Income refers to any money that you make. It could be from your part-time job, your hot-shot career, investments, inheritance, or even if you sell property. All income must be reported to the IRS and factored in when you pay your income taxes. Look here for more information about income, taxes and how to protect your assets.
Understanding Home Lenders Debt To Income Ratios
When creating a budget it is important to understand what percentage of your income should be going to you housing costs. The 28/36 debt to income ratio is commonly used by home lenders. Lenders will allow you to spend up to 28 percent of your gross monthly income on your mortgage, real estate taxes, and homeowners' insurance premium. The 36 number refers to total debt.
Student Loans Affect Preapproval For Mortgage
After you graduate from college, or drop below half-time enrollment, you will need to start repaying your college student loans. If you have a Federal (FEEL) or Direct Stafford Loan, you'll need to begin repaying your loans after 6 months. If you have a Federal Perkins Loan, you'll have to begin repaying your loan after 9 months. You may opt to begin repayment at any time. When applying for a mortgage, the lender will take student loans into account.
Choosing An Employer That Matches Your Needs
Looking for a job? This is the second in a two-part series on surviving the job search process with your ego intact. This great job hunting advice comes from one of the nation's leading resume consultants, Liz Handlin. The next time you interview for a job remember that you are analyzing them as much as they are interviewing you. If you aren’t truly happy with your job you will find yourself looking for another job before you know it.
Life Insurance Agent Asks Questions To Assess Risk
When you're applying for life insurance you'll likely speak with an insurance agent who will ask you questions to assess your risk. After the life insurance agent has assessed your risk, he or she will provide you with a dollar amount for your life insurance premium. The life insurance premium is the amount you'll spend every month to ensure you have life insurance coverage.
Financial Planning With An Unsteady Income
It's hard enough to sit down and create a financial plan when you have full-time job generating a regular income. Add an unsteady income and financial planning becomes an even bigger chore. Sometimes it takes a little unconventional investing and sometimes using an investment firm to help with that financial planning to make your retirement secure.
Taxes For Contest Winners
When you win a contest, it's like winning the lottery. You get the goods but you have to pay tax on your winnings as personal income rather than capital gains. The difference can be pretty dramatic in terms of taxes owed. Many people choose to take a cash payment instead of the prize, because they will have the cash to pay any applicable taxes.
Organizing Your Personal Finance Life
If you're going to buy a house or refinance your existing loan this year, you should take the time to organize your finances now. Gathering your paperwork together will make it easy to apply for a loan later. Keeping your insurance policies, checking and savings accounts, retirement accounts, investments, tax returns and trust information organized will pay off when you really need the information.
Taking Cash Out Of IRA
A senior citizen wants to take cash out of his IRA to supplement his Social Security Income of $1,200 per month. His income is so low that he will probably not trigger any taxes on this income. He may be able to qualify for a reverse mortgage if he needs more cash to live on.
Refinancing With No Income
A homeowner is refinancing their home after a divorce without any income but with an excellent credit score. Having good credit doesn't compensate for not having enough income to make the payments on the loan. A no-doc interest-only loan will help keep her payments as low as possible and get a loan without showing her income.
Interest-Only Loan Not An Option For Fixed Income Buyers
When buying a home on a fixed income, an interest-only loan isn't the best way to go. With a fixed income, it's best to buy a less expensive property with a conventional interest-and-principal loan.