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[ad_1] This article is part of our HousingWire 2022 forecast series. After the series wraps, join us on February 8 for the HW+ Virtual 2022 Forecast Event. Bringing together some of the top economists and researchers in housing, the event will provide an in-depth look at the predictions for this year, along with a roundtable discussion on how these insights apply to your business. The event is exclusively for HW+ members, and you can go here to register. Experienced real estate investors often say that there are opportunities in every market — whether prices are rising or falling, whether the trends lean towards a buyers’ market or a seller’s market. It’s simply a matter of adjusting your investment strategy to optimize current market conditions.  But what if the market conditions include historically low levels of available inventory for sale, and competing for that limited inventory with institutional investors as well as millions of millennial homebuyers? And what if those market conditions drive home prices up to new price peaks at the same time that mortgage rates are rising and inflation is at levels not seen in 40 years?  That’s the state of the real estate market as we move into the new year, so the answers to those questions will determine the fate of real estate investors in 2022. 2022 Forecast series What are the drivers of housing demand in 2022? 5 predictions for the 2022 housing market Here are 7 trends to watch in the 2022 appraisal market The “Big Four” take on the upstarts in title insurance The good news: demand isn’t going away Whether a real estate investor is a developer, a fix-and-flip expert or someone who buys properties to rent, the good news is that demand isn’t going away anytime soon. As HousingWire’s Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami has pointed out frequently, demographics drive demand, and those demographics definitely suggest that there will be no shortage of homebuyers in 2022. The largest cohort of millennials — the largest generation in U.S. history — are between the ages of 29-32, and the average age of a first-time homebuyer today is 33. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a trend among millennials to migrate from urban renters to suburban homeowners, in part to move away from the perceived health risks of high-density city environments, and in part to take advantage of having the opportunity to work from home. Also driving demand are historically low interest rates, which have kept monthly payments relatively affordable despite home prices that have jumped by 18-20% in the past year, and, according to a recent report from RealtyTrac’s parent company ATTOM,  have made it less expensive to own a home than to rent in 60% of the markets across the country. Despite that, and despite asking rent prices that soared 14% year-over-year, apartment vacancy rates are also at historically low levels, about 2% according to RealPage.  So opportunities should continue to abound for developers building owner-occupied properties or new rental homes; for fix-and-flippers bringing formerly distressed inventory back to market; and for single-family rental investors offering properties to families who’ve outgrown apartments. All these investors need are properties to sell or rent. And there, of course, lies the rub. The Bad News: Limited Supply isn’t Going Away Either According to the Winter 2022 RealtyTrac Investor Sentiment Survey, which tracks the state of the market in the minds of individual investors, 63% of the investors surveyed cited limited inventory as the biggest challenge they face today. This marks the third consecutive time that “limited inventory” was cited as the biggest challenge, and 57% of the respondents believe that it will still be the biggest issue they face six months from now. Housing industry experts agree: Mike Simonson, CEO of Altos Research, reported on January 17 that the inventory of homes for sale had hit an all-time low of 284,000 properties. December housing starts and permits increased to annualized rates of 1.7 million and 1.87 million respectively, suggesting that some relief may be on the way, but after a decade of under-building, it will take time before we reach a balanced level of supply and demand. This unhealthy supply/demand imbalance has had a predictable impact on home prices, which was the second most frequently cited problem by investors (60%) in the RealtyTrac survey. Rising prices affect different types of real estate investors in different ways, of course. Rental property investors probably have a slightly higher tolerance for rising prices since they can offset costs to a certain extent by charging more for rent; and rental property owners are often more concerned with cash flow than short-term price appreciation. Fix-and-flip investors, on the other hand, have to be more price sensitive, since their business model relies on buying low, managing repair budgets carefully, and making a profit at current market prices. This has proved to be challenging over the past two quarters — ATTOM reported that while the total number of homes flipped had increased in both the second and third quarter of 2021, gross margins had decreased by over ten percentage points, from 43.8% in 2020 to 33.2% in 2021, the lowest level of gross margin since the first quarter of 2011, during the Great Recession. Investors are also worried that inflation may make matters worse in 2022. About 88% of survey respondents expressed concerns that inflation would have an impact on their business due to higher material and labor costs, higher interest rates making financing more expensive, or because rising consumer prices might weaken demand from potential home buyers and renters. Competition remains fierce, and iBuyers are here to stay Individual investors find themselves competing not just with larger, institutional investors, but with traditional consumer homebuyers as well. Both were cited about 25% of the time as a major impediment by survey respondents in the current market and a likely problem six months from now. Competition is especially fierce at the low end of the market, which has the lowest level of for sale inventory of any

[ad_1] Overview Top 100 Dividend Stocks Past Performance Methodology Choosing Canada’s Best Dividend Stocks for 2022 Grades The Dividend All-Stars grades all of the dividend-paying stocks on the S&P/TSX Composite. By limiting our focus to this select group, we recognize that we may not capture some great Canadian companies, but we want to ensure we’re targeting the large liquid stocks. A company has to possess three important characteristics to make the cut: It has to offer an attractive yield, appear well positioned to sustain a steady flow of income to investors and be reasonably priced. With three simple ingredients, the process sounds simple, but there is a lot of data to digest. We put in the elbow grease by collecting and parsing all the data and condensing it down into a simple letter-grade system to help you assess each stock’s investment potential. Our top stocks earn A-grades, but there are often also some Bs that are worth further scrutiny. Companies with C ratings are missing one or more of the ingredients we look for. Companies we feel investors may not want to target for their dividends earn Ds or, in some cases, Fs if they have a weak outlook.  Before you turn to your discount brokerage to buy these stocks, remember the Dividend All-Stars list is a purely quantitative analysis based on data collected from Bloomberg and Morningstar. To ensure broad representation, companies that may not have data for a specific field are still included, but those companies earn no points for that category.  Notably, the ranking doesn’t consider the talent in the executive suite or how economic pressures could weigh on a company’s earnings.  Here’s the complete breakdown: Yield Companies sporting attractive yields and a history of growing their dividends over the past five years earn top marks. This two-pronged approach seeks to identify companies that not only offer attractive yields, but are also well positioned to grow their payouts over time. This accounts for 40% of the overall score.  Stability Sky-high dividend yields are meaningless if the company can’t afford to maintain them. To try and avoid this risk, we target companies we think will be able to sustain their dividends. For this part of the score, we  want to identify companies with the means to continue their dividends even if they hit minor setbacks.  To accomplish this, we’re screening for profitable companies that are earning more than they pay out, are growing earnings and are not weighed down by debt relative to their peers. This accounts for another 40% of our final score.   Value As an investor, it’s not enough that a company can simply afford its dividend. Before you commit to a stock, we also think you want to know whether it’s attractively priced. The final 20% of our grade goes to value. We reward companies that have low price-to-book and price-to-earnings ratios.  The P/B ratio measures how much cash a company might be able to raise if it were to sell off all of its assets and pay off its debts. The lower the P/B, the better. Similarly, the price-to-earnings ratio allows us to identify profitable stocks that are trading at a reasonable price. When you combine all these ingredients, you get the largest 100 Dividend All-Stars in Canada. The post Canada’s best dividends 2022: How we chose the winners appeared first on MoneySense. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The post 5 Top Lithium Stocks Betting on a Battery-Powered Future appeared first on Millennial Money. The shift to electric vehicles is already in motion — and these companies are tapping into the skyrocketing lithium demand that it’s creating.  Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to soar in the coming years. Research firm eMarketer estimates that, by 2040, at least two-thirds of all passenger vehicle sales will come from EVs.  And the shift is already underway in most markets. Nearly every automaker has announced new lineups of EVs that will debut in the next few years. All of this is creating a massive demand for high-capacity lithium batteries that will power millions of vehicles. To help automakers reach their EV sales projections, a lot more lithium will need to come out of the ground in the coming years.  And that’s where the companies on this list come in. Each one is betting at least part of their future on lithium demand. Some of these stocks have already experienced tremendous growth because of it. We put together this list of top lithium stocks to help you better understand this fast-growing market and, hopefully, benefit from the explosive demand for lithium. 5 Top Lithium Stocks Here are the top 5 lithium stocks to buy if you’re betting on a battery-powered future. Albemarle Corp. Lithium Americas Livent Corp. Ganfeng Lithium Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile  1. Albemarle Corp. 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“%A, %B %e, %Y”}}]}); }); For investors just getting into lithium stocks, Albemarle may be a good bet. The company isn’t a pure-play in the lithium market, but three things make it worth investors’ consideration:  Albemarle is the world’s largest lithium producer The company is in good financial shape Albemarle is tapping into the growing demand for lithium in China  The company is diversified into other minerals, including bromines and catalysts. But in the most recent quarter, lithium accounted for 43% of Albemarle’s total sales and half of its net income. Albemarle benefits from the scale of its lithium production, which has been getting even bigger since the company purchased China-based lithium company Guangxi Tianyuan New Energy Materials toward the end of 2021.  In its third-quarter press release, management highlighted the company’s focus on China, saying, “We are making investments to add significant conversion capacity in China, initially targeting up to 150,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide per year.”  This production increase is important, because China is currently the world’s largest battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market, with nearly 50% market share. And research firm McKinsey estimates that BEV sales in China will grow nearly eight times between 2020 and 2030.  Mining lithium can be expensive, which is why it’s important to take notice of Albemarle’s relatively low debt obligations, which currently total about $2 billion.  2. Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC) Lithium Americas Corp. 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“%A, %B %e, %Y”}}]}); }); Investors should know right off the bat that Lithium Americas is more of a speculative stock than a stable investment. To give some perspective, here’s what the company said in its most recent quarterly report:  “The company continues to develop its projects and does not generate revenues from operations.”  Did you catch it? Lithium Americas isn’t generating any revenue right now. The reason it made this list is because the company has its hands in multiple lithium projects that could end up benefiting it in the coming years. Investors should be aware of these projects’ potential.  Here are a few project highlights:  Construction of its Cauchari-Olaroz mine in Argentina is underway. The company targets mid-2022 to begin tapping into the initial 40,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).  Early-phase construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2022 for the company’s Thacker Pass site in Nevada. Lithium Americas owns 100% of the mine, which it says is the “largest known lithium resource” in the United States.  Lithium Americas just purchased Canada-based Millennial Lithium, giving the company the Pastos Grandes mine, another lithium project in Argentina. The company said that construction will begin in 2024 and that it could produce 24,000 tons of battery-quality lithium carbonate annually for the next four decades.  It’s worth reiterating that Lithium Americas isn’t a stock for everyone. But if you’re investing in the lithium market, at least keep an eye on this company’s upcoming production projects. Pick Like A Pro Where to invest $500 right now Lots of new investors take chances on long shots instead of buying shares of great companies. I prefer businesses like Amazon, Netflix, and Apple — they’re all on my best stocks for beginners list. There’s a company that “called” these businesses long before they hit it big. They first recommended Netflix in 2004 at $1.85 per share, Amazon in 2002 at $15.31 per share, and Apple back in the iPod Shuffle era at $4.97 per share. Take a look where they are now. That company: The Motley Fool. For people ready to make investing part of their strategy for financial freedom, take a look at The Motley Fool’s flagship investing service, Stock Advisor. They just announced their top 10 “best buys now” across the entire stock market. Whether you’re starting with $100, $500, or more, you should check out the full details. Click here to learn more 3. Livent Corp. (NYSE: LTHM) Livent Corp. (NYSE:LTHM) Price: $21.99 (as

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[ad_1] Today the Census Bureau‘s new home sales report came in as a beat of estimates at 811,000. The headline beat surprised many people, but the report’s internals show negative revisions for the previous months. The bearish take on housing for the second half of 2021 didn’t really pan out, especially in the new home sales sector. What I believe occurred is that some housing investors took the decline in builders confidence and the increase in monthly supply to push that something bad was going to occur quickly. In reality, as we talked about many times on HousingWire, housing data was going to moderate, find a base and work from that COVID-19 surge in the data. Now that 2021 is wrapped up, we can see this is what happened and I believe that was misread by some people. However, with that said, it’s still just an OK housing market for me based on how I view the new home sales market. Not everything in housing has to be smoking hot or an epic crash — a slow and steady dance can make the evening just right. From Census: The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of December was 403,000.  This represents a supply of 6.0 months at the current sales rate. My rule of thumb for anticipating builder behavior is based on the three-month average of supply: When supply is 4.3 months and below, this is an excellent market for the builders. When supply is 4.4 to 6.4 months, this is an OK market for the builders. They will build as long as new home sales are growing. When supply is 6.5 months and above, the builders will pull back on construction. The headline supply number is six months with a three-month average number of 6.6 months. While we have seen a monthly decline in supply, we always want to keep mindful of the three-month average because the month-to-month numbers can be wild, both positive and negative. Of course, we all know what is going on in the U.S.: it’s taking forever to build and complete a home. The saddest housing chart we have in America is the total completion chart for housing starts. It is an embarrassment, but construction productivity — which has been terrible for decades — is now also dealing with shortages that delay finishing homes. Also, since robots and immigrants didn’t take all the jobs in America, we have a higher-than-normal level of job openings for construction workers.  The new home sales market is doing its slow and steady dance upward, which is typically the case as long as mortgage rates stay low. This isn’t a booming home sales market and the existing home sales have clearly been outperforming recently versus the new home sales. From Census: New Home Sales Sales of new single‐family houses in December 2021 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 811,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  This is 11.9 percent (±20.3 percent)* above the revised November rate of 725,000, but is 14.0 percent (±16.6 percent)* below the December 2020 estimate of 943,000 Slow and steady wins the race and the market that we had from 2002-2005 doesn’t exist today. The credit boom that facilitated new home sales then no longer exists, so while sales levels are nowhere near the peak of the housing bubble years, this should be viewed as a positive because we never want to see a credit boom as we did back then. Now for some good news, growth of the median sales price has slowed down! My biggest concern for housing in the years 2020-2024 was about home prices having the capacity to overheat in the existing home sales market. Here on the new home sales side of the equation, it’s all about pricing power and profit margins. The builders had the ability to push higher prices on the consumers as the demand was there. So for all the complaints about labor and lumber costs, the builders sold their homes at higher prices and made good money off them. This is also a factor why I don’t believe in the housing construction boom premise, because when builders and sellers have pricing power they push it to the limits. From Census: The median sales price of new houses sold in December 2021 was $377,700.  The average sales price was $457,300. Even though the recent builder survey saw a slight drop, it picked up over the last few months of 2021, so the builders were feeling a bit perkier and sales rose, as well as permits. I believe some of the marketing that housing was going to crash in the second half of 2021 didn’t end well because simply rates are too low and demographic demand is too big. Now the pressing question is: What will the 10-year yield do? I believe, as I have since the summer of 2020, if you want housing to cool down you need the 10-year yield to break above 1.94% and head much higher with duration. Of course, this is something that hasn’t happened since the second half of 2019 after the inverted yield curve. That cooling process is to allow days on market to grow and create a balance for the existing home sales market. Unlike last year, where I didn’t even address the possibility of that happening, for 2022 I have talked about how bond yields could rise above 1.94%, but we would need global yields to rise with it. From my article last week: “For this scenario, Japan and Germany yields need to rise, which would push our 10-year yield toward 2.42% and get mortgage rates over 4%. Current conditions don’t support this.” Germany and Japan’s 10-year yields have been rising lately, but still not enough yet to get our 10-year yield to even really test the 1.94% level just yet. Higher bond yields and higher mortgage rates really impact the

[ad_1] Overview Top 100 Dividend Stocks Past Performance Methodology How to use this table As well as the Dividend All-Stars have performed over the years, the ranking should be viewed as the starting point for your research, not the end. This report aims to identify companies that offer the best investment potential now, based on yield, stability and value, but it’s a purely fundamental analysis. Use this list to narrow the prospective investments worthy of additional research before deciding whether they deserve to be included in your portfolio. The ranking also doesn’t account for other important factors like management or risks that could seriously affect a company’s performance. That’s not to suggest those factors aren’t important, but that they require a more qualitative analysis that is best done on a company-by-company basis. By the same token, a low grade doesn’t necessarily mean a company is a bad investment or is at risk of cutting its payout.  Our main goal is to narrow down the list of prospects to review, so you have a reasonable starting point. To capture the full performance of the Dividend All-Stars, you would have to invest equal amounts into each of the top stocks. You would have to liquidate your portfolio at the end of the year and repeat the process with the latest top picks.  For many investors, buying the complete list may not be practical. If you have only small sums of money to invest, the $9 or more it may cost you to execute each trade—not to mention the $9 to sell them later—can be a drag on performance. If you’re parking $10,000 into each investment, that may not matter. But if you’re only able to invest $1,000 into each company, then it may not be as enticing.  If you’re comfortable adding individual stocks to your portfolio, make sure you have a plan to limit your risk and have a clear idea of how it fits into your broader plan. As a guide, most portfolio managers try to limit a single investment to no more than 10% of their portfolios, although even their favourite holdings are often far below that threshold.  It’s also worth considering how these investments fit into your broader plan. While dividend stocks can generate income, putting too much of your portfolio against one asset class may not be an appropriate way to achieve your investment goals. Before deciding how to proceed, make sure you have a solid foundation before venturing into individual stocks. Whether you’re an experienced or novice investor, consider keeping your “play” money under 10% of your portfolio to limit your risk. As always, avoid taking unnecessary risks, especially when it comes to managing your retirement portfolio.  However you decide to invest, always plan to do your research. Building the Dividend All-Stars takes time to assemble and check. Between the time when we pulled the data and now, ensure nothing material has changed that could undermine a stock’s prospects.   table.city-ranking { font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif } table.city-ranking tr td { font-size: .9em } table.city-ranking tr>td:nth-of-type(17) { color: orange } .footable-details td, .footable-details th, table.city-ranking tr>td:last-of-type table.footable-details td:last-of-type { color: #333 } table.city-ranking th.bar { width: 100px } table.city-ranking span.bar { display: inline-block; position: relative; z-index: 10; height: 2rem; width: 100% } span.bar>span.bar-inner { display: block; height: 2rem; z-index: 11; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 2rem; padding-left: .5rem; color: #fff; font-weight: 900 } span.bar.value { background-color: #afeeee } span.bar.momentum { background-color: salmon } span.bar.value>span.bar-inner { background-color: #1e90ff } span.bar.momentum>span.bar-inner { background-color: #dc143c } table.footable-details tbody tr th { padding: 9px 10px } Company Ticker Industry Price (Oct 23) Market Cap ($B) Total 1-year return Total 5-year return Dividend yield Dividend Growth (5Yr Avg) Payout ratio Debt/Equity Return on Common Equity Price/Cash Flow 3-year earnings growth Price/Earnings Price/Book Grade Manulife Financial Corp MFC Insurance $22.40 $43.45 -6.72% 5.95% 5.00% 10.99% 26.85% 0.30 10.80 2.23 42.06% 8.48 0.88 A Genworth MI Canada Inc MIC Thrifts & Mortgage Finance $43.52 $3.76 -9.47% 19.65% 4.96% 40.09% 37.48% 0.15 10.91 6.44 4.00% 8.79 1.00 A iA Financial Corp Inc IAG Insurance $56.35 $6.03 -15.09% 8.00% 3.44% 10.83% 23.96% 0.25 10.84 3.95 7.75% 8.26 1.03 A Power Corp of Canada POW Insurance $29.46 $19.75 -8.32% 5.66% 6.08% 7.39% 59.93% 0.66 9.29 1.87 3.41% 10.37 0.97 A Great-West Lifeco Inc GWO Insurance $29.14 $27.03 -7.54% 1.60% 6.01% 6.08% 49.19% 0.43 12.57 3.00 0.86% 9.59 1.29 A Capital Power Corp CPX Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers $34.95 $3.87 9.85% 24.97% 5.87% 7.11% 53.19% 0.96 8.79 12.42 18.01% 10.03 1.28 A Toronto-Dominion Bank/The TD Banks $71.69 $130.20 1.32% 10.12% 4.41% 9.23% 28.17% 0.20 13.54 – 5.32% 11.09 1.45 B Cascades Inc CAS Containers & Packaging $15.03 $1.54 35.49% 6.82% 2.13% 14.87% 15.51% 1.27 6.25 4.61 70.44% 7.89 0.90 B Royal Bank of Canada RY Banks $104.86 $149.31 4.67% 11.70% 4.12% 6.85% 48.42% 0.19 14.08 2.72 1.49% 13.39 1.85 B National Bank of Canada NA Banks $72.39 $24.32 5.02% 17.32% 3.92% 6.84% 51.95% 0.13 14.93 5.59 2.16% 11.79 1.81 B Sun Life Financial Inc SLF Insurance $56.59 $33.10 0.21% 9.59% 3.89% 7.82% 42.90% 0.20 11.01 4.24 3.81% 15.64 1.48 B Canadian Western Bank CWB Banks $29.19 $2.54 -3.70% 8.74% 3.97% 5.50% 39.85% 0.91 9.06 4.39 5.98% 10.19 0.86 B Pembina Pipeline Corp PPL Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels $33.55 $18.45 -23.45% 8.62% 7.51% 6.97% 123.57% 0.83 6.73 19.72 40.65% 13.41 1.34 B Aecon Group Inc ARE Construction & Engineering $16.74 $1.00 1.28% 7.03% 3.82% 9.89% 13.01% 0.80 8.88 3.63 28.67% 55.78 1.16 B TC Energy Corp TRP Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels $56.41 $53.02 -11.55% 8.61% 5.74% 9.28% 84.29% 1.62 16.21 – 691.05% 13.17 1.88 B Transcontinental Inc TCL.A Commercial Services & Supplies $22.28 $1.95 59.17% 10.35% 4.04% 5.96% 38.20% 0.53 7.70 5.58 -17.55% 12.72 1.12 B Bank of Nova Scotia/The BNS Banks $68.16 $82.57 -1.92% 8.82% 5.28% 5.77% 62.46% 1.31 10.41 1.55 -5.49% 13.17 1.31 B Equitable Group Inc EQB Thrifts & Mortgage Finance $96.78 $1.63 -11.06% 14.22% 1.53% 14.26% 8.55% 0.11 14.35 – 12.53%

[ad_1] A VA loan is a VA loan, right? Generally speaking, yes. But rates can vary from one lender to another, and are often affected by personal factors, like your credit score and even the loan amount you are applying for. In this guide, we’ll explain the nuts and bolts of VA loans, and provide information on how you can get the best VA loan rates. But first, let’s take a look at today’s VA mortgage rates. Today’s VA Mortgage Rates #ap85859-ww{padding-top:20px;position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:12px;font-family:Lato,Arial,sans-serif}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-indicator{text-align:right}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-indicator-wrapper{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap85859-ww-text{display:block}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap85859-ww-label{display:none}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-text{margin:auto 3px auto auto}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-label{margin-left:4px;margin-right:3px}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-icon{margin:auto;padding:1px;display:inline-block;width:15px;height:15px;min-width:15px;min-height:15px;cursor:pointer}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-icon img{vertical-align:middle;width:15px;height:15px;min-width:15px;min-height:15px}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-text-bottom{margin:5px}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-text{display:none}#ap85859-ww #ap85859-ww-icon img{text-indent:-9999px;color:transparent} Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad #ap85859-w-simple-rate-table{max-width:675px;margin:0 auto}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-title{font-family:Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:25.9px;font-weight:700;text-align:left}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-subtitle{margin-top:16px;font-family:Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:2;text-align:left}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-updated{font-family:Georgia, serif;color:#9AAAB9;font-size:14px;line-height:29px;font-weight:400;margin:10px 0 0 0;text-align:left}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-hint{font-family:Georgia, serif;color:#9AAAB9;font-size:11px;line-height:29px;font-weight:400;text-align:left}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-cta{margin-top:24px;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end;font-family:Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-cta .cta-text-1{color:#3750DC;font-size:18px;line-height:29px;font-weight:700;margin:5px 0 0 0}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-cta .cta-text-2{color:#000;font-size:14px;line-height:29px;font-weight:400;margin:5px 0 0 0}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-cta a.w-simple-rate-table-btn{display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:center;font-family:Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;color:#fff;font-size:15px;line-height:18px;text-transform:uppercase;text-decoration:none;background:#FF7C34;border-radius:80px;padding:15px 20px;min-width:150px;margin:15px 0 0 0}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table .w-simple-rate-table-cta a.w-simple-rate-table-btn:hover{color:#fff;background-color:#FF6321}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table p.date-range{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:2;text-align:left;color:#888}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table{width:100%;margin:20px 0 0 0}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table thead.w-simple-rate-table-thead tr{border:0}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table thead.w-simple-rate-table-thead th{font-family:Montserrat, Verdana, sans-serif;color:#000;font-size:12px;line-height:29px;text-transform:uppercase;text-align:left;width:50%;border:0;font-weight:400}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table thead.w-simple-rate-table-thead th:last-child{text-align:right}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table tbody.w-simple-rate-table-tbody{border:0}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table tbody.w-simple-rate-table-tbody tr{border-bottom:1px solid #c4c4c4}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table tbody.w-simple-rate-table-tbody tr:last-child{border:0}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table tr.w-simple-rate-table-tr td{font-family:Montserrat,Verdana,serif;color:#000;font-size:14px;line-height:29px;background:#fff;border:0;padding:8px 0 8px 0;width:50%}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table tr.w-simple-rate-table-tr td:first-child{font-size:14px;line-height:29px;font-weight:400}#ap85859-w-simple-rate-table table.w-simple-rate-table-table tr.w-simple-rate-table-tr td:last-child{text-align:right} Today's VA Mortgage Rates As of 01/25/2022 Product Interest Rate VA Fixed 30 Year 3.81% VIEW RATES How to Get the Lowest VA Rates Getting the lowest rate on a VA mortgage is a multi-step process. You should plan to use the following strategies: Maximize your credit score: Like other mortgage types, VA loans charge lower rates if you have good or excellent credit. Get a copy of your credit report, examine it carefully, and look for errors. If you find any, dispute them with the lender, and have them corrected or removed from your report. That will increase your credit score and get you to better pricing. Apply with the right lender: While VA loan rates are standard, there are variations in annual percentage rate (APR). These differences reflect fees charged in connection with a loan by each lender. A higher APR means the lenders charging higher rates than a competitor. Choose a lender with a low APR. Make a down payment: Even though VA loans don’t require a down payment, making one equal to 5% or 10% of the purchase price of the property may entitle you to a lower interest rate. Buy down the rate: Most lenders will allow you to get a lower interest rate by paying additional points upfront. Each point is equal to 1% of the loan amount, so be sure the extra points you’ll be paying will be justified by the interest rate savings you’ll earn. #ap26276-ww{padding-top:20px;position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:12px;font-family:Lato,Arial,sans-serif}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-indicator{text-align:right}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-indicator-wrapper{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap26276-ww-text{display:block}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap26276-ww-label{display:none}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-text{margin:auto 3px auto auto}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-label{margin-left:4px;margin-right:3px}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-icon{margin:auto;padding:1px;display:inline-block;width:15px;height:15px;min-width:15px;min-height:15px;cursor:pointer}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-icon img{vertical-align:middle;width:15px;height:15px;min-width:15px;min-height:15px}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-text-bottom{margin:5px}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-text{display:none}#ap26276-ww #ap26276-ww-icon img{text-indent:-9999px;color:transparent} Ads by Money. 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For veterans, active-duty service members and surviving spouses, VA Home Loans can help make buying a home more affordable. Click on your state to get started! HawaiiAlaskaFloridaSouth CarolinaGeorgiaAlabamaNorth CarolinaTennesseeRIRhode IslandCTConnecticutMAMassachusettsMaineNHNew HampshireVTVermontNew YorkNJNew JerseyDEDelawareMDMarylandWest VirginiaOhioMichiganArizonaNevadaUtahColoradoNew MexicoSouth DakotaIowaIndianaIllinoisMinnesotaWisconsinMissouriLouisianaVirginiaDCWashington DCIdahoCaliforniaNorth DakotaWashingtonOregonMontanaWyomingNebraskaKansasOklahomaPennsylvaniaKentuckyMississippiArkansasTexas Start Now ADVERTISEMENT What is a VA Loan? VA loans work similar to conventional and FHA mortgages, but they do involve significant differences. The most important is that they are available only for current members of the US military, and eligible veterans and their families. They are not available for the general public. If you intend to apply for a VA loan, you should be aware of the following VA requirements and limits: Eligible Property Types VA loans are available only for owner-occupied, 1-to-4 family properties that will be the buyer’s primary residence. They are not eligible for second homes or investment properties. They can be used for financing either the purchase or refinance of an owner-occupied home. Down Payment This is the feature VA loans are best known for. They provide 100% financing, which means the buyer is not required to make a down payment on the property. In addition, the property seller or other interested party can pay the buyer’s closing costs for an amount up to 4% of the purchase price of the home. The combination of the two can enable a veteran buyer to purchase a home with no money out-of-pocket whatsoever. Loan Limits Eligible borrowers can borrow up to $548,250, or up to $822,375 in areas designated to be high-cost areas, and be eligible for 100% financing. However, VA loans permit higher loan amounts, which are sometimes referred to as a “VA Jumbo Loan”. This is any loan amount that exceeds the limits listed above. But there is a catch. To be eligible for the higher loan amount, the borrower must make a down payment equal to 25% of the amount by which the purchase price exceeds the standard loan limits. As an example, if the maximum conforming loan limit in a region is $700,000, but the veterans purchasing a property at $1 million, he or she will need to make a down payment of $75,000. That can be calculated as follows: $1 million purchase price – $700,000 maximum conforming loan amount = $300,000 X 25% That calculation will enable a veteran to borrow $925,000 on the purchase of a $1 million home. Credit Requirements The VA does not have a hard and fast minimum credit score requirement. But most lenders will impose a minimum, which is typically 620, though some may go lower if you have an otherwise strong financial profile. Those can include low debt-to-income ratios, a declining house payment, or

[ad_1] The post The Power of Saying No: Take Control of Your Financial Destiny appeared first on Millennial Money. The power of no is vital to understand. No is one of the most powerful words in the English language. It’s a small word, but those two letters pack a punch. When you say no at the right time, you have the power to set healthy boundaries, reduce unnecessary stress, and protect your mental health. But saying no can be really hard to do—especially when it involves work or money. Take it from me, a long-term freelancer. For years I was scared to turn down any opportunity, even if it meant becoming overbooked and burnt out. Luckily, there are strategies that can let you harness the power of no to become more successful and happy. Instead of burning bridges on the road to financial freedom, saying no can smooth the pavement. So let’s take a look at how you can use the power of no to your financial advantage. Why Is Saying No So Hard? From an early age, many of us are taught that no is a selfish word. Think about toddlers having temper tantrums: “No no no no no!” We’re also taught that we should often put the needs of others above our own, to give instead of take. For many of us, pleasing others is just hardwired into our brains. When it comes to the workplace, a freelance career, or even a simple side hustle, saying no becomes even more difficult. That’s because money is on the line. Say it’s 5:00 in the afternoon and your boss dashes over to your cubicle and asks if you’ll stay late to put together a presentation that they forgot about.  Any other day, this scenario might be OK. But it’s your son’s birthday, and you’ve promised to take the whole family out for pizza. Whatever your knee-jerk reaction might be now, I bet that, in this scenario, you’d say yes and miss the pizza party. After all, saying no might lead to you being passed over for a promotion, right? Here’s another situation to consider. Say you’ve got a successful freelance writing career going and you receive an email from someone asking if you could write a 5,000-word report with a quick turnaround. The thing is, the pay is less than your usual rate. And you don’t like even thinking about the subject matter. It’s totally beyond your niche. But I bet you’d be tempted to say yes. After all, freelancers should never turn down a gig, right? When Is It OK to Use the Power of No? OK, so sometimes you absolutely can’t turn an assignment or job down. To say no would definitely cost you your position or lose you an opportunity you might never receive again.  You’ll know in your gut when to give a definitive yes. It’s clear that there would be a huge opportunity cost by turning it down. However, it can be trickier to identify when a resounding no is in order. Here are some criteria to consider: 1. Is your safety on the line? This one should be a no-brainer. If someone is asking you to do something that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, don’t do it—no matter how much money they offer you.  This runs the gamut from entering into a personal relationship with a boss to using hazardous equipment you’re simply not trained to use. Entering a toxic relationship or getting hurt on the job simply isn’t worth the extra money. Use the power of no and moving forward, make sure you set strong, clear boundaries with anyone who asks you to do something outside your comfort zone. 2. Is the job in your wheelhouse? If you do any kind of freelance work, you’ll occasionally be asked to do a job you just aren’t knowledgeable about—and you aren’t thrilled to learn how to do it, either. If you can afford to pass on the income, definitely don’t do it. Hold out for jobs that excite you or spark your interest. Odds are, a better opportunity is around the corner. If you could use the extra work, factor in how long it would take you to learn about the subject matter or do the task before saying yes. The gig might not be worth the time it would take you to get up to speed. 3. Will it get you closer to your goals? If it seems like the offered opportunity might put a drain on your time or resources, turn it down. As an entrepreneur or even side hustler, you know that you have a finite amount of energy and time to give. Successful people say no all the time. I love this quote from the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs: “Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”  Remember, your ultimate goal is to achieve financial freedom as soon as you can. Don’t say yes to anything that might send you on a detour or otherwise distract you from better opportunities. 4. Do you already have enough to do? You might have read about the difference between having a scarcity mindset and having a growth mindset. One of the nasty side effects of the scarcity mindset is that you tend to hoard.  Think of it like this: When people are scared that the store is going to run out of toilet paper, they hoard it. They load up their closets, basements, and every bit of storage space with rolls of TP.  It’s the same way with having a scarcity mindset about having work opportunities.  When freelancers worry that they’ll run out of jobs, they tend to hoard as many gigs as possible, regardless of quality. You know what? The majority of the time, this hoarding behavior is unwarranted. And it can lead to burnout. Just as a TP hoarder’s house will be jam-packed with Charmin, your calendar will be so full that you’ll neglect an important job, double-book yourself, or