James C. Molet's Blog, page 54
February 8, 2016
Wealth Without Stocks or Mutual Funds – A SavvyReview and Giveaway
Author John Jamieson’s biography notes he has come a long way from his days as a college dropout. He has been a successful businessman for over 22 years and has launched several companies from nothing more than an idea and a goal. He has spoken to hundreds of audiences all over the United States and Canada on the subjects of Business, Real Estate, and Wealth Creation. As he traveled, speaking and training, he realized there was a better way to reach more people; and be home more often for his Read the Full Story
February 1, 2016
A Richer Understanding: Flex Date
Brian Tramuel helms this series. He lives with his wife Michelle, their children Geneva and Brian, and their Cocker Spaniel Maestro in Charlotte, NC. They, along with his two older children from a previous marriage, Davina and Aaron, provide a constant source of inspiration. Aaron lives, works and plays in Charlotte and Davina lives, works and plays in Roanoke, VA. Being single or not being single. Among my single friends, dating is a popular meme. I’ve written about not dating and that most, if not all, of my relationships started because Read the Full Story
January 30, 2016
The Cost of Living Comfortably
Finder.com, a personal finance comparison and education site, recently released a report regarding how much people must earn to live comfortably in 78 U.S. cities. The report, which took into account home value, non-housing expenditure, non-mortgage debt, interest rate, monthly payments and required salary, provides considerable insight into the affordability of living across the United States. Some key takeaways from the report: San Francisco topped the list, with a huge salary of $180,600 required simply to buy an average home costing $1,119,500 The cheapest city analyzed was Jackson, MS, where Read the Full Story
January 29, 2016
Top Ten Reasons Britain’s Retirees Should Downsize in 2016
United Kingdom – A recent report from McCarthy & Stone entitled, ‘Generation Stuck: Exploring the Reality of Downsizing in Later Life’, suggests that a lack of downsizing options for the over 55s is creating what they term, ‘Generation Stuck.’ The report highlighted that one in three (33%) of the UK’s homeowners aged 55 and over are considering or expecting to consider downsizing, however, they feel there is an inadequate supply of housing aimed at their age group. The main reasons people want to downsize are financial, the desire to reduce Read the Full Story
January 28, 2016
Senior Living Awareness Campaign: Where You Live Matters
WASHINGTON, D.C. – What does it mean to age well? Where can older adults and their families find the perspective they need when considering how and where that process should take place? In an effort to empower individuals and their families as they address those and other related questions, the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) announces the launch of a new website, Where You Live Matters, along with a major social media outreach initiative. “Our members and organization are committed to giving consumers across the country a place to learn Read the Full Story
Staying the Course: The Power of Cash
The following is a guest post – an extended comment on the recent post, Stay the Course – from Gage, a savvy investor and longtime friend. His thoughts, philosophies and insights on retirement planning are always spot on very much welcome. One piece of information that I received from a good friend, whom I flew with in the USAF and is now a very successful Certified Professional Planner (CFP), is the power of cash. Although returns on money market accounts/funds is painfully low, he advised me a number of years Read the Full Story
January 26, 2016
Which Colleges Help Poor Students Most?
ProPublica writers Sisi Wei and Annie Waldman note that new data from the U.S. Department of Education shows in unprecedented detail how much federal student loan debt college students from low-income families are being saddled with. Check out this Interactive Database to search among 6,000 schools in the U.S. to see how much they support their poorest students financially.
January 24, 2016
Time to Refinance?
Last month, the Federal Reserve’s benchmark federal funds rate – the rate banks charge each other for holding short-term funds – was increased by 0.25%. Even with that minimal increase, it is still a great time to refinance your home if you are in the market. While I’m not currently in the market for a refinance – the wife and I refinanced a couple of years ago for a 15-year loan at 3.25% – I recently checked out the Zillow Mortgage Calculator to get a sense of what kind of Read the Full Story
January 20, 2016
8 Habits of High Net-Worth Individuals
By Rhett Ahlander When it comes to making money and investing wisely, any financial advisor in Idaho and elsewhere would say that it takes a few key lessons in order to remain wealthy and successful. For people like Warren Buffet and Christy Walton, arriving at a place where the term “wealthy” was a constant characteristic listed on their resumes took a lot of work.Here are eight habits of high net-worth individuals that have brought them to extreme wealth and success. The Early Bird Catches the Worm “I will start tomorrow” Read the Full Story
January 17, 2016
Water Woes in Michigan
Most have likely heard at least a little about the water problems in Flint, Michigan. For those that haven’t or for those that aren’t exactly sure what’s going on, the problem is lead and inept government officials at every level in the state. Nearly two years ago Flint started to draw its water from a local river rather than Lake Huron in a scheme to save money. As a consequence, nearly two years have passed since safe drinking water flowed from faucets in Flint. Officials failed to treat the corrosive Read the Full Story
