Helpful articles to get you on
the path to a better retirement.
10 Useful, Thoughtful Gifts for Older Americans
Gifts They’ll Actually Appreciate Delivering the perfect gift is never easy but hitting the mark for older Americans can be especially challenging. If they humbly tell you they have everything or don’t need anything, take a closer look. Everyone wants to be acknowledged and made to feel special, and nothing communicates that message or feeling […]
Read More10 Ways You Can Improve Your Mental Health at Home
If you’re like many Americans, you may feel that 2020 pushed you to the breaking point. It was back in August 2020 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 2 in 5 U.S. residents reported struggling with mental or behavioral health issues associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.1 […]
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Retain Your Home and Age in Place in Uncertain Times
Homeownership offers many advantages, not the least of which is the opportunity for appreciation, an increase in your home’s equity over time. For example, a median-priced home in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area was about $164,000 in 2011. By July 2020, the median home price in the same Twin Cities metro region was $305,000, an increase […]
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Guide to Reverse Mortgages – What You Need to Know
A reverse mortgage loan is a financial tool capable of doing many things. Besides paying off your current mortgage, you can use it to pay bills, supplement retirement income, fix up your home, cover the cost of medical care, or simply reserve it as a powerful safety net for your retirement. Your options are virtually […]
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We Buy Houses – Too Good to Be True?
The letter arrived at just the right time. A week after her mother died in mid-2019, Suzanne was thinking about selling the family home her parents had owned since the early 1990s in the Sacramento foothills of California. A letter from a real estate investor offered close to $300,000 in cash to buy the home. […]
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Ways to Get Your House in Financial Order
“If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.” – Earl Wilson Over the decades, you’ve probably uttered a variation of the statement, “I need to get my act together.” In your 20s, maybe you were trying to decide on a career path. In your 30s, maybe you wrestled […]
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How to Create an Emergency Fund
An “emergency fund” is essentially a cash reserve set aside for unplanned expenses or financial emergencies. It’s your defense against Murphy’s Law, the idea that anything that can go wrong will go wrong over time, which could negatively impact your home, health, or finances. While defining an emergency fund is relatively easy, determining how much […]
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CA Prop 19 Expands Homebuying Opportunities
With the Nov. 3, 2020 passage of California’s Proposition 19, homeowners age 55 and older can now transfer their home’s Proposition 13 tax savings to a replacement home, including a more expensive one, anywhere in California. The tax break, which can be used up to three times, also extends to California homeowners with severe disabilities […]
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Reverse Mortgage and Medicaid: What You Should Know
Medicare is Awesome, But It’s Not Free – The Medigap v. Advantage Decision Generally, if you have reached the age of 65 and you have paid Medicare taxes (these are the FICA deductions on your paycheck) for at least 10 years, you will likely be eligible to receive Medicare benefits. But Medicare (Part A, hospital […]
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Can a Family Member Be Added to a Reverse Mortgage?
Can a Family Member Be Added to a Reverse Mortgage? People seem to enjoy making additions of one sort or another. Homeowners might add an extra bedroom to accommodate visiting in-laws. Golfers might add a solo player to complete a foursome. Or magicians might add a routine to improve their act. Unfortunately, however, you can’t […]
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