“Should I buy an annuity with my 401(k) or roll my 401(k) into an IRA?” Many people struggle with the annuity vs. an IRA question as they approach retirement.

Before we delve into the pros and cons, it’s important to understand the nature of each type of retirement plan. Below are brief descriptions.

A dividend is a return on your investment paid out at intervals throughout the year, typically on a quarterly cycle, by the company in which you purchased shares.

Established, financially secure companies are more likely to issue dividends, an indication that funds are plentiful and that the company is able to both reinvest in its operations and reward shareholders.

Many investors put their money into dividend-paying stocks because they offer a significantly better return than bonds, and they are typically not high-risk investments.

If you’re saddled with significant debt, you might wonder if refinancing your mortgage to pay off debt is a good idea.

Millions of Americans are dealing with consumer debt—estimated to have increased to $15.31 trillion in the third quarter (or Q3) of 2021, an increase of 5.4% or $772 billion.

And consumer debt is not the only kind they have to figure out how to repay. 

Investing for the future can be daunting, and people have different priorities and financial strategies.

While some investors are attracted to taking more risks, especially when they’re young and have time to recover, many investors prefer an approach that yields peace of mind over wealth accumulation.

This approach, known as income-focused investing, emphasizes the virtue of stability and embraces a “slow and steady wins the race” ideology.

Emergencies aren’t fun and they are even worse if you don’t have an emergency fund saved. In today’s tough times, many people have either blown through their emergency fund or just weren’t able to save one. 

That doesn’t mean that emergencies won’t happen, though. So, what are you to do? 

You’ve heard credit card debt is bad and who wants to put themselves further into debt, right? While it’s not ideal, a credit card can bail you out in an emergency. 

Here’s what you need to know to keep it from putting you further into debt. 

Mortgage rates have been consistently on the rise as the Fed struggles to battle inflation. 

With a recession looming in the distance, you might ask yourself: “Is now the right time to buy a house?” 

It’s an understandable question considering how inflation has soared, house prices are high, and mortgage rates keep rising in response. No one wants to make a wrong financial decision. 

But it might not be a bad financial decision to buy a house right now. Let’s talk through mortgage rates, how they work, and whether or not today is the right time to buy a home, given the state of the market.

Short on cash for your mortgage down payment? You’re not alone.

A Realtor.com study revealed that 45% of first-time homebuyers cited a lack of down payment funds as their biggest barrier to buying. It was the most-cited homebuying barrier by a wide margin. 

After all, even a small down payment on a modest home requires thousands of dollars — a tough hurdle, especially as today’s rising rent prices make it even harder to set aside money.

But you may not need to save a huge down payment all by yourself. Many loan programs offer low and no down payment options, and you may also qualify for down payment assistance*.

Deciding to own a home is not only a major lifestyle change but also likely one of your biggest investments.

When searching for a home, you’ll want to consider your comfort on many levels – including what you can reasonably afford.

We’ve provided a guide to the basic factors that impact how much home you can afford, including details about your personal finances and the costs of a mortgage.

If you’re considering purchasing a new home, you’ve likely been paying attention to mortgage rates. 

Unless a homebuyer can make a cash offer to buy a home, mortgage rates can make a big difference toward when they buy and what kind of home loan product they use.

The housing market has been quite volatile over the last couple of years. Mortgage rates had incredible lows at the beginning of the pandemic, but, as expected, rate increases came about this year.