testa brothers

#172 Summer Finances; Mortgage Market Update

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The Summer Solstice occurs on Saturday June 21st at 6:51am EDT. The start of summer often means that people disconnect from their money issues -- not so fast! We have a great guest who discusses the current mortgage market and also field lots of great retirement questions.

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Michael Raimi, VP of PMAC Lending, has been in the mortgage business for a long time, so when he says that there are some positive developments in the market, we should listen! There's good news for jumbo borrowers, but Mike cautions that anyone starting the mortgage process will need to do three things: (1) check your credit to make sure that there are no errors on your record (2) Understand the real cost of owning, including property taxes and homeowners' insurance (3) Bring your patience and perseverance to the process!

Retirement planning was on the minds of Lenny and Pat, both of whom are wising considering how they will manage their assets after retirement. Joe is wondering whether he can tap some of his retirement funds to purchase a beach condo.

Jesse has extra money to invest and wants to know where to direct it; Robert is seeking higher returns for his emergency reserve funds; and Rick wondered about a charge in his retirement account.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Check out Mark's first-producing credit for this CBS Evening News segment that aired recently. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

#171 Father's Day, Hurricane Preparedness

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This is my first Father's Day without Big Al. Last year, Dad joined the show to impart some of his unique wisdom. This year, I have just his memory and all of the great advice that he imparted. You can read Big Al's Financial Advice on this blog and also see a picture of my father in action on the floor of the American Stock Exchange.

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Hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th, so we thought it would be a good idea to invite Stephen Testa, President of Testa Brothers Insurance as our guest. Stephen provided great advice on how to prepare for any kind of disaster and what you need to know about your policy before and after the storm.

Listeners Dave and Kathleen needed help thinking about a traditional retirement vehicles vs. Roth IRAs; Vivek wants to save for college, but doesn't want to use a 529 plan; and John wants to know whether he is in a good position to retire.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to Mark, the BEST producer in the world. Check out Mark's first-producing credit for this CBS Evening News segment that aired recently. If you have a financial question, there are lots of ways to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE