If you’re sadly looking at your portfolio and wondering what happened, you aren’t alone. Inflation has hurt a lot of portfolios because businesses are struggling to stay afloat. The higher the costs get, the harder it is for companies to be profitable, which hurts stock prices. 

If you’re only invested in the stock market, you could be doing yourself a disservice. During high inflationary times like now, it’s best to diversify your portfolio and the best way to do it is by investing in real estate. 

You’ve got a lot of decisions to make when you buy a home: property type, city, neighborhood, square footage, amount of yard space.

But choosing a mortgage lender is almost as important as choosing your home, especially in today’s real estate market. The right lender can help you gain a competitive edge over other buyers and get into the home you want.

An overwhelming majority of older adults want to remain in their homes as they age. A survey by AARP found that 77% of adults 50 and older want to age in place. Other surveys have found that the percentage is even higher—nearly 90%.

It’s one thing to want to age in place. It’s another thing altogether to actually be able to make it work. That’s because there are several financial factors that can jeopardize adults’ ability to remain in their homes as long as possible. In fact, without adequate financial security and safeguards, living independently at home isn’t possible.

It’s important to understand the financial risks that can make it difficult to age in place and to take steps to reduce those risks.

It’s a seller’s market out there. 

An emergency fund—money dedicated to unexpected expenses—should be part of every household budget. When things go south, you won’t have to go into debt to fix them. While the fund might not be enough to completely cover truly serious emergencies, it will at least reduce the amount you have to finance.

During your working years, an emergency fund is a big help. During retirement, it’s crucial to your budget. After all, you’re living on a fixed income. You can’t take on a little overtime to help pay for that transmission repair.

Here are six reasons why an emergency fund is essential.

One of the key needs that people have is to be autonomous. In other words, it’s human nature to want to feel independent and in control. 

For those near or in retirement, financial independence is especially important. You need to have the resources to live comfortably and securely without a regular paycheck. You also need to protect those resources. 

That requires putting systems and safeguards in place. To remain financially independent and in control, tackle these tasks sooner rather than later.

Impulse buys happen to all of us. You’re in a store or on a shopping website, and you see something you really want to buy. It’s a new release of software you own, an expensive pair of shoes marked down to half price, or a miter saw that will work way better than the 15-year-old one you currently own.

You know you want it. Do you need it, though? You’ve already pledged to save money for an emergency fund. This purchase will make a dent in that fund.

When you retire, do you plan on doing one or more of the following?

• Travel the world and explore exotic locales
• Spoil your grandchildren
• Relax in your beach house or mountain cabin
• Live comfortably until you pass away

Internally, we all have big dreams for that day when we finally step down from our job and step into a life of leisure in our golden years.

f you’re a veteran, active duty service member, or surviving spouse, you have specific mortgage loan options available to you.

VA loans are offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

They can be used to build or purchase a home, refinance a mortgage, or make repairs. And they offer numerous benefits to borrowers.

Learn more about the VA loan types available to you, the benefits, and how to qualify.

If you have a credit card, chances are you’ve gotten a letter or email encouraging you to check your FICO credit score. 

But what is this score, and where does it come from?

Depending on the types of credit you have, you likely have multiple FICO scores. 

Mortgage lenders check these scores to evaluate your creditworthiness when you are looking to buy a home or refinance.

Learn why mortgage lenders look at your credit scores, how they use them, and which scores your lender may use when applying for a mortgage or refinancing.