Retirement is one of the happier times of life, a period that should be marked with extreme satisfaction, unending peace, and deep joy from the years of hard work, perseverance, and your numerous experiences. However, sound financial standing is at the heart of achieving this peace of mind, and it requires strong foresight, commitment, and vigilance to maximize return on investments. Several vehicles are potent enough to deliver long-term value and success at the time of retirement. Some of the best retirement investment vehicles vary in terms of the underlying concept and rely heavily on the general characteristics of the investor. Mutual funds One of the easier investment vehicles to get your head around, mutual funds are of multiple types and each fund has an objective of its own. These funds are usually invested in stocks or bonds, and the overall profit is distributed among the many participating investors. These are registered with the Securities Exchange Commission and regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Mutual funds that make for some of the best retirement investments are Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund (ticker: VTTHX) for investors expecting to retire in 2035, Northern Global Tactical Asset Allocation Fund (BBALX) that has additional asset classes like infrastructure and real estate, and Baird Aggregate Bond Fund (BAGIX) that focuses on investment discipline and risk control.

Taking a small business loan is one of the popular ways to benefit from guaranteed business loans. This type of debt is issued mostly by banks, and other lending partners are backed and vouched for by the Small Business Administration (SBA). It is a federal agency that supports lenders willing to grant these loans at low-interest rates and flexible payment terms. While they are the most popular form of finance backed by the SBA, these loans are incredibly tough to secure. Here are some things that you should know about the process before applying for a guaranteed business loan with the administration. Loan amount guaranteed If the lender issues a loan amount of $150,000 or less, the SBA will guarantee 85% of that amount. If the requested amount is more than $150,000, the federal agency will guarantee up to 75% of that amount. Either way, you have an established government entity that is willing to back your loan and pay for a substantial share, with the maximum cap limit set at five million dollars. The federal guarantee is applicable for loans under sec 7(a) and 504 programs of the Small Business Administration. Using the loan amount The amount can be used as working capital, or for any expansion, or even purchase of equipment for the business.

Commercial real estate comes with big benefits and a big fat income, especially if you’re looking at it as a form of investment. And some of the most beneficial pieces of commercial real estate include the triple net (NNN) properties that can be leased. So, if you’re looking to invest or purchase NNN properties, here are a few tips that’ll help you make the right purchase decision. What is a NNN lease? It a lease agreement in which tenants of a certain property take complete responsibility of all the operating expenses on top of the rent that they are paying the landlord. For any commercial property, the operating expenses can be divided into three parts: tax, insurance, and maintenance. If a tenant takes on only one of these expenses, it is considered a single net lease. If they take on two of the operational expenses, it is then a double net lease. If they take on three, it’s a triple net lease. Generally, NNN leases are taken up by office buildings, industrial areas, malls, restaurants, and even pharmacies. NNN properties are quite beneficial from an ownership viewpoint as they can protect the owner from incurring unexpected expenses and make for some steady and passive income.

A reverse mortgage helps you convert your home equity into funds that may be the need of the hour. It is quite similar to a traditional line of credit that you can avail from banks and financial institutions. As it is with any mortgage, the title of the property remains in your name and you get to enjoy certain additional benefits with a reverse mortgage. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) commonly offers a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for eligible applicants. Not everyone can apply for this exclusive line of credit as reverse mortgage eligibility is reserved only for seniors over a certain age. Reverse mortgage eligibility criteria Here are the basic requirements to qualify for a reverse mortgage: The first requirement is that as a homeowner, you must be over the age of 62 to apply for the line of credit. If your spouse is under the age of 62 but meets certain special criteria mentioned, they can apply for a reverse mortgage subject to the approval terms and conditions. The home title should be in your name, which should also be your permanent address for a major part of the calendar year. A reverse mortgage cannot be taken on multi-unit buildings or property that is considered commercial in the eyes of the law.

It is common for people to borrow and pay for their education, housing, or supplement other pressing financial requirements. However, the high-interest rate and repayment schedule often make it difficult for borrowers to manage their debt. To help pay off outstanding amounts, debt settlement companies help reduce and consolidate loans for better financial management. Have a look at the top 10 debt settlement companies and their key features. National Debt Relief National Debt Relief offers the best short programs for a larger (minimum $20,000) debt payoff. It ranks highly among the top 10 debt settlement companies and is accredited by the AFCC (American Fair Credit Council). The company charges a standard 15% to 25% fee for reducing your debt by almost 50%. Accredited Debt Relief If you are struggling to pay off multiple creditors, American Debt Relief can help you with your outstanding debts with its unique 12 and 48-month programs. The minimum amount you can settle is $7,500 and at present, the company has active operations in only 32 states. Freedom Debt Relief Freedom Debt Relief is one of the top AFCC accredited choices for variable programs that cater to a large customer base. On average, you may incur a 22% charge for settling debts as low as $7500.

Today, we can safely say that robo advisors, automated investing services, have established their place in the investment management landscape. Over the years, these services have evolved into offering clients human financial advisors, among other solutions. With so many interesting automated companies around, it can be difficult to figure out which one is the best for you. Here are a few important points you must consider to narrow down your options. Check the fees Many robo advisors usually charge a percentage of your invested assets as an annual management fee. For most, this fee ranges from 0.25% to 0.50%. If the annual fee is 0.5%, you will be charged $50 if your account balance is $10,000. That being said, some services charge no fees at all, or some can charge as much as 1%, depending on what they’re offering. If you’re just getting started and are planning to invest only a little, a zero-fee or minimal fee robo advisor can be a great choice. Know what the service is offering Fees shouldn’t be the main factor while choosing the best automated investing service. You must have a look at what these robo advisors are offering apart from essential services. Some robo advisors’ services can significantly boost the returns on your investments, making up for any fee that you’ll be paying annually.

With the current financial situation, searching for good investment opportunities can be challenging. This is why you need to choose an advisor who works according to your requirements. The right investment advisor will manage your wealth and safeguard your financial assets. So, here are some tips on picking the best advisor for your investments. Understand what the market holds for you The Internet has helped us completely automate a plethora of services. A few such examples are financial planning and investment advising. But when it comes to investments, there are also traditional financial advisors. The third type of firm is one that combines online operations with offline advising. So, before you choose an advisor, you need to understand and research which model suits your assets the best. Get them vetted Irrespective of the model you choose, you need to check if the advisors have The right qualifications A proper fiduciary standard where they hold your best interests at heart A Form ADV that discloses everything from their fee structure to their management history Keep the budget in tow An essential aspect to consider while choosing your investment advisor is the budget. Online firms charge way lower commissions compared to a traditional firm.

The top credit cards companies in the country mostly operate over VISA and MasterCard payment networks. Apart from issuing basic lines of credit, these companies offer additional benefits for cardholders including bonuses, travel miles, and cash back offers on selective purchases and services. Some credit cards also offer exclusive 0% interest balance transfer to reduce the burden of debt. To help you zero in on the best credit cards companies, we have compiled the best offers available with the top three credit cards companies. Discover It ® Ranking among the top three credit card companies, Discover It® offers an exclusive range of bonus category cash back cards, no annual fee miles travel cards, student cash back cards, and even cards for rebuilding your credit. To apply for most of these benefits, you must have a good to excellent credit score (anywhere between 690 and 850). The cash back card is one of the few in the market that offers double returns for the first year, among other bonuses and perks. Alternatively, for frequent travelers, you enjoy unlimited 1.5 miles per dollar spent and a double miles benefit for the first year of subscription. Note that most of these cards have 0% annual fees and offer flexible options for balance transfer with the lowest APR available in the market.

Dividend exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are used to invest in a pool of high dividend-paying stocks. These stocks can span a range of economic sectors and industries of either domestic or international domains. However, they tend to be associated with companies with a strong history of dividend increases, essentially meaning that high dividend ETF funds are usually associated with bigger, less-risky, blue-chip firms. As a result, these funds are favored not only by income-seeking investors who are more risk-averse but also by those who want to balance riskier investments in their portfolio. The dividend ETF universe comprises of numerous distinct ETFs, excluding inverse and leveraged ETFs. This article lists some of the best high dividend ETFs below: Fidelity NASDAQ Composite Index Track (ONEQ) The issuing company of this high dividend ETF is Fidelity. It has an expense ratio of 0.21 percent with an annual dividend yield of 1.79 percent and a 3-month average daily trading volume of 37,090 shares Assets under management amount to $2,488.6 million. ONEQ is a dividend ETF investing in stocks of U.S. companies. It has a variety of market capitalizations and follows a blended strategy by investing in both value stocks and growth. First Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund (TDIV) With an annual dividend yield of 2.19 percent, First Trust NASDAQ has an expense ratio of 0.50 percent.

Medicare is an essential part of your healthcare and makes it easy to access treatments for various ailments. It is divided into four parts – A, B, C, and D. Each part of Medicare covers specific healthcare services. Part A and B are considered Original Medicare, a fee-for-service program. Parts C and D are considered to be plans that offer additional benefits. Read on to learn about what is not covered under these plans.  What is not covered under Medicare Part A? Medicare Part A does not cover everything. These include a private room in the hospital or skilled nursing facility, private nursing care, and personal care items such as razors, socks, and slippers unless provided by the healthcare institute at no charge. Under Medicare Part A, patients also cannot get access to television or telephone in the room. There are also other things that are not covered by Medicare Part A, such as the first three pints of blood unless the hospital is able to arrange it for no charge and the cost of staying in a nursing home long term or visiting a skilled nursing home for rehab.  What’s not covered under Medicare Part B? Medicare Part B covers a wide range of routine medical care.