Retiring: Turn to CDs For Cash Flow

If you are retired and need to fill a gap in your monthly income stream, save for other medium- to long-term goals or supplement your existing investment mix, Certificates of Deposit (CDs)– including Discover’s CDs and tax-advantaged Individual Retirement Account (IRA) CDs — can provide a safe and practical solution.

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  • Supplement cash flow.  CDs can provide a steady source of income that also has the potential for growth. Discover’s CDs, for example, offer guaranteed returns on terms ranging from 3 months to 10 years. The longer the term, the higher the interest rate. And since your rate of return is fixed, you know exactly how much income to expect– and when to expect it (when your CD matures your principal plus interest accrued and not withdrawn is returned to you) –a major plus for retirees looking to close a gap in their cash flow.

One CD strategy for generating cash flow is called a CD ladder. Open a series of CDs that mature at different times. When the first CD matures, harvest the interest income, but reinvest the principal in another CD at the top of your “ladder.” This approach can create a consistent and ongoing income stream to last throughout your retirement years. With Discover CDs, you always have convenient renewal options at maturity, making it easy to put this income-management practice into effect.

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  • Fund medium- and longer-term goals. Open separate CDs with an eye toward funding different financial goals. Will you need to purchase a new car in the next three years? Are you planning an extended trip abroad to celebrate a special anniversary? Do you hope to help a grandchild with college costs? Time the CD maturity to match your savings goal. Again, Discover offers CDs with maturities as short as three months or as long as 10 years.
  • An alternative to bonds. Investors often choose U.S. Treasury bonds when seeking a safe haven for their investment dollars. Yet CDs should be on your list of worthy alternatives. Both Treasuries and CDs offer safety; however, in some cases, CDs offer more attractive yields.

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CDs can provide a steady source of income that also has the potential for growth.

  • A home for excess IRA/401(k) distributions. Current IRS rules require individuals to begin taking distributions from their retirement accounts when they reach the age of 70½ in order to comply with required minimum distribution rules. To the extent that those distributions are more than you’ll need to spend, which may be the case for those who have delayed taking distributions, consider contributing them to a CD until you need to use the funds.

And remember, the safety of Discover’s CDs and IRA CDs being FDIC insured to the maximum allowed by law can be a big comfort when preserving your assets is more important than ever.

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Discover

Regardless of your time horizon, risk tolerance, or savings goal, you can always find the right savings vehicle for your needs at Discover. Discover offers an Online Savings Account to help you with your short-term savings goals, a full range of CDs and IRA CDs with terms from 3 months to 10 years, and Money Market Accounts that have a competitive rate. Open a Discover account online or call our 24-hour U.S-based Customer Service at 1-800-347-7000.

The article and information provided herein are for informational purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice.

The post Retiring: Turn to CDs For Cash Flow appeared first on Discover Bank – Banking Topics Blog.

Source: discover.com

Rakuten: Earn Up To 40% Cashback + $10 Sign Up Bonus

Rakuten cashback can help you save money when shopping online! Most of us shop online anyway; wouldn’t it be nice to get some cash back along the way? Currently, Rakuten offers up to 40% cashback on your purchases. Plus, you receive $25 referral bonus and a 10$ bonus when you sign up.  

Keep reading to learn how you can earn Rakuten cashback on your purchases.

What is Rakuten and how do you get cashback?

Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) is a website that gives you a percentage off when you shop online. Rakuten is a legit website with an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

To get cashback from Rakuten, you simply go to their website www.rakuten.com, or the Rakuten app. You then create or login to your account. There are over 2,500 stores. All of the major stores are in there. They include the best retailers like Amazon, Macy’s, Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, you name it. Besides cash back, you also get discounts special promotions and store deals.

Earn 40% cashback when you shop through Rakuten

When you shop through Rakuten at your favorite store, you have the opportunity to earn up to 40% cashback. Each store will list how much cash back you will earn.

There are no fees, no forms to fill out. You simply click on the store of your choice and start earning cash back on your purchases.

How to earn $10 bonus from Rakuten?

Not only will you get cash back on your purchases through Rakuten, you will also receive a $10 bonus just to sign up. But in order for you to get cash bonus, you’ll have to spend at least $25 dollars shopping at your store through Rakuten shopping portal. Join Rakuten for free and get a $10 bonus money today just for signing up.

How do you get your free money from Rakuten?

You get your free money by getting a check or via PayPal payment. Rakuten will send you your free money every quarter.

The bottom line is if you’re going to shop online, why don’t you get cashback on your purchases. As long as you are buying things you need, it makes sense to sign up for Rakuten which offers cashback from retailers on clothing, beauty supplies, groceries, ect. This free money can go towards your bills and pay down your debt.

SAVINGS ACCOUNTCIT Savings Builder – Earn 0.85% APY. Here’s how it works: Make at least a $100 minimum deposit every month. Or Maintain a minimum balance of $25k. Member FDIC. Click Here to Learn More.

The post Rakuten: Earn Up To 40% Cashback + $10 Sign Up Bonus appeared first on GrowthRapidly.

Source: growthrapidly.com

What to Know Before Buying a Foreclosed Home

If you’ve been keeping your eye on real estate home listings, you might’ve seen more foreclosed properties for sale at a reduced price. 

With record levels of unemployment and underemployment, many homeowners are falling further behind on their mortgages. Currently, there’s a federal moratorium on the most common mortgage programs through December 31, 2020. Unless further homeowner protections are in place, the foreclosure market will see an unfortunate rise.

In fact, according to mortgage and real estate analytics company Black Knight, 2.3 million homeowners are already seriously past-due on their mortgages. 

As devastating as it is to have more homes undergoing foreclosure, it also means that prospective home buyers, who were otherwise priced out of buying a home, might have greater access to homeownership. Here’s what you should know if you’re thinking about buying a foreclosed home.

Buying a Foreclosed Home 

There are many ways you can buy a foreclosed home, depending on what stage of the process the foreclosure is in:

  • Pre-foreclosure. Many homeowners are willing to sell before they’ve officially been foreclosed on. Depending on how much equity they have, they might need to do a short sale. 
  • Short sale. Homeowners can seek approval from their lenders to sell you the home for less than they owe on the mortgage. The bank will get less than it’s owed, but it still often approves short sales since they usually cost less than a foreclosure. 
  • Auction. Once a home is foreclosed it’ll often be auctioned off by the bank. But you’ll need cash on hand for this, and that’s not an option for most folks who need mortgage financing. 
  • Real-estate owned (REO) properties. Alternatively, banks can simply sell the foreclosed home through more traditional markets, just like a normal home.

It’s usually easiest to buy the foreclosed home once the bank takes over and it becomes an REO property. That’s because you can take your time and go through the mortgage underwriting process. You can also work with a realtor, and — importantly — write contingency clauses in the contract that let you pull out of the deal if a home inspection reveals more repairs than you expected. 

7 Caveats to Buying a Foreclosed Home

Buying a foreclosed home isn’t exactly the same as buying one directly from the homeowner. You’re potentially buying a home from a bank who took over after the previous homeowners were unable to afford the home anymore. This introduces a few twists into the home-buying process for you. 

1. You’ll Need a Realtor Who Specializes in Foreclosed Homes

The world is full of realtors, even including your Uncle Bob and Cousin Carolyn. But not everyone is equipped to handle the nuances of buying a foreclosed home. There are a lot of issues that can crop up — unplanned property damage, squatters, homeowners who settle the bill and try to reclaim ownership, etc.

If you’re serious about buying a foreclosed home, seek out a realtor with extra experience in this area. There are even special designations that some realtors can get, such as Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) or Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE).

2. Houses Are Sold “As-Is”

With a typical home sale, you have the change to get the property professionally inspected before signing on the dotted line. It’s not uncommon for new issues to arise, and in a normal home buying transaction, you can often negotiate with the sellers to either fix the damage or discount the price. 

That’s not the case when you buy a foreclosed home. If a home inspection reveals unexpected damage — like the need for a full roof or a septic system replacement — banks often aren’t willing to negotiate. It’s a take-it-or-leave-it sale. 

3. Expect to Put In Some Work

The above point is especially important considering that most foreclosed homes do, in fact, need a lot of fixing up. 

Think about it: the previous homeowners lost the house because they couldn’t afford the mortgage. There’s a good chance they also weren’t able to keep up with routine maintenance either. From their perspective, even if they did have the cash, what’s the point of spending money on repairs, if they know they’ll lose the home in a few months?

You can save money by putting in some sweat equity (HGTV, anyone?), but even then you’ll need the cash to pay for materials. This also means that the home might not be move-in ready. If you do move in, you might need to put up with construction debris for a little while. On the bright side, though, this does give you a chance to upgrade the home to your own aesthetics. 

4. You Might Need Creative Financing

This brings up another issue: how do you pay for those renovations? Generally, you can’t just ask for a bigger mortgage to cover the necessary repairs. Most lenders will only lend you as much as the current home appraisal is worth, minus your down payment. 

You have a few options, though. You can hold some money back from your savings to pay for it in cash, but this means you’ll have a smaller down payment. An alternative is getting a loan from a different lender, like a personal loan, a 0% APR credit card, or even a home equity loan or line of credit if you’re lucky enough to start from a position with equity. 

Finally, there are some special “renovation mortgages” available through Fannie Mae and other lenders. These mortgages actually do allow you to take out a bigger mortgage so you can pay for renovations. You might need to provide a higher down payment or have a higher credit score to qualify, however. 

5. Watch for Liens on Foreclosed Homes at Auctions

If you have a big pot of cash and can pay for a home on the same day, an auction might be your best bet. But then you have to worry about a new factor: liens. 

If the property had any liens attached to it (such as from the previous homeowners not paying their taxes, or a judgement from unpaid debt), you’ll inherit that bill, too. 

This is usually only the case for auctioned homes. If you buy a foreclosed home as an REO sale, the bank generally pays off any liens attached to the property. Still, it may be worth double-checking if you have interest in a specific property. 

6. Be Prepared to Act Fast

You’re not the only one with the bright idea to get a low-priced, foreclosed home. Chances are good that there are a few other buyers interested in the property, which increases competition. Even though the home is listed at a big discount, this competition can still drive prices up. You might need to be ready to act fast, just the same as in any hot real estate market. 

7. Be Prepared to Wait

On the flip side, there’s a lot of extra bureaucracy involved in buying a foreclosed home once the seller accepts your offer. There’s often extra paperwork to fill out or other complications. 

For example, the home appraisal might come back lower than expected, which might make it harder to get enough financing for the agreed-on purchase price. If it’s a short sale, it might also take longer for the bank to approve the lower sale price for the home, based on what the homeowner’s mortgage is currently worth. 

Pros and Cons of Foreclosed Homes 

Buying a foreclosed home isn’t necessarily a good or bad idea on its own. It all depends on your own goals — for example, are you willing to figure out financing for repairs to get a deal on the home purchase price? Also consider how important it is for you to have a “move-in ready” home with no hassle. 

Weigh these pros and cons carefully, and what’s most important to you when buying a home. 

Pros Cons
Can get a deal that’s lower than market price Property is sold “as-is” and might not be move-in ready
Can customize the home to your specifications with repairs and upgrades Likely needs a lot of repairs and upgrades 
Requires creative financing for repairs and upgrades
Foreclosure process is long and might fall through 

The Bottom Line

Buying a foreclosed home can be a win-win situation. You get a home at a good price, and (usually) you can bring the property back to good, working order by fixing it up. As long as you go into the deal knowing that it’s not the same experience as a typical home purchase, buying a foreclosed home is a great way to launch into homeownership or real estate investing.   

The post What to Know Before Buying a Foreclosed Home appeared first on Good Financial Cents®.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com