I'm looking for people and here are answers for you
I'm looking for...
Anyone who wants to do a Money Makeover. If your finances are in a mess, I'll get you a financial plan and good advice. We want to help you get it right.
Anyone considering converting their Individual Retirement Account to a Roth IRA, for a future column. If you're trying to figure out if this makes sense, I can get you some help with the calculations....
And here are some things you've been telling me you are looking for....
Where can I find out if there's down payment assistance to help me buy a house?
I've been writing about the Florida Homebuyer Opportunity Program, which was set up by the Florida legislature to advance money to first-time homebuyers. This is a loan that the homebuyer pays back when he or she files for the $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time buyers that's available.
The application process is cumbersome, so get ready. But it could be worth it if you qualify.
To find out which organization is handing out this money in your area, go here
Select the city or county where you plan to buy the home and then get cracking.
Who can help me deal with my mortgage lender?
That's tricky. It's really difficult. Sometimes one of the HUD-approved housing counselors can help. Call 1-888-995-HOPE to find one near you. There's no charge for this. Ideally, you should make this call make before you start the process of trying to modify your loan.
But even if you make the call later, it might help.
If your lender seems to not being doing his part, then you might consider filing a complaint and asking a state or federal regulator to get involved.
At the state level, call or write the Florida Attorney General's office.
You can do this online at myfloridalegal.com. Go to Consumer Protection and then File a Complaint.
If you're dealing with a nationwide bank or lender, then the federal regulator who would take your complaint is the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Go to occ.gov and click on consumer complaints and assistance.
Harriet Johnson Brackey, the personal finance columnist for the Sun Sentinel, is an award-winning business reporter. Her columns for 2008 were named "The Best in the Business," a national award chosen by her colleagues at the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.
Comments
Mrs. Brackey-
I would like a money makeover.
Posted by: DP | November 13, 2009 3:16 PM
I would love to have a money makeover. I'm seriously in debt and need to crawl out of this hole I've dug for myself.
Posted by: Paula | November 13, 2009 4:07 PM
I really need a money makeover so bad.
Posted by: deedee | November 18, 2009 2:23 PM
We are planning to convert our IRAs to Roth IRAs in 2010.
My husband's IRA is all after tax money for which he did not claim any deduction (clean).
My IRA is 25% after tax money but I took a deduction for my contributions (years ago), I've kept all these funds in one fund so it is easily identifiable. The rest of my IRA is after tax money for which I took no deductions so it is all clean.
What we are trying to figure out is timing, my understanding is the day we convert locks in the value for tax purposes, so we want to convert when our investments are low. Ugh, so we've got to time the market.
Second, taxes, I understand that we only have to pay taxes on the gains for the clean money. What are the tax implications for the 25% of my IRA that I already took deductions on. How are the taxes paid, I heard we can spread the taxes over more than one year.
Finally, the how to, how do we actually convert, do we set up the accounts and then hit the button on a particular day in our effort to time the market.
Posted by: Sam | November 18, 2009 3:07 PM