Category Archives: Mortgages

This Week in Dr Don

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While we’re still working on getting back up and running with giving you the freshest financial advice from the doctor himself, it doesn’t mean you have to abstain from his wisdom. We’ve collected some of the hottest links of this past week to share with you this week.

How do Couples Set Money Goals?

How Can I Tell Banks I’m Not Dead? 

Can a Reverse Mortgage Help Medicade? 

Not seeing what you’re looking for? Want an answer tailored to your own personal question? Ask Dr Don at bankrate.com or here at askdrdon.com. Want to keep up with more posts? Subscribe to google alerts with “Dr Don Taylor CFA” to get Dr Don’s latest advise right to your email inbox.

This Week in Dr Don: The Holidays are Coming

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After a week hiatus due to the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, we are back and ready to provide you with some more of Dr Don’s favorite articles of the week. Coming into the holidays, budgeting is on everyone’s mind. Check out some of Dr Don’s money-saving tips of budgeting, re-financing, and overall monetary planning for your future – be it this month or for the New Year.

Holiday’s Stretch Grandma’s Monthly Budget

 Diminishing Mortgage Refinance Benefit

Be Mortgage-Free and Fund Your Retirement

Tax Hit for Raiding Retirement to Pay Mortgage?

Over 50? How to Catch Up on Retirement Savings

Not seeing what you’re looking for? Want an answer tailored to your own personal question? Ask Dr Don at bankrate.com or here at askdrdon.com. Want to keep up with more posts? Subscribe to Google alerts with “Dr Don Taylor CFA” to get Dr Don’s latest advise right to your email inbox.

Last Week Tonight: Dr Don Edition

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Looking back on the past week of Dr Don, we’ve had questions and posts all over the financial map. From Roth options to your credit history and how it meshes with your mortgage, we’ve got you covered.

Use Roth IRA and Roth 401(k) at the Same Time 

Try For Mortgages Despite Thin Credit History

Can You Tap 529 Plan Funds to Pay Student Loans?

Not seeing what you’re looking for? Want an answer tailored to your own personal question? Ask Dr Don at bankrate.com or here at askdrdon.com. Want to keep up with more posts? Subscribe to google alerts with “Dr Don Taylor CFA” to get Dr Don’s latest advise right to your email inbox.

Last Week in Dr Don

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Today we take a look back at some of my favorite questions and posts of the previous week! From loans to portfolios to social security, there is always something new in the world of finance.

Home Loan Options for Paying College Costs 

While everyone has different mortgages and savings plans, looking at options of a loan to send your child to college is not beyond your means.

When to Rebalance Your Portfolio

The market is ever changing, meaning your portfolio should never be left in the stone age. So when is the right time to rebalance and how should you go about it?

Waiting on Social Security

With age expectancy growing higher, will you regret filing for Social Security earlier on? We take a look at whether or not it benefits you to file or wait.

College Savings Should Begin with a 529 Plan 

It’s hard to generalize what the “best” savings plan is, but extensive research leads us to believe that a 529 plan is where it should start.

Not what you were looking for? Want to ask Dr Don a question of your own? Contact us at askdrdon.com or at bankrate.com to get answers from your favorite finance columnist.

Best of the Week

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While I have been lax on blog writing for my own business, I have been busy writing blogs and answering questions on sites which I am affiliated with. Here are some of my favorite posts of the week:

401k Funds to Pay a Mortgage

Does Grandma Need a Roommate?

Avoiding Grandparent Scams

Manage Your Lawsuit Settlement

You can ask me questions here through askdrdon.com or at bankrate.com

Serial Refinancing

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Refinancing a mortgage loan to get a lower rate has become a sport. Many people think that there is no reason not to refinance and then refinance again. All this activity based is on the concept that the transaction cost to lower the interest rate was zero, zip, nada. Where borrowers are correct is that it is easy to refinance a loan and not have to bring any money to the table. Where they are wrong is that the process is free.

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Selling Stocks to Pay Down a Mortgage Balance

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My advice to people who are trying to decide whether to pay off or pay down their mortgage from savings or investments is to consider what they’re earning on their investments after-tax and compare that to what they’re paying after-tax on their mortgage.

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Things to Know if You’re a Veteran

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If you are a military veteran or are on active duty, a VA loan may be the perfect loan for you. The Veterans Administration provides guaranteed loans, made by VA-approved lenders to eligible military members. The VA guaranty protects the lender not the borrower from loss resulting from the loan not being repaid. The VA loan programs offer many advantages to veterans and can be obtained with little or no down payment with a competitive mortgage rate. Borrowers can choose a fixed or variable rate loan. The loan can be used to purchase a home or refinance an existing loan. The process is different from conventional loans.

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Signs That it is Time to Refinance

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To refinance your existing mortgage seems to be an inalienable right. Do not listen to the “experts” that will tell you once the prevailing mortgage rate falls .50 – 1% below the rate on your current mortgage you should refinance. Running off to refinance your mortgage when headlines announce mortgage rates are falling is not the best of ideas.

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