The U.S. government is borrowing $1.9 trillion to provide pandemic relief and stimulate the economy. A big chunk of that will be direct payments to Americans. I won’t get into the details of who gets what; you can find that here. Long story short, many Americans will get more than a thousand dollars deposited to…
Viewing category: Real Estate
Don’t Let an Oppressive Mortgage Prolong Your Career
A former manager was into office gift-giving. Most of the team was over 50. As a joke, she gave everyone a pocket guide to texting acronyms. The “older folks” were still learning about terms like LOL, TL;DR, LMFAO, OMG, and WTF. This was around 2014 before we had our third child. Flipping through the pages,…
How I Quit My Career at 39 with Out-of-State Rental Properties
The following is a guest post by Eric Hughes, who writes the blog Rental Income Advisors. Eric left his corporate job by creating passive income with out-of-state rental properties. He owns 18 properties that produce nearly $70,000 per year. Eric explains how rental properties can be a shorter path to financial independence than a traditional…
8 Alternative Investment Ideas for Asset Diversification
Diversification is said to be the only free lunch in the investment world. If your stock portfolio is heavily weighted toward one company, you can reduce your risk by purchasing shares of other companies. The same is true for asset classes. As your stock accounts grow with regular contributions and gains, your net worth becomes…
Roofstock Review 2021: Build Wealth Through Real Estate
This Roofstock review was updated on 01/01/2021. Roofstock is a real estate property marketplace specifically designed for investors. Real estate investors can search for, analyze, and purchase profitable single-family rentals (SFRs) from the convenience of a computer or phone. Roofstock provides an end-to-end experience that enables investors who live in high cost of living areas…
When to Refinance a Mortgage for Maximum Benefit
A mortgage refinance can be an excellent way to increase cash flow in your monthly budget if the numbers work. But how do you know when to refinance a mortgage? Spoiler alert — it depends. I’ve gone through five mortgage refinances since 2006, and I’m working through number six now that rates are at historic…
24 Small Investment Ideas to Cultivate Wealth
There’s no shortage of small investment ideas now that financial platforms are finally catering to investor demand. Many of the asset classes we take for granted today weren’t readily available to beginner investors a decade ago. Access to commission-free online brokers, fractional shares, and innovative exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has broadened the universe of investments available…
AcreTrader Review 2021: Farmland Investing for Income and Growth
This AcreTrader review was updated on 01/01/2021. About 60% of American farms are owner-operated. That leaves about 40% of farmland that’s rented or leased to farmers by landowners. The majority of farm landowners inherited the land and have either retired or have no interest in farming. Since farmland is commonly passed down to younger generations and…
The 18 Best Income-Producing Assets for Retirement
There are two primary ways to self-fund a retirement. 1) Live off of the output from income-producing assets. 2) Drawdown retirement savings by selling investments. My retirement strategy is to combine both methods to diversify my retirement income streams. By spending money from income-producing assets first, I’ll reduce the amount I need to sell in…
Real Estate Crowdfunding Investing 2021: A Beginner’s Comparison Guide
Real estate crowdfunding investing is a way for ordinary investors to profit from high-quality real estate properties that were mostly unattainable a decade ago. After the U.S. Congress passed the JOBS Act of 2012 (Jumpstart Our Business Startups), real estate crowdfunding platforms began to emerge, utilizing the new law and modern technology to empower investors. …
11 Financial Goals to Set Any Time of the Year
Are you thinking about what financial goals to set this year? According to a motivational flyer in my office, 71% of Americans make resolutions, but only 8% succeed. Put me in that 8%. This year, I’d like to lose about 15 pounds. I also ate a lot of chocolate last week. With setting financial goals,…
The 5 Best Investments in 2021 for Long-Term Growth
As New Year’s resolutions are fresh on your mind, there’s no better time than now to initiate and strengthen wealth-building strategies. To help inspire you, I’ve created a list of best investments for 2021. This article is about where you can direct your money and time this year so that ten and twenty years from…
Is it Smart to Use a Home Equity Loan to Invest?
Mortgage interest rates are still hovering near all-time low levels after a few rate decreases from the Federal Reserve. The big banks are eager to lend money, but they’ve raised their lending standards since the banking crisis of 2007-2009. After a period of real estate appreciation like we’ve seen over the past decade, home equity…
Lifetime Income: How to Build it Without Annuities
Have you heard advertisements about creating lifetime income for a secure retirement? I’m always skeptical about annuities because they are so confusing, even for those of us that pay attention. Turns out, the term “lifetime income” is a marketing phrase meant to demystify annuities by highlighting their main benefit. Unfortunately, a new marketing campaign doesn’t…