How’s this for a convincing excuse not to save for retirement? “I can’t help it. The human brain is programmed for financial failure.”
An estimated 80 percent of our decisions are made emotionally. Our brain is divided ...(more)
Economically, the first decade of the 21st Century has been, to put it mildly, “interesting.” It’s been a bit like riding a bobsled down a Black Hills slope, scooting up the other side, going off a steep cliff, and ...(more)
Last week we explored how you could use a reverse mortgage to produce an income for life while allowing you to live in your home until your death or you move out. We also considered the possibility of using a reverse ...(more)
One of my clients, on a recent trip to San Francisco, visited the King Tut exhibit. She said it made her wonder whether the ancient Egyptians gave so much attention to the afterlife that they never got around to living ...(more)
I recently discovered a new money script I didn’t realize I had: “Overall, owning stuff is better than renting stuff.”
Like all money scripts, this is only partially true. Yet it’s a belief that many of us have. It’s ...(more)
Like most financial planners, I recommend not thinking of your home as a part of your investment portfolio or a source of retirement income. One possible exception to this rule is a reverse mortgage.
Lenders which are ...(more)
A reverse mortgage should be an income source of last resort. There are a lot of pitfalls with taking out a reverse mortgage in its current form, not the least of which are the high fees to the banks and mortgage brokers. Here are links to two articles describing some of the cautions and drawbacks of a reverse mortgage, and what will hopefully be done in the future to remedy the abuses: http://www.reversemortgagelendersdirect.com/reverse-mortgage-disadvantages/
After a short period of saving more of their disposable income at the depths of the recent recession, Americans are returning to recent historical patterns of spending more and saving less.
Usually this trend indicates ...(more)
“The first step of every financial plan must address what we believe about money, because what we believe about money will impact what we do for and with money.”
This is the opening sentence of a column by Tim Maurer ...(more)
