So much that gets reported these days seems to be clickbait … or nonsense. Take the “great resignation,” for one. Supposedly large numbers of people are resigning from their jobs because they’re tired of working, or something like that. It’s supposed to be a big, important trend. It gets a lot of media and social […]
The following article appears in the Canton Citizen’s 2023 Financial Fitness Guide. See this week’s edition for information and tips from local professionals on a wide range of financial topics, including asset protection, real estate, tax preparation, and much more. *** It was another tragic story about a local person who was talked into letting […]
A fellow local banker and I got talking about how local banks can often help borrowers who get into mortgage repayment difficulty if only the borrowers will come in and talk to us. That’s true. Many struggling borrowers do come in. Some don’t. But ignoring problems usually makes things worse. Or things can get dramatically […]
A fellow banker recently told me about a gentleman who stopped by his local bank to tell them he’d just realized that a person he thought he was doing business with was actually a scammer. As it so happens, the man was in shock. He was angry at the scammer and very upset with himself. […]
According to the Boston Globe, “An increasing number of people desperate to secure a place to rent are being duped out of thousands of dollars by online scammers.” The article caught my attention. The word “desperate” really jumped out. Scammers usually specialize in generating desperation. In fact, the bottom line of most scams is that […]
The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the “trial by fire” of Mike Novogratz, a Wall Street “star” who has been one of the biggest promoters of cryptocurrencies and, as the Journal said, “a cult figure for thousands of amateur investors who followed his appearances on television, social media and the conference circuit.” Mr. Novogratz […]
Anyone who is going to be buying a house right now should absolutely consider an adjustable rate mortgage. The key word in that sentence is “consider.” Until recently, fixed mortgage rates were so low that, for most buyers, locking in a fixed rate was going to be the way to go. The math would have […]
These days, buyers are often encouraged — or even pressured — to waive all contingencies if they want to have any chance of buying a house. No mortgage contingency, no inspection contingency, no appraisal contingency. It’s become almost a joke that the “only” way to get a house is to put in a strong cash […]
A lot of young people who grew up in the metro Boston area are wondering if they’ll ever be able to buy a home around here. It may take time. It may take work. It may take luck. But the good news is that if there is something you really want to make happen, usually […]
In February, the Boston Herald reported that the town of Tewksbury had lost $100,000 in a phishing scam. According to the Herald, the Tewksbury town manager said an employee had received a seemingly legitimate email from a regular vendor seeking payment via wire transfer. Apparently the payment request was not red-flagged as “unusual” because Tewksbury […]
