When an investor picks up a bank-owned home, either by buying that home in a bulk purchase directly from the bank or by bidding on the home at an auction, the foremost thought in that investor’s mind is making a profit. But when you see the home for sale, you’re looking at its aesthetic value and how that home fits your parameters. Because of its emotional appeal, you might not notice construction defects that the seller is trying to slip by you....

Here’s what you need to know to stay in compliance with the law, and to protect yourself against the financial fallout that could happen if you drive without car insurance. Colorado’s State Minimum Coverage for Car Insurance It may be confusing trying to understand the limits of liability if it is new to you. The coverage is there to protect you in case you hurt someone or cause damage to someone else’s property....

It’s now very easy for an individual investor to purchase shares of nearly any type of security through the Internet. This change has made investing more accessible to the average person and has been very beneficial to the stock market and the economy at large. Most Popular Discount Brokers Investors have many options when it comes to discount brokerages, and in truth, there are very few substantial differences between most firms....

This type of lease structure is used extensively in commercial real estate. It’s very common with single-tenant properties, but triple net leases are also often used in retail spaces. Gross vs. Net Leases A gross lease is one in which the landlord takes full responsibility for most expenses associated with a property, excluding the tenant’s personal utilities and insurance. Most residential leases are gross leases and some even include heat and hot water in the rent....

Learn more about potential mistakes sellers can make when showing a home. Why Would a Seller Show a Home? Why would a seller be showing a home, especially when that seller is represented by a real estate agent? This can happen for several fairly common reasons. In many parts of the country, agents routinely call sellers to make an appointment to show a home. For example, the seller might be living in the home and is there when the buyer and the buyer’s agent show up to see the home....

Learn some of the history behind stock certificates and what to do if you get a hold of one. 400 Years of (Known) History In 2010, a history student from Utrecht University, working on an unrelated research project, found the oldest surviving stock. The stock was made out of parchment paper and was printed by hand with ink and a writing quill. The stock found by the student dates back to 1606; it was issued by the East India Company, making it the first recorded company ever to issue stocks....

For a while, you may be able to continue supplementing your income by simply getting another credit card. Eventually, credit card issuers will start denying your credit card applications because of your high balances. Unfortunately, if you’re also broke and credit cards have been keeping you afloat for the past several months, tough doesn’t begin to describe your situation. Here are some ways to stop living on credit cards....

Make a Template Start your retirement income plan with one row for each calendar year, with your respective age (and if married spouse’s age) listed next to each calendar year. Extend this projection through life expectancy. You can see a sample retirement income plan on the table at the bottom of this article. Make column headings for each item you will add to it. Use the list below to determine what items to add....

In many markets, it is customary for the buyer’s agent to tour a listing without the listing agent present, and they’ll expect the seller to leave the house. If you are selling your home as a For Sale by Owner transaction, though, you will need to show the home yourself. Clean (and Clear) the House Before you open your doors for an open house or a showing, be sure to clean your home from top to bottom....

The average rate offered to homebuyers using a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 5.79% from 5.71% the previous business day, while the average for a 15-year mortgage increased to 5.15%, from 5.12% the previous business day. A few days ago the rates were 5.87% and 5.26%, their highest points since at least 2019. (Our daily mortgage rate data only goes back to April 2021, but our data on yearly highs and lows date back to 2020, so we know rates weren’t higher in 2020....

The average rate offered to homebuyers using a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 4.40% from 4.36% the previous business day, nearing its recent peak of 4.41%, the highest it’s been since 2020. The average for a 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 3.55% from 3.52% the previous business day. Twice in February it’s touched 3.56%, also the highest since 2020. Fixed mortgage rates tend to track the direction of 10-year Treasury yields, which usually rise with heightened inflation fears (and fall when those fears subside)....

The average rate offered for a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 5.71% from 5.68% the previous business day, while the average 15-year rate fell to 4.74% from 4.77% the previous business day. Rates have leveled off some after spiking in April to as high as 6.19% and 5.26%, respectively—the highest levels we’d seen since at least 2019 (and likely much farther back.) Even with the most recent increases, both rates are still around half a percentage point below those April peaks....

The average rate offered to homebuyers using a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 4.40% from 4.25% the previous business day. The average for a 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 3.49% from 3.36% the previous business day. Their recent high points, hit last week, were 4.41% and 3.56%, respectively. Fixed mortgage rates tend to track the direction of 10-year Treasury yields, which usually rise with heightened inflation fears (and fall when those fears subside)....

The average rate offered for a conventional 15-year fixed mortgage dipped to 4.77% from 4.80% the previous business day. Last month it reached 5.26%, its highest point since at least 2019, and likely much farther back. The average 30-year rate fell to 5.67% from 5.70% the previous business day. Its recent peak was 6.19%, also the highest since at least 2019. (Our daily mortgage rate data only goes back to April 2021, but our data on yearly highs and lows date back to 2020, so we know rates weren’t higher in 2020, and if other measures are any indicator, may have hit their highest point in over a decade....

Warning: Reading these types of lists may give you a bit of 401(k) envy. Consider the generous plan topping the list, for example, from ConocoPhillips. It offers a potential 9 percent employer match with no vesting period. Plus there’s an additional employer or profit sharing contribution of between 6 percent and 9 percent. Phew, that’s a good looking plan! In general, the best 401(k) plans tend to provide generous company matches and offer a large menu of low-cost index funds and set-it-and-forget-it target-date funds....

Here’s a quick look at the most significant economic indicators of the day and what they tell us. Private Sector Employment The job market chugged along in February, adding 455,000 private-sector jobs, according to an estimate by payroll company ADP. It’s the fewest since August, but not all that far off from the growth of recent months. Almost every major sector of business gained jobs. The leisure and hospitality sector led the way by adding 161,000 jobs as COVID-19 cases receded and restaurants and hotels continued to recover....

The United States has hundreds of federal employment and labor laws that affect employers and employees. These laws cover everything from defining what employment is to laws regulating who can work and what situations you should be paid for. Federal Employment Laws Federal employment laws regulate hiring, wages, hours and salary, discrimination, harassment, employee benefits, paid time off, job applicant and employee testing, privacy, and other important workplace and employee rights issues....

Before you switch to paying your bills with a credit card, pay off your existing balance on that card. That way, you start with a zero balance, and you can take advantage of the credit card’s grace period to avoid paying interest. Otherwise, if you use a credit card that has a balance, finance charges will be added to your balance each month, making it more expensive to pay your bills via credit card....

To receive compensatory damages, a plaintiff must prove they suffered harm, an injury, or some other type of loss. To calculate the award, the court considers factors such as incurred expenses, lost income, and the market value of damaged or destroyed property. A court can award compensatory damages for breach of contract or physical damages caused to a person or property. Example of Compensatory Damages For example, in 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, resulting in an oil spill that caused widespread damage and destruction....

By contrast, cyclical sectors depend highly on the economic cycle. (Think financial services, luxury goods, and other things that people won’t buy as often when money is tight.) Unlike cyclical sectors, non-cyclical sectors like health care tend to produce stable profits through all phases of the economic cycle. These companies produce goods or offer services that consumers will buy regardless of the state of the market or economy. Fundamentals like food, healthcare, and utilities are just a few of the many types of industries a defensive sector fund might invest in....