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February 17, 2020

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Have you heard the phrase "in escrow" and wondered Have you heard the phrase "in escrow" and wondered what it meant? 🧐 Escrow is an arrangement in which a trusted third party temporarily holds onto some kind of asset, keeping it safe. Escrow is typically used to help real estate and other large deals go through successfully.Escrow has two key features that make it particularly useful for high-value deals: ➡️ Neutrality: The third party holding the asset has nothing to gain or lose if the deal falls through and no bias toward one or the other party. ➡️ Security: Neither of the two parties to the deal can run off with the money while it’s in escrow. In high-value deals (like home sales or business mergers), there’s often significant money involved and fears on both sides that the other party won’t live up to its side of the bargain. Escrow is a tool for easing those concerns. When a buyer puts money into escrow, the seller can feel more confident that the buyer actually has enough money to complete the purchase. But putting the money into escrow first (instead of handing it straight over to the seller) also protects the buyer while the final details of the deal are being worked out. You may be familiar with escrow if you’ve ever bought or sold a house. In real estate, it has two main roles: ✅ Earnest money: Once a buyer accepts your offer on their house (but before the sale closes), you put earnest money into an escrow account. That money tells the seller that you’re serious about buying. ✅ Taxes and insurance: After you close, your mortgage lender may collect your property tax and insurance payments—holding them in escrow and then paying those bills on your behalf. When it comes to buying a house, escrow follows a fairly standard process: You make an offer on a house ↓ The buyer accepts your offer ↓ You put earnest money into an escrow account (usually a percentage of the purchase price) ↓ You and the buyer complete the sale ↓ The escrow holder returns the earnest money to you (buyers often put it toward closing costs or other fees) Have you ever been "in escrow"? Share with us below! And swipe up in today's stories or click the link in our bio to learn more.
According to @usatoday, "The $1.9 trillion America According to @usatoday, "The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, passed in March, renewed the federal boost to jobless benefits, giving recipients the extra aid on top of  the assistance received from the state.” “But 26 states have decided to stop the federal benefit before the official cut-off date of Sept. 6." Some states began ending this as early as June 12th, including Alaska, Missouri and Missippi, and the final to end their this month is Louisiana, on August 3rd. Have you been receiving unemployment throughout the pandemic? Do you live in a state that ended the extra assistance, or will be? What are your thoughts on this? Share with us below, and swipe up in today's stories to read more and see the full list.
An emergency fund is like your stash of just-in-ca An emergency fund is like your stash of just-in-case money. Along with your insurance coverage, it’s actually a vital piece of your financial safety net. Your emergency fund is the money you would fall back on if: ➡️ You lost your job ➡️ Your car broke down ➡️ You ended up in the ER Having an emergency fund can help you roll with life’s unpredictable punches and makes it easier to recover from setbacks that could otherwise turn into financial disasters. Experts typically recommend that you keep three to six months of living expenses in your emergency fund (an amount that’s probably less than three to six months of your income). Starting an emergency fund is a pretty painless process. But keeping it going (and protected!) is where willpower comes in. Here’s how: Step 1 Figure out how much you should have in your fund ↓ Step 2 Open a separate savings or other type of account ↓ Step 3 Pick a weekly or monthly savings goal ↓ Step 4 Keep going! Slow and steady wins the race ↓ Step 5 Check in and reevaluate your emergency fund anytime you have a major life change (like a raise or an addition to your family) If you ever need to dip into your emergency fund for a truly unexpected expense, reup your contributions once you’re financially able. Don’t be a one-and-done saver! Do you have an emergency fund? Share with us how you prioritize it below! And swipe up in today's stories to learn more about starting one and when to use it!
Have you heard? The new Child Tax Credit Payment h Have you heard? The new Child Tax Credit Payment has officially begun depositing into the bank accounts of millions of parents who qualify. According to a recent article from cnet.com, "Some families will get up to $3,600 per kid that will be disbursed between this year and next -- but it all comes down to income and age requirements that determine how much you'll get.” Here's how it works: “Parents with an income of less than $150,000 (married and filing jointly) will get a max of $300 for each child under the age of 6 and $250 for each child ages 6 to 17 in monthly advance payments through the end of the year. The other half of the money will be a part of your tax refund in 2022. Families with higher incomes or with older dependents will get smaller payments." Want to know if you qualify? Here are 3 steps to check + confirm. ➡️ 1. It's helpful to note that around 97% of families will be eligible for this tax credit, and if you qualify, you can expect to receive a letter from the IRS. Consider the first letter you receive a notification that you *might* qualify, and if you receive a second letter, it will confirm your eligibility and offer and estimate of how much you could expect to receive. ➡️ 2. “The IRS has new portals and tools to help you get your child tax credit money. The interactive eligibility assistant is the best way for families to see if they qualify by answering just a few brief questions. You'll need your latest tax return to check eligibility. But if any information has changed since then, you'll need to use another tool to make sure the IRS has the most up-to-date information." Visit the Child Credit Tax Update Eligibility Portal to find out. ➡️ 3. Review the tax credit rules and calculate your amount @cnet actually offers a Child Tax Credit Calculator, where you can easily enter your yearly income and number of kids to make an educated guess about your status. (It's also anonymous, and they will not store/use any of your personal info.) Swipe up in today's stories for helpful links to all of this information, and share with us below if you've already received a Child Tax Credit Payment!
It might seem like there’s only one way to pay d It might seem like there’s only one way to pay down your student loans (namely: slowly, painfully, and for the rest of your life.) But there are actually a few different ways you may be able to structure your payments, depending on whether you want to pay off your loans ASAP or whether you need more time. Your federal loans will default to a ten-year repayment schedule with equal payments. That’s great if you’re making grown-up money as soon as you graduate, but some find it hard to make payments in the first few years. With private loans, you probably agreed to a loan term and payment schedule when you took out the loan. These terms can vary widely based on the lender and the details of your situation (such as how much you’re borrowing and whether a parent is cosigning). If you can afford to, consider making more than the minimum monthly payment on your loans (whether federal or private) because you’ll save money on interest by doing so. If you have multiple loans, consider paying anything extra toward the loan with the highest interest rate first (probably any private loans you have). If you’re having trouble making your payments, your options depend on what types of loans you have. For federal loans, they include: ➡️ Income-based or income-contingent repayment: Payments will be based on your income. If your salary goes up, you’ll pay down your loans faster, but if not, you won’t drown in your bills. ➡️ Graduated repayment or extended graduated repayment: With these plans, your payments start low and then slowly increase according to a preset schedule. ➡️ Deferment or forbearance: Either can give you a temporary break from payments, but you must apply and meet eligibility requirements. (And neither dings your credit score—so they’re much better options than simply skipping a payment.) If you work in public service, you could even qualify for outright forgiveness of your federal loans after a certain number of years. Do you have student loans? What has been your process for paying them off? Share with us below. And swipe up in today's stories to learn some more do's and don'ts for paying off your student loan debt.
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