Author: troyashbacher

Key takeawaysSBA 7(a) and 504 loans may have prepayment penalties. SBA microloans and disaster loans do not.Paying off your SBA loan early can be worth it if the interest savings outweigh any prepayment penalties.Even if you’ll save on interest, make sure early repayment won’t strain your cash flow or financial flexibility.If you have extra cash on hand, paying off your debt early may seem like a clear-cut choice. But if you have an SBA loan, the decision may not be that simple. Many SBA loans have prepayment penalties, meaning paying early can come with an added cost that cuts into…

The share of college graduates earning two majors has doubled in the past decade as students seek an edge in an unpredictable job market. Double majors face significantly less earnings risk than single majors, especially when the fields are unrelated, a 2024 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found. Double majors have surged 100% in the past 10 years, with about 12% of 2023-2024 graduates earning such credentials compared with 6% a decade earlier, according to a new analysis from the The Hechinger Report. Meanwhile, the number of students graduating with two majors at schools like the…

Stocks shot out of the gate Monday and held gains into the close. Sentiment got a boost after the Senate advanced a key procedural measure that could end the record-long government shutdown later this week.At the close, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.8% at 47,368, the broader S&P 500 was 1.5% higher at 6,832, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite had gained 2.3% to 23,527.The Senate’s short-term funding bill, which still needs to pass the upper chamber with a final vote before it heads to the House of Representatives, does not extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits,…

In This Article This article is presented by Walker & Dunlop. Before buying any property, the investors should ask themselves: Is this a good market? Understanding the local fundamentals is critical if you want to avoid overpaying or investing in a declining area.  In order to be successful, you need to know the economic health, tenant profile, rent trajectory, and market potential of an area before you ever run the numbers on a deal—whether you are buying a 5-unit property in Texas or a 100-unit apartment complex in Georgia. Tools like WDSuite from Walker & Dunlop make that process easier.…

When both spouses in a married couple retire before 65, they most likely will buy health insurance from the ACA marketplace unless they have retiree health insurance coverage or they only have a short gap that can be covered by COBRA. When there’s an age difference between the two spouses, the older spouse will start Medicare at 65, leaving the younger spouse in ACA health insurance. Reader Charlie brought up this exact scenario. Both Charlie and his wife have ACA health insurance now. After Charlie becomes eligible for Medicare next year, his 58-year-old wife will continue on the ACA plan.…

This little Brightroom Caddy is really cute and could be such a fun gift idea.  They call this a holiday organizing caddy and show it filled with gift tags and such. I think this could be used for arts and crafts, jewelry making or other smaller craft projects.  It is really cute and unique and I wanted to mention it just in case this sparks an idea for the holidays.  It is priced at $22.  We might see it go on sale but typically with new releases they exclude them from promotions.  Click here to take a look.

Key Takeaways The National Retail Federation estimates core retail sales rose 0.6% month-over-month in October; its research may be of more interest now that the shuttered federal government isn’t releasing economic data.Despite feeling bad about the economy, Americans continue shopping and are expected to spend $1 trillion this holiday season, the NRF said. Americans are spending through the malaise. Retail spending, exclusive of restaurant, bar, gas station and car-related bills, grew 0.6% month-over-month in October, reversing a 0.5% decline in September, the National Retail Federation said. The trade group’s monthly analysis comes as consumer sentiment hits historic lows and analysts…

The financial independence retire early (FIRE) community is a very supportive and tight-knit one. Because the community is made up of folks who have different backgrounds and different ages, it’s very diverse (not just Caucasian bros from high tech).  One thing I appreciate from the diverse FIRE community is that there are people ahead of us who are always willing to share their knowledge and help others slightly behind them on the FIRE journey. Earlier this year, after having been financially independent for a while, Dividend Daddy decided to step away from work to pursue other passions! Since stepping away…

Creeping stagflation and a sour job market have workers clinging to their jobs — whether they like it or not.Because workers are stuck in jobs they don’t want, they are “quiet cracking,” a damaging new turn in the employee-employer relationship that is creating even greater strain on the companies that are allowing these cracks to grow.Like quiet quitting before it, the trend of quiet cracking stems from dissatisfied and disengaged employees who revert to doing the bare minimum to collect a paycheck. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE…

In a year defined by relentless volatility and uncertainty in financial markets, Tom Lee — Wall Street’s most vocal bull — remains unshakably optimistic and, to the frustration of bears, often correct.