A home-equity line of credit allows homeowners to draw on the value of their homes as needed, usually at a variable interest rate. A home-equity loan is taken as a lump sum, usually at a fixed rate. When interest rates rise, lines of credit and home equity loans may offer clients a less expensive way to obtain cash compared to taking out a mortgage.

 

The September 2013 table below compares Germany’s economy to the U.S. and the Euro area. A future concern of Germany’s is the percentage of its working-age population for each person that has reached pension age (65+). That ratio is just 3.2 workers per pension age person; in the U.S., the ratio is 5.1 to 1, in Japan it is 2.7 to 1, and in the U.K. it is 4.1 to 1.

 

Germany’s Economy

 

Renewable Energy Myths Myth #1: Renewables are an insignificant source Myth #2: Renewables can replace fossil fuels Myth #3: Renewables are too expensive Myth #4: Variability dooms renewables Myth #5: Cheap natural gas is an enemy of renewables Myth #6: Renewable energy means millions of new green jobs

Parents can gift a portion of their home equity each year to one or more children or relatives

By 2030, the elderly population is expected to be larger than young Americans. The pool for caregivers will be smaller. The most populous caregiver age group is 45-64; those most likely to need long-term care are those age 80+. According to AARP, the caregiver group is expected to fall to 4 (caregiver) to 1 (care needed) by 2030, compared to > 7 to 1 in 2010.

 

 

Credit bureaus sell dozens of different credit scores; some are “educational,” designed for consumers, some generic, used by lenders, and still others are designed for mortgages or car loans.

According to CEIC Data, the July 2013 estimate for the entire 2013 calendar year was that the U.S. represented ~ 22% of world GDP, China 12%, Japan 7% and Germany 5%. The U.S. consumes 13% of the world’s merchandise, China consumes 10%, Germany 6%, and Japan 5%. Australia sends 29% of all its exports to China, South Korea 24%, Chile 24%, Japan 18%, the U.S. 7%, and Germany sends just 5% of its exports to China (source: CEIC Data, WSJ article, July 2013).

 

A large number of people believe Medicare also provides long-term care. What they do not know is that those benefits are quite limited and mainly apply to brief rehab stays in nursing facilities. Because of these severe limitations, advisors should counsel their clients about the pros and cons of long-term care.

 

The 10 most common types of investor complaints the SEC resolved in fiscal 2012 are shown in the table below (source: WSJ, June 2013).

 

10 Most Frequent Complaints to the SEC

 

Complaint Type	Number
Ponzi/pyramid scheme