Open House Incidents
It was late on a Saturday afternoon. The day before, Susan, a real estate agent, had confirmed the Saturday afternoon open house for one of her clients. When Susan arrived, she let herself into the home, as instructed, and saw that the house was a little messy. Wanting to present the home in the best light to potential buyers, Susan washed the dishes in the sink, folded some laundry, and tidied up rooms. The time for the open house came, a few people arrived, and Susan showed them the property. About 45 minutes into the open house, another real estate agent...Read More
Setting the Standard
A Brief Overview of the CFP Board’s New Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct Effective October 1, 2019, CFP (Certified Financial Planner) Board’s new Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct (“Code and Standards”) was issued. The Code and Standards sets forth the ethical standards for CFP professionals, and replaces CFP Board’s current Code of Ethics, Rules of Conduct, Financial Planning Practice Standards and Terminology. The enforcement date for the new Code and Standards is June 30, 2020. The new Code and Standards includes a range of important changes,...Read More
Factors for Evaluating Whether a Loan is for a Business Purpose
Part 1 of 2 – Federal factors. Although lenders are perhaps more familiar with the regulations involved in making loans to consumers, it is important to keep in mind that different rules apply to business purpose loans secured by real property. The first step in the analysis is, naturally, to determine whether the loan is a business purpose loan, or a consumer purpose loan. In Part 2, we will examine some of the state considerations. Part 1 we focus on some of the federal considerations, starting with the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). Along with its federal...Read More
Keeping Things Interesting – How Federal Interest Rates Work
To anyone who has ever had a credit card, borrowed money or deposited money in a savings account, you know firsthand how interest rates impact the amount of money you have at any given time. A somewhat complex system directs how interest rates are set at any point in time. If you’re interested in how federal interest rates work, this information will help you. How Do Interest Rates Work? Interest rates can be thought of as essentially the price of borrowing money. It is the amount charged by a lender for use of an asset, expressed as a percentage of the...Read More
