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A real estate investor looking up loans to finance a rental property.
Real Estate

5 Strategies to Finance a Rental Property

Investors who want to invest in real estate have different options to finance a rental property. Mortgages are the most common, but there are also portfolio loans, home equity strategies and private lenders to consider. Consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in real estate can help you analyze and manage investments. How to Finance… read more…

A real estate professional considering the benefits of obtaining the real estate professional tax status.
Real Estate

Benefits of Obtaining the Real Estate Professional Tax Status

Real estate professional tax status allows qualifying individuals to deduct losses from real estate activities against their ordinary income. This can potentially help reduce your overall tax liability. This tax status is specifically intended for real estate professionals, allowing them to maximize tax deductions related to their real estate activities. So if you spend more… read more…

A financial advisor explaining how getting a mortgage in retirement could work.
Mortgage Basics

Getting a Mortgage in Retirement: What Does It Involve?

A retirement mortgage caters to seniors who are no longer earning a regular salary. It allows them to access home equity or finance a home purchase with repayment terms that are tailored to their retirement income. Lenders will assess these mortgages based on the borrower’s retirement income, credit history and the value of their assets,… read more…

Major metro areas like New York City have enacted guidelines for short-term rentals.
Real Estate Investing

Short-Term Rental Regulations in New York City

Short-term rental regulations in New York City are strict, typically prohibiting rentals of less than 30 days unless the host is living on-site. These rules aim to enhance safety, maintain housing availability and address concerns about the impact of short-term rentals on local communities. If you’re considering an STR for your real estate portfolio, a… read more…

Editor's Picks

A couple determining whether they need a CFA vs. CFP®.
Certifications & Licenses

CFA vs. CFP®: Which Do You Need?

Chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) are common certifications for individuals working in finance, namely financial advisors. These are designed to tell a client (or employer) that the holder has received education in certain types of financial… read more…

Wealth Management Firm
Brokerage

5 Tips for Choosing a Wealth Management Firm

Wealth management firms are all different, with their own specializations and services. As a result, the process for choosing a wealth manager is a very personal one. Wealth managers work closely together with their clients to identify financial goals and… read more…

A fee-only financial planner doesn't earn commissions for recommending certain products.
Advisor Fees & Costs

What Is a Fee-Only Financial Planner?

If a financial planner, financial advisor or another type of financial professional is fee-only, that means they receive compensation solely from the fees clients pay for their services. They do not earn commissions for recommending certain products. A fee-only structure… read more…

Investment Property
Real Estate Investing

Why First Homes Could Be Investment Properties

If you’re young and looking to purchase a new home to live in, you may want to consider turning it into an investment property. While most people wait until after they’ve bought their first or second home to begin investing in… read more…

Data Articles and Studies

Quality of Life

America’s Safest Suburbs – 2024 Study

Safety is a key factor when choosing a neighborhood to buy a home. It can increase demand and drive up property values. Homebuyers can measure how safe a community is by comparing the reported rates of violent crime, property crime, motor vehicle deaths, drug overdose deaths and excessive drinking, among other common indicators, in different… read more…

Demographics & Migration

Where Gen Z Is Buying the Most Homes – 2024 Study

Gen Z is currently in the most difficult position of generational cohorts for buying homes. Low on the career ladder compared to their Millennial and Gen X counterparts, and without much time in the market for investments to compound, more affordable areas may trump locations favored by older generations, making way for a new wave… read more…

Demographics & Migration

Where High-Earning Households Are Moving – 2024 Study

When high earners move, they take their money with them. And because their budgets are much larger than most of the population, they can have an outsized effect on the local economy. Thus, states that attract high-earning households can gain an economic advantage over others. Many factors could drive high earners to move across state… read more…

Income

Incomes Needed to Be a Top 1% Earner Reach Over $1 Million in Some States – 2024 Study

The U.S. median income is around $75,000, with half of Americans earning less than that. High-income earners, on the other hand, can make 10 times that – or more. And this top 1% also makes up a disproportionately large part of the tax base, with their incomes generally putting them in the highest federal tax… read more…

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