With just about everything today going digital, is it time for consumers to carry a digital identity? A standardized digital identity is an electronically verified set of attributes that uniquely describe a person. Those pushing it say it can improve, simplify, and accelerate identity-dependent transactions, including, but not limited to, buying or renting a home. Are we ready for such…
Tag: 2018
Things Are Looking Up
According to Fannie Mae’s recent economic and housing outlook, rates will be rising. But, so will homes sales. Fannie expects strong economic growth from the recent tax cuts and other stimuli in the new budget. Although rates are forecasted to rise above 4%, these should not negatively affect home sales. In fact, it should help. The increase in household disposable…
Equifax Breach – More Than Meets the Eye
A few months ago, we learned the one of the nation’s three credit repositories, Equifax, had been hacked. This provided the cyber thieves with valuable personal information on about 145 million consumers. Now, we learn more. According to report from Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D/MA) the thieves not only accessed the personal data of these consumers in Equifax’s database, they actually…
Spring Training. Time to Get Back To Basics
Spring may not yet be here. But, Spring Training has once again begun in baseball. Hope springs eternal. Each year major league baseball teams across the country travel to designated sites to get ready for the new season, with their eyes on winning the World Series. Professional players who have dedicated their lives to one thing, playing baseball, go back…
Higher Rates Impact On Home Sales
2018 and beyond will be a home purchase market. What might happen to home sales as rates go higher? Refinances are drying up. But, will home sales and related financing opportunities go the same route when rates jump? “Not necessarily,” says a Redfin, a national Real Estate firm. According to their recent survey, if rates rise above 5%, only about…
Do You Have Products to Finance Legal Immigrants?
There is a major dialogue going on in Congress and the country surrounding what to do with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), but what about other immigrants who arrive legally? Do they have full access to all we have to offer? They face major challenges in tasks we take for granted, like getting a cell phone, a credit card…