Even if you are a Harvard professor, an economist and an authority on financing a college education, finding the right college savings program is still a nettlesome process. Susan Dynarski, an assistant professor of public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School…
A few decades ago, the home buyer could only get the only type of loan: fixed-rate 30-year mortgage. Now the borrower can choose between the rate that is fixed for the life of the loan (fixed-rate mortgage or FRM) and…
“Specialty financing” or “loans for someone with less than perfect credit” are polite terms used to market “subprime” or “non-prime loans”. Sometimes they are effectively the only way to homeownership for those who have frequent late payments, bankruptcies, liens, judgments…
Exchange funds allow investors a tax-free means to diversify a low-cost-basis and/or restricted stock position. Exchange funds allow investors to pool their low-cost-basis stocks in a fund. In exchange for contributing their stock to the fund, each investor owns a…
Corporate Bonds (also called corporates) are debt obligations, or IOUs, issued by private and public corporations. They are typically issued in multiples of $1,000 and/or $5,000. Companies use the funds they raise from selling bonds for a variety of purposes,…
Reverse mortgages will gain popularity as more baby boomers are approaching retirement. This kind of loan is indeed the opposite of a regular mortgage as it allows seniors to borrow against the equity in the house. Debt does not have…
One of the best, though little practiced, ways to outrun a mild loss of purchasing power is through stock index funds. Taylor Larimore and his wife Pat believe in low-cost index funds, although it took an experience with a stockbroker…
Like all bonds, corporates tend to rise in value when interest rates fall, and they fall in value when interest rates rise. Usually the longer the maturity, the greater the degree of price volatility. By holding a bond until maturity,…
Lending institutions that will decide on your mortgage application will look at a variety of factors, such as your employment record, the number of credit cards you have and your credit record, which is why you should start the process…
Interest Payments Corporate bond interest is usually paid semiannually. Zero-coupon bonds pay no periodic interest. Forms of Issuance Corporate bonds are issued in several forms: Registered Bonds: Some corporate bonds are issued as certificates, with the owner’s name printed on…