mean to be wealthy? While there is no right or wrong answer, a recent 2021 survey conducted by Charles Schwab suggests Americans believe $1.9 million in net worth qualifies as wealthy. While most consider accumulating this kind of wealth a herculean task, only reserved for a select few, the truth is anyone […]
PIMCO is a leader in fixed income markets with more than $2 trillion of assets under management. They recently completed a study involving 750 wealthy investors who were either near retirement or already retired. The research focused on the changing psychology of retirees versus the ‘numbers’…how much money you need to retire and how much […]
If you want to achieve financial freedom by retirement age or earlier, you are going to have to invest a lot of money. To invest successfully, you will need to spend the time learning how to invest or hand over at least a portion of the responsibility to a professional investment advisor. Choosing an advisor […]
The conversation surrounding the transition to retirement is often limited to its financial aspects. While finances are certainly a big part of the retirement equation, other non-financial considerations should not be neglected. For most, a job is more than just a means to a financial end, but something providing purpose and a sense of belonging […]
One of the biggest frustrations for savers over the past year is the reduction in the amount of interest they are receiving in checking and savings accounts. While this is not a tremendous problem in and of itself, the recent concerns surrounding inflation exacerbate the problem when potential losses of purchasing power add to the […]