Category: General

People are more attached to their smartphones than ever but recent analysis from Alliance Data shows that although 63 percent of millennials shop on them every day, only 39 percent of their total purchases are actually made online.

This trend is alarming news for online stores and vendors that are eager to get this targeted demographic to follow through on their online purchases. This data is also a little puzzling because this same age group is much more likely to use their phones to research products, comparison shop, and look for coupons online before heading into the physical store to buy the merchandise.

According to recent data from Osterman Research, online security could play a significant role in determining whether or not someone actually buys their goods online. They cite the 42.2 percent of millennials in America that have limited their purchases due to security concerns. Any data shared over the internet carries with it some risk of identity theft or fraud. In this case, increased use of security-focused shopping portals, coupled with better transparency of the website itself could help pave the way for peace of mind.

Perhaps more likely, CNET argues that many people turn to physical stores to complete their purchases simply because it can still be quite frustrating to input all the required information on a tiny smartphone keypad. Names, email addresses, passwords, physical addresses, and credit card numbers entered during checkout is a tedious process for all but the savviest users. Even using a desktop makes the process much more comfortable and the pictures are easier to view and navigate to boot.

For online retailers to secure their shoppers’ attention and wallets, the process of adding items to carts and checking out should be as seamless as possible. Integrating many different types of payment options, such as Paypal or Apple Pay, would also help entice people who trust a dedicated payment platform over an online storefront.

Many people are ready and eager to purchase a home, and can easily afford a mortgage payment; however, the concern is that they do not have a 20 percent down payment available and wonder if there are any options available for them.

The reality is that if you have good credit, you can probably get a loan. But, without a good down payment, your costs will go up.

To start with, you must have some cash to buy a home. There will be closing costs and you’ll have to pay for taxes and insurance.

But the key is that, without 20 percent down, you’ll have to pay for Private Mortgage Insurance. The idea is that people who put their savings into a property are much less likely to default on a loan. The lender wants insurance that you will pay on your mortgage.

PMI is expensive and the less you put down, the higher the mortgage insurance is. The cost of PMI depends on your credit score and the size of your down payment. According to Mortgage lender Freddie Mac, the cost is from $30 to $70 per month for each $100,000 borrowed. This is added to your monthly payment.

Still, if you want to buy now, you could get a loan from family members. Most lenders will accept this if the family members assert that money is a gift that doesn’t have to be repaid.

If you have 3 percent as a down payment, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will back the loan, assuming your credit is good. You will pay PMI.

FHA backs loans with down payments of 3.5 percent. It also has lower credit score requirements. Buyers will have to pay a mortgage insurance premium.

For veterans, a VA loan requires a funding fee of 2.15 percent of the loan up front, in lieu of PMI.

USDA will guarantee loans with nothing down in rural and suburban areas if your income qualifies. It charges a mortgage insurance premium of 2 percent of the loan plus a monthly charge, according to US News.

For individuals, investing in the stock market can be a daunting task. Although many of these people trust expert fund managers to boost their returns, USA reports that the majority of firms paid to generate better-than-average returns often fail to beat the market. To be considered successful, a fund must show that it can provide better performance than benchmark indices like the S&P 500 on a consistent basis. If it can’t beat them, then using the service just isn’t worth the money.

According to data provided by the 2015 SPIVA Scorecard, large-cap fund managers, those trading some of the largest companies in the market, failed to beat the benchmark 66 percent of the time during that year, 84 percent of the time over five years, and 82 percent of the time over the last ten years. Small-cap and mid-cap managers had similarly disappointing performance in their areas. They point out that some managers have a proven track record of results, but even those firms that beat the market for a year or two tend to lose ground over time. Adding in the fund’s management fees can also turn a winning portfolio into a loser, and nobody wants to see their gains go from their retirement account to the manager.

The reasons for this lack of performance are hard to uncover, but Forbes magazine reminds readers that there are only a couple of ways to beat the market: access to information other people don’t have or being lucky. For most investors, luck is not something they would likely want to trust their money to, and even the experts don’t have infinite knowledge about every company and market trend. As for those with the best information, average investors won’t be able to discover which firms have it until long after the returns have already been generated.

Everything is coming up champagne and roses for home sellers in 2018 as experts predict more home sales and rising home prices as Millennials appear to finally be buying.

For the new year, the real estate scene looks great for both sellers and buyers.

Buyers will benefit from low mortgage rates, ticking just past 3.9 to 4 percent in mid-November 2017 for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage.

Analysts do not expect those rates to rise much, if at all.

In many areas, the number of houses for sale is low and that drives prices up. On the other hand, prices are not as high as in the recession-era market. Experts say that should give buyers some confidence.

The construction industry appears to be addressing the problem of a low supply of homes for sale as new construction rose in mid-November 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The overall economy also forecasts a healthy housing market, as more people are working and tax cuts may add money to the economy.