Found 25 blog entries tagged as savings.

As rates are inching up but still very affordable, buyers should remember that there is an alternative to a fixed rate mortgage that can provide the lowest cost of housing for the homeowners who understand the parameters. finding best mortgage.jpg

A $300,000 fixed-rate mortgage at 4% has a principal and interest payment of $1,432.25 per month for the entire 30 year term. A 5/1 adjustable mortgage at 3% has a $167.43 lower payment for the first five years and then, can adjust, up or down, based on a predetermined index.

Another interesting fact is that the unpaid balance on the ARM at the end of the first five years is $4,624 lower than the fixed-rate mortgage. The total savings in the first five years on the ARM is $14,669.00.

Adjustable rate mortgages are not the right…

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rental advantages.pngOne of the important things as a parent is to plan for their children’s education. Let’s look at two different approaches: a savings account or investing in rental real estate.

Assuming your child is five years old and you start putting $250 a month in a savings account earning 2%, in 13 years you’d have $44,497.41 to pay for their college. Anticipating that isn’t going to be enough, you’d have to save $500 a month to end up with $88,995.

Another way would be to make a lump sum contribution of $20,000 today in a mutual fund earning 5% that would be worth $37,713 in 13 years. You’d have to make a $47,196 initial contribution to end up with the same $88,995.

An alternative to savings would be to invest in a $100,000 home in a good area. Assuming a…

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With mortgage rates below 5% since 2009, you’d think any homeowner who should refinance would have already. However, it is estimated, there are approximately 6.5 million borrowers who would benefit with significant monthly savings by refinancing. iStock_000064771413_300.jpg

Rodney Anderson of Supreme Lending, on his weekly radio program, described a recent pipeline meeting where they reviewed every pending mortgage application his company was processing. They had seven refinancing applicants whose current mortgage was over 9% and twelve with a rate between 7% and 9%.

“Some 550,000 American homeowners with a mortgage could save $500 or more each month by refinancing at today’s rates. Over three million could save at least $200 per month.” said Ben Graboske, CTO with Black…

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Here is a great article from ADN.com about the big announcement:

The number is $1,884. That's the amount of this year's Permanent Fund dividend as announced by Gov. Sean Parnell on Wednesday in downtown Anchorage.

"I'm frankly grateful for the Permanent Fund dividend at whatever amount, and I know Alaskans are too, as they save it or spend it for their own needs," Parnell said.

The governor made the announcement in a small conference room at the Atwood building in front of a crowd of dozens of media and about 100 state employees.

The 2014 dividend will be the third-largest check issued since the yearly distributions to Alaska residents began in 1982. The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Division said checks and direct deposits…

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Being green and earth-friendly is easier than one may think. Not only are these tips beneficial to the environment, but they are also easy on the wallet.

1. Change regular light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. - uses 75 percent less energy and will last about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb, so you're not only saving energy but money, too.

2. Power down computers every night. - Leaving computers on all the time shortens their lifetime due to heat stress and mechanical wear.

3. Recycle what you can.

4. Cut down on junk mail. - The Direct Marketing Association has an online free service that allows you to opt out of catalogs and junk mail. Yellow Pages has an online service to cancel the phone book.

5. Use a programmable…

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