Ask Terry Archives
How do you buy penny stocks without a broker? 2nd Request!!!
Is joint checking a good idea with a single child
My 25 year old daughter purchased a house on her own. I am her mother and on her checking and savings accounts. I do not contribute to her accounts. It is strictly for an emergency . An attorney (not ours) said that is a bad idea in case we were ever sued. Is there a…
Commercial mortgage bridge loans
Terry: Would you advise investing in these loans and, if not, why not. Thanks so much in advance and Happy New Year! Ellen
Paydown mortgage?
I am retired - my income is substantially less from not working - living off some non-taxes inheritance for a few years - will not be withdrawing from my SEP for a few years - no business expenses - should I pay off my home mortgage with an interest rate of 3.5%?
Timing for returning into the Bond Market
Hi Terry: With the downturn in the bond market due to the election and the fed increasing the interest rate, I money my investments in my bond mutual funds into money market funds. But I do not know when I should return into binds. Do you have any suggestions?
Home Equity Loan Paydown with Divorce on the Horizon?
Owe about $90,000 in Home Equity. The mortgage is paid in full. Have about $120,000 in stocks. Would it be smart to cash in my stocks to pay off the Home Equity debt. Also, probably will get divorced in 2017.
Just heard you on WGN…what was the name of the budget book from Amazon
Please give me the name of the budget book you discusses today available on Amazon
Crowd-funding — a good idea?
What is your opinion about the wisdom for the small investor of investing in crowdfunding or peer to peer lending? Thank you
IRA to HSA?
Seasons Greetings,Terry! I would like to transfer money out of an IRA that's paying less than 1% to an HSA since we meet the requirements of having one. Is this better than just taking the funds from a regular checking account? We are both retired so cannot make contributions from our paychecks.
Financial Advisor on Radio has bad Background Check!
Hello, Terry. My husband and I are met a financial advisor who has a radio show on WBBM. I searched the SEC website and the disclosure information showed that this individual has two regulatory events, one customer dispute and one termination. Based on this discovery, we are not comfortable proceeding with this individual. Our question…
Credit
I just rec'd a letter from one my creditor who offer me a chargeoff amount less than half of what I owe should I take me up on this offer or is a setup
Fidelity Management Fees
Upon retiring at 66 yrs, I recently rolled over my 401k into my existing Fidelity IRA. The total is now about 1.6 million. After years of choosing low cost index funds in my 401k, Fidelity Strategic Advisers, Inc. has proposed actively managing my assets for a net annual advisory fee of .66%. The primary investment…
Charity contribution website
I seem to remember that you suggested a website where people can choose a charity to contribute to. We would like our grandsons to choose a charity which we would then fund or match their contribution as part of our holiday gift to them. Is this site familiar to you? Any help you can give…
529 Plan
Hi Terry, I'm an IL resident who recently became a father and I'm looking to open a 529 plan before year end. I've been reading a lot about Brightstart, but my guess is the higher fees will balance out the tax benefits, so I've been looking at ratings and performance. What are your thoughts on…
student loans
HELP! My daughter has more than 60,000 in student loan debt. She has consolidated these three loans and one of the three is a loan that will be paid back in 10 years and what is left is forgiven. Between rent, car payment, and living expenses she cannot make ends meet. Do not know what…
Pay off mortgage with 401k withdrawal?
60 years old facing impending downsizing...over $600k in IRA/401k jointly. $100k mortgage...would it make sense to pay off mortgage with 401k, taxable, but no penalty, to get through a potential rough patch of possible unemployment? Given the run-up in the market, thinking of taking gains as opposed to trying to recover from inevitable market correction...Not…
Health Insurance Plans for Small Biz — Deadline December 15th!
MY FRIEND HEARD ON WGN NOON BUSINESS LUNCH 12/07/16 SOMETHING ABOUT INSURANCE FOR SELF EMPLOYED BUSINESS OWNER. SOMETHING REGARDING A REASONABLE RATE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS
Social Security sent someone’s important info to ME!!
Name on the documentation SS sent to me is for a guy named Kevin and I'm a girl named Carrie. It states MY List of Exhibits is attached for my upcoming hearing where I'm disputing an overpayment and requesting underpaid benefits with documents that substantiate my claim an underpayment, not overpayment had occurred. And you…
Unsecured Senior Debt
Hi Terry, I believe I've heard you talk about the DCSD, dept counsel for seniors and disabled, on WGN. I am a senior (69) living only on Soc Sec and run up 20K in credit card debt, due to circumstances since i lost my job in 2009. I own a townhome (live in NW Indiana).…
Disposing of men’s magazines
Hi Terry, An awkward but serious question... Like a lot of men, I have a collection of Playboy and Penthouse magazines. I do not want them anymore. I'm pretty sure (from visiting flea markets) that they are worth maybe 5-25 cents apiece. Not worth the effort in trying to sell them. I would love to…