Finance Class on the Web, for Students of All Ages

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/12/your-money/for-students-of-all-ages-an-online-course-on-retirement-planning.html?src=me

 

In an ideal world, a master class available to everyone would reveal all the secrets to retirement planning, telling you how much to save, where to invest and what to do when the stock market crashes.

Home Prices Will Do This Over the Next Year

 

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/real-estate/home-prices-will-do-over-next-year

 

 

 

By Ellen Chang  

 

NEW YORK (MainStreet) – Most Americans (55%) think home prices will go up over the next 12 months, according to a new Bankrate.com report.

"It seems like Americans' love affair with real estate has returned," said Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate.com's senior financial analyst. "But there are still some clear headwinds, including rising mortgage rates, stubbornly high unemployment and the relatively low U.S. household savings rate.

Ways to Save Big Bucks On a Patent Attorney

 Over the past 25 years, I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on attorneys alone. I have filed more than 25 patents, some of which I unfortunately had to defend in federal court. I've learned how to save money while getting the most out of working with an attorney. Here are seven key lessons:

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229315#ixzz2hiwj9lz3

Where is Your Money Going? You Might be Wasting It

 

http://www.shebudgets.com/personal-finance/money-going-might-wasting/30284 

 

By Tiffany Raiford

 

One of the biggest questions many successful women ask is where their money is going. You earn a comfortable salary, save and you don’t spend frivolously, so where’s all that extra money at the end of the month? After all, you’d like to take what you don’t spend on entertainment and extras and add it to your savings account once your new monthly budget kicks in, but there never seems to be anything left. Where’s it going? Probably to one of these three sneaky places.
 

Use Cash or Mortgage to Buy Vacation Home?

 

We are looking at purchasing a second home to use on weekends. The houses we are looking at range in price from $75,000 to $100,000. As I write this, mortgage rates are around 4.5%. Should we refinance our current house and use the extra funds to buy the vacation home outright, adding the balance from our savings? We owe $66,000 on our current mortgage at a rate of 6%. The house was purchased in 2003 for $90,000

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/08/26/use-cash-or-mortgage-to-buy-vacation-home/#ixzz2dIDksqys

How Safe is My Home in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

 

If I file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, can my attorney or someone else sell my home in the future to pay off debt? I'm confused about the security of my home when filing Chapter 7. I don't have equity now, but I'm sure in the future there will be some. 

-Liz
Dear Liz, 
This is an excellent question. I sometimes wonder whether this fear inhibits people from filing for bankruptcy protection. I have seen this fear keep someone from filing when the house value would not have been an issue, only to file much later when the value became an issue.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/08/20/how-safe-is-my-home-in-chapter-7-bankruptcy/#ixzz2ccZdbgdY

What to Know About Financing Your Car Through an Auto Dealership

We’ve all heard the TV and radio advertisements from car dealerships promising financing programs with low rates, no money down, or 0% financing—but only if you act now.
These offers are enticing and lure many car shoppers into a dealership thinking that a loan offered by the car company is the best one out there. But experts say that isn’t likely, and that buyers tend to find better rates from an outside lender.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/08/27/what-to-know-about-financing-your-car-through-auto-dealership/#ixzz2dIA4dKCU

 

What's the Right Mortgage for You?

 

Every year, millions of people get a mortgage, even though they are complicated and can be anxiety-inducing.
But how did they do it? What was the most important factor in their decision? Are they happy with their decision?
To find out, HSH.com commissioned an online survey in December 2012 which netted over 500 responses. (In several cases, respondents were allowed to select more than one response.) Here's a look at some of the findings:

Read more: http://library.hsh.com/articles/first-time-homebuyers/how-to-choose-the-right-mortgage.html?WT.qs_osrc=fxb-174204510#ixzz2cdjcozBN

Tips for Preparing an Offer in Compromise

 

The IRS’s offer in compromise program allows taxpayers facing financial hardships to settle their outstanding tax liability for pennies on the dollar.
The amount the IRS will accept is dependent upon a stringent formula, but the variables are subject to massage. When working with the agency to get a compromise approved, there are things about your story that the IRS should know in order to move it in the direction of acceptance.
The IRS will always consider the statute of limitations when evaluating an offer since it has 10 years to collect an outstanding tax debt. If you are between jobs and have no means to pay your tax bill but there’s eight years left before the statute runs out, the IRS will likely want to deem you ‘currently not collectable’ for a year rather than accept a reduced amount. This is especially true if you are young and healthy with good prospects

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/08/15/tips-for-preparing-offer-in-compromise/#ixzz2ccbiWY1y