What do you think it’s like to be in your late eighties, in declining health, without a dime in the bank, and facing foreclosure? I had the chance to find out when I chatted with a woman in this exact situation. Folks, I’ll tell you, it isn’t fun. This woman, who we’ll call Norma, was 88, if I remember correctly. Her husband, who we’ll call Fred, was just a few years … Read More…
Imagine it’s Christmas Day and you’re sitting on the sofa in the living room of your son’s house. A beautiful Christmas tree covered with ornaments and bright lights stands in the corner. The turkey baking in the oven fills the air with warm and delicious smells. Your favorite people in the whole world – your children and grandchildren – are sitting around the room and laughing and chatting and enjoying … Read More…
Accountants and financial advisers beware, this case study might freak you out a bit. What if I said that a couple chose to drain their $80,000 IRA to get a reverse mortgage? Say what?? Gut an IRA to get a reverse mortgage? Were they nuts? It might sound completely crazy, but these clients did just that – and they did it happily. I’ll show you why. First, let’s set the stage. This … Read More…
A lot of retired seniors are flushing their hard-earned income and assets down the drain. Are you one of them? If you’re like many seniors, you might have refinanced your mortgage in the past few years to take advantage of low interest rates. You may also have chosen a fixed 30-year mortgage because of the low payments. That’s not a bad choice, but here’s the kicker: when does that loan pay … Read More…
Mr. and Mrs. Smith, both 66, are retired and live in the state of Virginia. Mr. Smith had a very successful career as an aerospace engineer and Mrs. Smith had her own bookkeeping business. They made good money over the years, stayed out of debt, saved diligently, and managed to retire with a paid off house and $1 million in a traditional IRA. By all accounts, the Smiths have done very … Read More…
Fred and Gina Mason, both 79, live in Reno, Nevada and have been retired for a number of years. Fred was an insurance agent for over thirty years and Gina worked as a school teacher for a local private school. They enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and taking the occasional trip, but their budget is tight and they don’t have a lot of extra money at the end of … Read More…
Are you retired (or nearly retired) and still making mortgage payments? If so, is that what you envisioned for your retirement? Was it your plan from the beginning to make mortgage payments for the rest of your life? For most people, probably not. But we all know that life happens: health issues come up that force you to retire early, you get hit with unexpected medical bills, the stock market crashes and … Read More…
Nancy, 65, loved to travel and has been on many exciting trips throughout north and central America. During her working years she dreamed of a time in her life when she would be able to retire and really pursue her passion for exploring new places. Unfortunately, since retiring, she hasn’t been able to do many of the fun trips she’d been planning because of $35,000 in credit card bills that had accumulated from caring for her … Read More…
Ted and Patricia, aged 67 and 64, respectively, live in Lake Forest, CA and are looking ahead toward retirement. Both are still working, Patricia as a nurse, Ted as a truck driver. They like their jobs, but they’ve been at them for a long time and are tired of the stress and long commutes. They really want to quit working so they can spend more time with their children and … Read More…