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Moving Back to the House

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For today’s personal reflection, I’m going to talk about moving back to the house that K and I are currently renting.

K is my son’s mother and we are getting back together. I’m excited to grow with her and to make our relationship into something even better than it was before. But that’s not the point of today’s post. Today we’re talking about moving back to the house that’s being rented.

Current living situation

As a result of K and I getting back together, we had a conversation about where we wanted to live and raise our son. My current place that I’m renting was an easy choice because it’s within two minutes of my work and has a large enough basement that our son can play when it’s cold and/or rainy outside.

We’re moving!

After we had a conversation and I had time to reflect, the better choice is to move back into the house we own together. Our renters are moving out at the end of their lease and mine is up at the same time. I feel more at home in that house and in that city than I do currently. The drive is significantly longer, but I enjoy driving. It gives me time to either get into work mode or get out of work mode (depending on the time of day).

At the house, our son has a yard to play in, there are two playgrounds/parks within a few blocks, and we are near some water. What also played a role in the decision is where our son is going to school. We decided to enroll him in a private school, which makes the location of where we live a little less important.

Besides the drive, the only other thing I don’t like about this house is the basement. It’s a very old home. Over 100 years old, so the basement is very short and uneven.

The short-term plan

What we decided to do is to stick it out. We’re going to live in this home for a few years, pay down some outstanding debt, and save for a down payment. When we’re ready, we’ll look for a new home that checks all of our boxes.

There are some big and exciting changes coming down the line, and I’m very excited to take them on with K.

Related reading:

The Complete Budgeting Checklist When You’re Paying Down a Mortgage

Mortgage Math: How to Calculate Your Mortgage the Right Way

How Buying a House and Saving for Retirement are Similar

 

**Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. Securities America and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice; therefore, it is important to coordinate with your tax or legal advisor regarding your specific situation. Please see the website for full disclosures: www.crgfinancialservices.com

The FED, The Dollar, and Opportunities

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My post for today was supposed to be a personal reflection, but in lieu of that, I’m going to lay out my thoughts on the market and the economy. Which includes the FED, the dollar, and inflation. In addition to that, I want to explain where I see risks and opportunities right now.

The dollar

We can expect the Federal Reserve to continue an accommodative monetary policy. They will invest in the fixed income market and they’ll resume the low-interest-rate stance.

If they continue this response to the Covid crisis, the dollar should go down in value. There are some risks and opportunities that arise if that happens.

Gold and cryptocurrencies should increase in value. A devaluing in the dollar is, normally, the right landscape for “alternative currencies” to do well.

International securities, especially emerging markets, do well when the value is priced lower. A large majority of international transactions take place using the USD. The value of their home currency goes up in relation to the USD.

The technology sector also has a negative correlation to a falling dollar. When the dollar goes down, that sector tends to outperform.

If the dollar, indeed, goes down look at these areas for possible investment opportunities.

The FED

As I mentioned earlier, the FED will continue to create an accommodative environment for the economy…until they don’t.

At some point, the recovery will gain momentum. GDP will go up and the population will gain confidence in that recovery. At this juncture, inflation will pop onto people’s radars.

If inflation runs too hot, the FED could possibly stop, or reduce, QE. They could halt the bond-buying program and they could raise rates. If that happens, keep your eyes out for a pullback.

We saw this happen at the end of 2018. The FED started raising rates until they went too far, and we had a 20%-25% decline in Q4. Then they reversed course and began easing again. We had a run-up in the market until March of 2020 when Covid hit.

Long term

I believe tech and healthcare will be the two sectors to watch over the next decade or more. With technology getting more advanced every day, investment opportunities will present themselves in these two areas.

Green energy, especially with the incoming administration, is also an industry with big potential. Technology will play a large role in the advancement of renewable energy.

My biggest concern

And I’ll preface this by saying I’m concerned because I truly don’t know the implications of it. MMT looks as likely as ever at this point.

The favorable stance by the FED plus the democratic party holding the House, the Senate, and the Presidency leads me to believe printing money is going to pop off.

An aggressive agenda to provide relief for Americans struggling because of Covid, a push for expanded Medicare/Medicaid benefits, possible student debt relief, as well as other initiatives.

It appears that reducing the national debt is not a concern. To be fair, it wasn’t a concern for the Trump administration either.

The bill comes due for everyone, and if other countries (namely China) are no longer buying US Treasuries like they were, I do not know how we can fund policies, branches, or even service the existing debt. Only time will tell.

Conclusion

I will close by saying that these are my opinions. Granted, I do a lot of research to come to these conclusions, but what I said above are still my thoughts and not foregone conclusions. Do your own research.

Related reading:

How to Beat Inflation with Investment

What Makes Gold so Valuable

 

**Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. Securities America and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice; therefore, it is important to coordinate with your tax or legal advisor regarding your specific situation. Please see the website for full disclosures: www.crgfinancialservices.com

How Much Cash Is Needed to Start a Pawnshop?

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How Much Cash Is Needed to Start a Pawnshop

So you want to start a pawnshop. Where do you start? What do you buy? How much is this all going to cost?

A pawn shop can be a very cash-positive business. While doing research for this post, I stumbled onto a Quora thread that showcased how much money can be made with such an operation. The profits ranged from $30,000 per year to $60,000 per month.

But, you have to get started. In today’s post, we’ll highlight what you need and what it’s going to cost.

What do pawn shops do?

First off, we have to talk about what a pawnshop actually does. Pawnshops buy, sell, and trade items. These items can come from the owner’s personal collection, something they acquired via purchase, or something they acquired via loan collateral.

When someone comes to a pawn shop to borrow money, they have to bring something of value for collateral. When the pawnshop lends money to this individual, they retain that valuable item until the principal (plus interest) is repaid. If they fail to repay, the pawnshop keeps the item.

Legal and location

There are many things you need to obtain when you start a pawn shop.

You need to take care of the legal requirements first. This includes licenses, articles of incorporation for your business entity, and permits.

Licenses include a pawnbroker’s license, precious metal dealer license, secondhand dealer license, and Federal Firearms License (if you plan on selling firearms) from the ATF.

The next thing you need is space. Where you set up shop is an important decision. The right location can bring in a lot of traffic and improve your earning potential. However, the right location comes at a cost.

Areas with high foot traffic cost more. Often, pawnshops will choose a space that’s close to a popular area, far enough away that it’s not too expensive, but close enough to make it convenient for the consumer.

Assets

There’s a minimum asset requirement needed to open. That number depends on the municipality, state, and country you plan on setting up shop in. For example, Texas has a $150,000 minimum requirement.

What do you need?

After you have all of the proper licenses and permits and pick where you’ll operate, you need to buy things to be operational.

These items include a computer (computer system/network), cash register, signs, equipment to display your products, record keeping, insurance, lockable cases, and a state-of-the-art security system.

What you’ll also need is an adequate amount of capital to purchase more inventory and lend money to consumers.

What’s going to cost

Depending on the size of your pawnshop and the anticipated foot traffic, your start-up costs will vary. If you’re a larger shop with a high probability of having a lot of visitors/customers, your starting capital could be between $50,000 and $75,000. A smaller shop with lower projected traffic can get by with $15,000.

Last bit of advice

When you start a pawnshop, you need to refine and learn some new skills. You have to educate yourself on how to assess the value of goods so you can acquire sellable items, but not at a cost that eats into your profit margin.

Also, you have to come up with a business plan. What interest rate will you charge on your loans? How much will you mark up the items you sell? How much are you willing to pay for inventory?

All of these questions need answers. Keep in mind, that this planning process should take place prior to buying the necessary licenses and other items to get the business started.

Related reading:

3 Ways to Get Financing for your Small Business

4 Ways to Use Business Loans

Some Often Overlooked Tax Deductions for Business Owners

Business Retirement Plan Guide

 

**Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. Securities America and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice; therefore, it is important to coordinate with your tax or legal advisor regarding your specific situation. Please see the website for full disclosures: www.crgfinancialservices.com

What Could Cause a Credit Score Drop of 100 Points?

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why did my credit score drop

If you’re wondering why did my credit score drop, the answer may or may not be simple. There are a lot of actions and activities that could cause your credit score to tumble, at times dramatically. However, if you’re credit score fell by 100 points in a single moment, the list of potential reasons tends to be shorter. If you’re wondering why did my credit score drop 100 points, here are some possibilities.

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Why Are Fixed Expenses Difficult to Reduce?

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When you’re making a budget, there are two columns: income and expenses. A large majority of those expenses don’t change from month to month or change very little. These are fixed expenses. If you’re trying to cut costs, you may find that the fixed expenses are difficult to reduce. Why is that? How do you reduce fixed expenses?

We’ll explore the answer to those questions, among others, in today’s post.

Types of expenses

There are two types of expenses. Fixed and variable.

As the names suggest, fixed expenses don’t change or rarely change. Generally speaking, fixed expenses are the largest, recurring expense. Things like your rent or mortgage, utilities, internet, streaming/cable, debt payments, and insurance are all part of your fixed expenses.

Variable expenses, on the other hand, are constantly changing. There isn’t a bill or invoice you get every month. A variable cost is paid by your own directive. Things like groceries, “fun money”, and the like are variable expenses.

Fixed expenses rarely change or vary slightly, and someone or some entity is looking for a payment. Variable expenses constantly change and are voluntarily paid.

Why are they so difficult to reduce?

When you first “sign up” or “agree” to these expenses, more often than not, you’re already shopping for the lowest price for that item.

What else? Internet, streaming, and cable have a pretty standard rate when compared to competitors. Debt payments are structured by the length of the term, interest, and (when referring to credit cards) minimum payments.

Basically, the costs are what they are, and they don’t vary a whole lot.

Methods for reducing fixed expenses

Mortgage payments could decrease if you refinance at the right time. Utilities could go down if usage goes down. Insurance premiums could go down if you mess with coverages and deductibles, but I advise you to talk with an agent first.

Cable/dish generally increases after one year. Often, you get an introductory rate for the first 12 months. If it goes up too much, call and complain or threaten to leave. Normally, they’ll oblige and agree to lower your monthly bill.

If you have a debt to pay and money is tight, talk with your lender or credit card company. Let them know about your situation and they might be willing to work with you.

Related reading:

Financial Mistakes to Avoid

Your Go-To Budget Guide

Save Money on Your Household Expenses

 

**Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. Securities America and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice; therefore, it is important to coordinate with your tax or legal advisor regarding your specific situation. Please see website for full disclosures: www.crgfinancialservices.com

Should I Tap My Retirement Funds for Medical Expenses?

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tap retirement funds for medical expenses

Your retirement account is a critical nest egg. It’s money specifically set aside to ensure you can handle your bills and live comfortably after you leave the workforce. Making it a crucial resource. However, when large expenses, like extensive medical bills, are hanging over your head. It may be tempting to tap your retirement account to handle the obligations. If you are wondering whether you should tap retirement funds for medical expenses. Here’s what you need to know.

Can You Use Retirement Funds for Medical Expenses?

Yes, you can potentially use retirement funds to handle medical expenses. In fact, it’s one of the few instances where you can possibly withdraw money without being slapped with an early withdrawal penalty from the IRS.

Usually, these are referred to as hardship withdrawals from 401(k)s and IRAs. Typically, you need to have an immediate and significant financial need that falls into a qualifying category to make this kind of withdrawal. Medical bills are potentially a qualifying expense.

Additionally, to avoid the early withdrawal penalty. You would have to make the withdrawal during the same year you incurred the medical debt. Also, the total of the unreimbursed medical expenses would have to be more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI). If either of those conditions isn’t met. You’ll have to pay the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty.

It’s also important to note that certain retirement plans may prevent or limit hardship withdrawals. If you’re using an employer-sponsored retirement program, you’ll need to contact the program administrator to see what options may be available. For IRAs, you’ll need to reach out to the financial institution overseeing the plan.

Could a Creditor Seize Your Retirement Account If You Have Unpaid Medical Bills?

Some people consider using retirement accounts to pay medical bills merely because they believe the institution they owe could seize those funds anyway. As a result, they withdraw the cash to make the payments, assuming that using that money for that purpose is practically inevitable. However, that isn’t universally the case, as some accounts are shielded from this kind of seizure.

Whether your retirement account is protected from creditors depends on the type of account involved. Generally speaking, creditors can’t seize your employer-sponsored retirement accounts even if you have unpaid medical bills and owe them substantial amounts of money.

Employer-sponsored retirement accounts – including pensions and 401(k)s – are typically shielded from this kind of seizure due to federal laws governing the matter. The only exception there tends to be if you owe money to the government, such as back taxes.

For traditional or Roth IRA, the situation is blurrier. You can exempt a certain amount of traditional or Roth IRA savings during bankruptcy proceedings, per federal law, but that’s really the only concrete protection available at the federal level.

However, your IRA may be protected by state laws. Since those rules can vary, you’d have to check locally to see what protections are available and if they apply to your situation.

Should You Tap Your Retirement Account to Pay Medical Bills?

Whether you should tap your retirement account to handle medical expenses is ultimately a personal decision. But, in many cases, it may be wise to explore alternatives first.

For example, many hospitals and medical facilities will set up repayment plans, often without interest charges. They may also have programs for low-income households that could eliminate some or all of the debt right off of the top, which could be worth exploring.

You may also have access to financing. For example, a 401(k) loan may be a better option in the long-run. With that, you borrow against your account instead of actually making a withdrawal.

If you’re in dire financial straights due to medical debt, you may even want to consider bankruptcy. While the ramifications are certainly substantial, you could potentially eliminate any medical debt while protecting some or all of your retirement savings.

Ultimately, the choice of how to proceed is yours. Just understand that you may have options available that you’ve yet to explore, so don’t default to making the withdrawal. Instead, see which paths are potentially available first. Then, select the one that’s genuinely right for you.

Do you think people should tap retirement funds for medical expenses? If so, do you feel it was a wise decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Remote Workers Get Paid to Live In These Locations

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remote workers paid to live in these locations

When you work remotely, you’re not stuck living in a specific city or state. This gives you a lot of freedom, as you can essentially take your job with you no matter where you head. Plus, it creates a unique opportunity. As a means of attracting more professionals, some locations actually pay remote workers to relocate there. If you want to see if these programs could work for you, remote workers are paid to live in these locations.

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