Tag: first time

If you’ve finally decided to take the plunge with your partner and invest in the stock market, here are five important things you should consider when investing:

1. Take the long view: Despite booms and busts, remember that over the last 100+ years, the stock market has historically performed better than bonds and real estate, and certainly better than cash sitting in a bank account. One thousand dollars invested in 1900 would have been worth close to $20 million in 1999! A 10+ year time horizon can help you keep perspective and weather the ups and downs of the market.

For a young married couple looking to branch out during this credit crunch, some things couples take for granted during prosperous times may seem harder to attain—including the purchase of a home. These days, many couples are considering putting this dream on hold until the housing market becomes less volatile. The truth is, though, that interest rates are at near historic lows and home prices are dropping, and now is an ideal time to seriously consider purchasing a first home.

Owning your home can be a critical step toward building a sound financial structure for your new life together. Why keep paying rent when you can—hopefully—build equity? There are also important tax advantages linked with buying a home, including the ability to write off mortgage interest and property tax expenses. Plus, there’s now the incentive of the First Time Homebuyers Credit from the federal government.