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Climate change has emerged as one of the most significant challenges of our time. Its far-reaching consequences extend beyond environmental concerns and pose significant economic risks. As temperatures rise, extreme weather events become more frequent, and natural resources deplete, societies and economies worldwide are faced with the urgent need to adapt and transition towards a […]
Sustainable investing, also known as socially responsible investing (SRI) or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, has been gaining significant momentum in recent years. This investment approach focuses not only on generating financial returns but also on considering the environmental and social impact of companies. With growing concerns about climate change, social inequality, and corporate […]
As anyone who has recently applied for a mortgage has discovered, credit reports are no longer evaluated by humans, and instead are numerically scored by computer software (the most common: “FICO” scores). Similar systems are used to underwrite all other consumer loans, though not as comprehensively as in the mortgage business, where the larger sums […]
If you are contemplating a home addition, small or large, renovation or full-scale pop-top, to a home you already own or are about to buy, there are two overriding financial objectives. First, to navigate the maze of carts and horses littering the mortgage horizon. How do I finance an addition I haven’t yet built? I […]
The mortgage industry used to care. We cared about all sorts of things… your landlord, your rent, where you got your down payment, your old W-2s, how long you had been on your job, how many jobs, what kind of jobs…. We don’t care about a lot of that stuff any more. The brave new […]
Back in the old days (when the Boomers were worried about turning 40), if you got a loan to buy a house, yousent the monthly payment to the people downtown who held your mortgage in their vault. Not any more. While many consumers have detected the disembodied nature of modern “lenders”, very few havefigured out […]
The refinancing opportunity of a lifetime has gone by like a semi on a dirt road blasting past some poor fellowtrying to change a tire. Why, the slipstream alone was enough to knock a car off a jack. There’s a thing or two worth studying while the gravel settles. Next to buying the house in […]
The unnecessary pain inflicted by computers is not the fault of the machines, but rather that of the eagerwireheads who think computers are so neat that they should be used for everything. Enthusiastic nerds havestruck again, and may the gods of silicon save your credit report. Credit information has been “computerized” ever since the punch […]
Many consumers have learned that their credit records have been reduced to three-digit scores, and that these scores now determine the fate of most loan applications. The higher the score assigned to you by each of the three, giant repositories of credit information (Transunion, Experian, and Equifax), the loCredit scores, and how to manage your […]
The following advice prevents horror stories. One requirement for mortgage approval demands more precision than any other, and is also more surprising toborrowers than any other- WE MUST PROVE WHERE YOUR CLOSING MONEY HAS BEEN IN THE LAST 90 DAYS, ANDTRACK IT ALL THE WAY TO THE CLOSING TABLE. Any large deposit, transfer, or new […]