HELOC Home Equity Loan Secured by your home equity Secured by your home equity Low interest rates Low interest rates Usually variable rate Variable or fixed rate Draw funds multiple times One-time payout Upfront and annual fees Upfront fees, but no annual fees Secured by Home Equity Both home equity loans and HELOCs are secured … Read more
Reverse mortgages are special types of loans that give older homeowners a way to turn their home equity into a source of income they can use during retirement. When they move out or die, the lender usually takes and sells the home to repay the loan. There are some benefits to reverse mortgages, but there … Read more
If you’re like most people, you’ll need to take out a mortgage to buy a home. According to the US Census Bureau, 94% of people who bought a home in 2021 purchased it with a mortgage. When you start shopping for a mortgage, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are lots of different types of … Read more
Key Takeaways An enhanced life estate deed transfers ownership of property after the owner’s death without the necessity for probate. The owner retains control of the property after the deed is in place and during their lifetime, unlike with standard life estate deeds. Enhanced life estate deeds were recognized by only five states as of … Read more
Key Takeaways Tax-loss harvesting involves offsetting capital gains with capital losses so that little or no capital gains tax comes due. Investors might intentionally sell some securities at a loss to achieve this when they have significant gains. Losses can offset regular income by up to $3,000 when they exceed gains. Any losses over the … Read more
Definition and Example of Actual Cash Value Actual cash value (ACV) is how an insurance company measures a property’s worth at a given moment in time. It accounts for depreciation. You may come across the term if you make a car insurance claim, or a claim on your homeowner’s policy. Some policies use replacement cost … Read more
If you’ve ever read a report from an investment analyst, you may have seen stocks described as “overweight.” It can be a confusing term. Most people are used to seeing more simple “buy” or “sell” ratings. If an analyst rates a stock as “overweight,” they think that the stock will perform well in the future. … Read more
Key Takeaways A stock quote shows the current price of a stock based on recent activity on its exchange. It also includes a wide range of additional information to help investors judge a stock’s profit potential. Depending on where you are getting your stock quotes, prices could be delayed, which could affect your trades. Definition … Read more
Key Takeaways Fungible investments can be bought and sold on different exchanges. Fungible trading works when you can buy/sell on one exchange, and sell/buy on another exchange, netting your share position to zero and earning a profit. Opportunities to profit from price differences are known as arbitrage, and they come and go quickly as the … Read more
Key Takeaways Elder law is a field of law that focuses on legal issues that affect older individuals. Major areas of elder law include disability and special-needs planning, long-term care planning, estate planning and settlement, guardianship or conservatorship, and elder abuse. Elder law attorneys can be found through the NAELA. Definition and Example Elder Law … Read more