Re-fi on large mortgages
Advisors used to say interest rates should drop by 2 percent before homeowners consider refinancing a mortgage. But with a large mortgage, just 1 percent…
Author: Rick Good
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader's money, real estate, and business coverage.
ChatGPT could be coming to your car
ChatGPT be coming to a pickup truck near you. General Motors, in partnership with Microsoft, is exploring ways to integrate the AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT…
Why you don’t have to keep money in a mattress today
During the Great Depression, people supposedly stuffed money in their mattresses. That may have been wise, since about 9,000 banks failed between 1929 and…
Why Silicon Valley Bank failed
When Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapsed, stock markets around the globe went into a tailspin, with some fearing a wider financial meltdown. Analysts also…
Ask the expert
What does Private Mortgage Insurance do for me when I buy a house? Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is required when a homebuyer makes a down payment…
Home warranties can be useful when selling
A home warranty can be a useful tool if you want to sweeten a deal for a potential buyer. Home warranties are not the same as homeowners insurance…
The danger of pessimism and how to change it
At both extremes in the continuum between pessimism and optimism, there is trouble. The foolhardy extreme optimist might never save a dime and be defeated…
Exhausted after a family vacation?
Here’s a secret: Going on vacation with the kids is a lot of work. Parents are often exhausted after being full-time nannies, swim or snow board…
Dark retreat: Finding yourself with nothing
Even as you drift to sleep, pinpoint LED lights blink a silent reminder that something around you is computing, consuming, or waiting. When wake, you’ll…
Retirees should prepare for healthcare sticker shock
Retirees now live longer and often enjoy a higher quality of life than in decades past. However, longer lifespans make financial security, especially in…