What Could Make a Debt ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’?

Although some people might argue that having any type of debt is bad and should be avoided, the reality is that credit is a tool and there are times when borrowing does make sense – usually this is when debt is taken on with the expectation of a significant future benefit, a way of investing for the long run. Here are a few common examples of when using credit might be considered helpful ‘good’ debt:

• Buying a Home: Since housing is a necessity and you are investing and building equity in a property that would be expected to increase in value over time, taking out a mortgage is often considered useful debt.
• Paying for Education Costs: Student loans to fund education that establishes or boosts your career is another type of potentially beneficial borrowing if you expect to get returns with increased future earnings.
• Starting Your Own Business: A loan to launch or expand your business can be a useful tool in pursuing profitable growth.

‘Bad’ debt isn’t necessarily bad, but this term usually refers to credit used either for fast consumption or for spending that provides only a brief benefit. Here are a few examples of this type of short-term benefit debt:

• Vehicle Financing: It’s difficult for most people to purchase a reliable vehicle outright, and taking advantage of credit isn’t always a bad thing, but borrowing to buy a car can have downsides:
• Vehicle values begin to depreciate immediately after purchase, so you often owe more than what the vehicle is worth for some time – especially if you don’t make a significant down payment when you buy.
• Car payments can take up a sizable amount of your household budget, and financing terms can regularly extend to over six years.
  • Be careful financing a vehicle with a co-signer. Many people fail to realize the full commitment of joint vehicle financing because the other party plans to be the primary insurer and driver.
• Consumables Bought on Credit: With high interest rates (especially on store cards), charging your credit cards for household goods and purchases you don’t have the cash for is seldom a good use of credit. These goods hardly ever have enduring value and if you don’t pay off your balance in full right away, the true cost climbs very quickly.

Ways to Deal with Credit Card Debt

Consider Your Personal Finances and Circumstances

Your personal situation and specific circumstances are also a key factor when evaluating your debt load or potential future debts. Consider the following:

Can you consistently afford the payments required to repay the debt on time, and in full? Even a useful debt can end up a ‘bad’ debt if you can’t afford the payments.

• Take a mortgage for example: This can be a huge problem if you borrow too much or experience an increased interest rate such that your regular monthly payment becomes unaffordable.
• Student loans can later be a problem if you borrowed heavily but don’t get the expected increase in earnings.
  • Always be careful not to borrow more than you need and take time to carefully research the career ladder realities of courses of study you are considering.

Why are you borrowing, and what emotions are you experiencing in relation?

• Always consider your needs VS wants and don’t emotionally justify your spending.
  • Are you using credit for a true ‘must-have’, or could this be a ‘want-to-have’ that you’re feeling emotionally caught up in?
• Avoid impulse purchases, especially if you are borrowing to acquire them.
• It can be difficult to get into a new habit of scrutinizing purchases you’re considering – don’t be pressured or swayed by advertising, whether sales or credit offers.

What’s the Best Way to Consolidate my Debt?

Pros and Cons of Using Credit – and Tips for Using Credit Well

No matter what debt you are taking on there can be pros and cons, many of which will be strongly influenced by how you use your credit. Some pros of credit may be:

• Not needing to wait to save up cash needed for major goals (like education or buying a home)
• Earning perks and rewards on day-to-day purchases you were going to make anyways
• Building a positive credit history that can help with future borrowing at ‘best rates’

Having credit as a resource to help with unexpected expenses may be a ‘pro’ but understand this can quickly turn into a ‘con’ if you struggle to pay the debt off – especially since the impacts of an emergency can disrupt your finances for some time. Other common cons to credit may include:

• It costs money to borrow because you pay interest. For example: Credit card interest increases the true cost of purchases if you don’t pay the charge off in full right away.
• Debt repayment takes money away from yourself now and in future, leaving you less for other needs and goals.

Good Habits for Using Your Credit

It’s a good idea to hit pause and take time to get grounded before moving forward with purchases made on credit. Detach from the excitement and feel-good rush of buying; check in with the realities of your budget and financial goals. Realizing that new debt repayment will set your finances back in other areas can be sobering. Using credit to your best advantage, you might also consider habits such as:

• Keeping borrowing limits low to avoid the temptation of using more than you need (or can afford).
• Not using credit for transactions that don’t have an interest-free grace period, such as cash advances or lottery ticket purchases.
• Always paying more than the minimum monthly payments required on your credit cards.

It’s also essential to ensure your budget is well-balanced and that you have a solid plan for paying off your debt. Without either of these you’re likely to struggle with virtually any type of debt, even the ‘good’ ones.

7 Signs You Should Deal with Your Personal Debt – Now

Where Can I Get Help With my Debt, or Advice on my Debt Situation?

Licensed Insolvency Trustees are the professionals in Canada who are fully government-qualified, empowered and endorsed to help people with debt. We can assist people with many different debt needs and circumstances, including (but not limited to):

• General information on all your formal and informal options to deal with debt
• Addressing urgent situations or creditor conflict (i.e. Wage garnishment, legal action, etc.)
• How you can restructure or consolidate debt to make payments lower
• You’re interested in some form of debt forgiveness or debt relief

Sands & Associates’ Licensed Insolvency Trustees work with people across BC, and we offer our services in-person from local offices throughout the province, as well as online or over the phone, so you don’t even have to leave the comfort of home to get support.

There is no cost to get confidential debt advice and insights about your situation; we believe everyone should have confidence in their personal financial planning and how they are managing their money.

Preparing for Your First Meeting with Sands & Associates? Learn More

You Owe it to Yourself to Get Debt Help

A lot of people who are struggling to manage their debt feel guilty about the debts they accumulated, and often have a lot of embarrassment and shame around being unable to pay them off.

The idea of discussing your situation with someone who is essentially a stranger, professional or not, can be uncomfortable – and taking the first step of reaching out for help is often the hardest part.

Having a debt problem does not make you a bad person. Financial challenges are not a reflection of your self worth. You deserve to live with dignity and without overwhelming stress.

You do not have to struggle alone with your debt. We understand that despite your best efforts and intentions it is not always possible to repay your debts as planned, and there are options to help you deal with your debt in a way that is manageable and affordable so you can move forward with your life.

Connect confidentially with a friendly local expert – your debt-free future could be closer than you think! Book your free, non-judgmental consultation with Sands & Associates today and get a debt-free plan that’s right for you.

The post What’s the Difference Between Good Debt and Bad Debt? appeared first on Sands & Associates.

Read on to learn key considerations when it comes to debt consolidation, including options for both borrowing – and non-borrowing– consolidation solutions.

Lender-Based Debt Consolidation Options in BC

Debt consolidation with a bank follows a basic concept: You borrow a lump sum amount from one lender and use these borrowed funds to pay off multiple other debts. There’s more than one way to consolidate debt by borrowing – some common lender-based consolidation options may include:

• Debt consolidation loans
• Home equity loan (sometimes called a second mortgage or refinancing your mortgage)
• A line of credit or overdraft
• A balance transfer to a credit card

Regardless of how you consolidate, usually the intended advantages of debt consolidation are that you would:

• Have fewer monthly debt payments to juggle
• Free up monthly cash-flow and be able to save money in the long-term by refinancing your existing debts at a lower interest rate
• Get a clear timeline as to when your now-consolidated debts will be paid off

Unfortunately, and despite having many different product options, when you borrow money for consolidation the intended goal of eventually becoming debt free may be quite difficult to achieve.

Why Borrowing Money for Debt Consolidation Can Be a Problem

It’s common that people looking for a consolidation solution to deal with debt are confronted with the reality that solving their financial crunch is more of a challenge than their bank is willing to take on. Debt consolidation loans and other types of consolidation financing are often out of reach for consumers because of these three common factors:

1. Debt Consolidation Financing is Difficult to Qualify For (Especially at Best Rates)

To qualify to borrow money for a consolidation option at an interest rate better than most credit cards and other consolidation-eligible debts, at minimum you can expect to need to prove you have stable income AND a high credit score.

• If you’re carrying a lot of debt in relation to your take-home pay, this alone can make favourable borrowing options difficult, if not impossible to qualify for.

Another challenge with borrowing is that lenders want assurance they’ll recover their money – it’s rare to get consolidation loans otherwise – and this is commonly done with guarantees by:

• A co-signer / co-borrower. This person will be responsible for 100% of the unpaid balance in the event you don’t meet all repayment terms.
  • Many loans also allow a lender to request full payment of the remaining loan balance immediately from the co-signer if they are called on to cover missed payments. This is often known as an ‘acceleration clause’.
• An asset. The lender may put a lien on a major asset such as your vehicle or your home equity. You then risk losing your home or other asset pledged if you default on your payments.

Not all lenders are going to offer great (or even good) borrowing terms. Be especially careful looking for lenders online. There are many organizations that make money as ‘lead generators’; selling your information to actual lenders, attempting to charge you to borrow money and other predatory “business” practices.

Credit Score Concerns: Sometimes people struggling to mange debt worry about temporarily “losing” a good credit score by using legal debt solutions. For virtually everyone, being debt-free is in your best interest – and if your debt is a nuisance, you will benefit more from getting out of debt than maintaining a credit score high enough to borrow more. Learn more about mistakes not to make in managing debt and credit ratings.

If you qualify for any borrowing, you should be certain you can consistently manage the repayment terms for the entire time needed to pay the debt off. Don’t assume that since a debt consolidator is offering you a loan that it’s the best option to pay off your debt, or that you can afford it.

2. Monthly Debt Consolidation Payments and Costs of Borrowing Can be Expensive

Interest rates offered can vary hugely and are sometimes very high (especially with sub-prime lenders).  We’ve seen numerous examples where the cost of interest charges and/or monthly and miscellaneous fees can make for a monthly payment that’s even higher than your original payments.

• Factor in the monthly AND total costs of borrowing before you move forward with any type of consolidation.
  • Don’t forget to consider any creditors that will need to be paid outside of any consolidation financing you can qualify for. (Canada Revenue Agency for example).
• If you’re using a credit card balance transfer to consolidate credit card debts watch out for promotional rates that may expire.

Be aware that you might simply have too much debt to pay off using a loan or informal type of debt repayment plan, since neither of these options allow you to cut your debt – or even manage all types of creditors. One quick way to get some direction on the best type of consolidation for you is to do the “Rule of 60” math:

• Add up your total non-mortgage debts, then divide by 60. (i.e. $25,000 / 60 = $416)
  • Is that number (i.e. $416) an affordable monthly payment for you over the next 60 months?

If you need (or want) to lower your monthly payment to get to debt-free in five years (60 months), consider a Consumer Proposal as a non-borrowing consolidation alternative. As we’ll discuss, this unique legal debt solution could give you your best debt consolidation option, combining (non-borrowing) consolidation and debt negotiation – and a Consumer Proposal is often used as a solution to consolidation financing that has become unmanageable.

3. Consolidation Financing Can Take a Long Time to Pay Off

You may find yourself paying off your consolidation for a long time – three, five, seven, even up to 25 years depending on the lending terms you’ve been offered. A lot can happen in just a few short years and having long-term debt beyond five years can leave your future self seriously strained.

• Avoid taking on more debt or continuing to use credit while you’re paying off money you borrowed for your consolidation, otherwise debts can accumulate to where you may not be able to afford all your payments.
  • Also avoid the temptation of borrowing more than you need for consolidating.
• If you’ve used a line of credit to consolidate debt, be aware that without a set repayment requirement you may need a lot of self-discipline to make substantial payments beyond the minimum required amount.

The bottom line is that consolidation loans and financing simply change who you owe money to. At best you get a lower interest rate and a more “affordable” payment – less than that, you may struggle to pay it all off and even risk the creditor’s recourse to your asset or co-signer.

Many debt professionals say it’s hardly ever a good idea to co-sign debt with someone else – here’s why.

It is possible to solve a debt problem without taking on more debt – and depending on the non-borrowing consolidation option you choose you can avoid added service fees, miscellaneous costs and other risks.

BC Debt Consolidation Options That Don’t Require Borrowing (or a Good Credit Score)

If you’re a BC resident here are two other ways you can consolidate your debt without needing to borrow money. Since one is an informal option and the other a legal solution, there are some key differences between these two approaches – both however will not require you to hold a high credit score, nor require you to take on more debt to qualify.

Credit Counselling Debt Management Plans

Working with a credit counsellor your eligible debts will be consolidated and managed under one plan and repaid with one (usually) monthly payment. With credit counselling consolidation no borrowing is required and you:

• Must pay back 100% of the debt you consolidate in your credit counselling plan.
  • Your credit counsellor can often negotiate to stop ongoing interest charges.
• Pay fees to the creditor counsellor for using their services / program plan.
  • Credit counselling organizations may provide resources at no cost, but debt management programs have fees, sometimes on a sliding scale.
  • No credit counselling is free – both non-profit and for-profit credit counsellors charge various fees.

As well as the added debt consolidator / credit counsellor’s costs, there are some other potential drawbacks to credit counselling debt management plans to be aware of and consider.

Common Problems with Credit Counselling Consolidation

Even though you’re streamlining your debts and getting a break on interest, informal debt management plans can still leave you struggling with expensive monthly payments and too few benefits. Be sure you understand the process and costs in detail, and are aware of all limitations:

• Not all creditors will work with credit counsellors, and credit counsellors don’t have any legal power to enforce negotiations or prevent creditors from withdrawing from the plan and pursuing you if you miss a payment.
• Credit counselling is not a federally regulated industry or profession, so your recourse should there be any issues or conflict with your provider may be minimal. Take time to carefully research any organization you consider hiring to help you.
  • Besides working with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee on a legal debt solution (such as a Consumer Proposal, Division I Proposal, or bankruptcy) there is no such thing as a government-approved or affiliated debt management or forgiveness program.
  • Learn more and compare key differences in non-borrowing debt solutions – Consumer Proposals VS Credit Counselling.

For those who want a cost-effective solution to pay off their debt in a manageable timeframe, filing a Consumer Proposal is often the best way to consolidate debt. A Consumer Proposal allows you to consolidate virtually all types of debt interest-free AND cut the balance down to what you can afford to repay. You’ll work with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee who will coordinate the plan and payments, and creditors will agree to write-off the unpaid balance.

Consumer Proposal Debt Consolidation

Consumer Proposals are a unique solution that offer great advantages over other consolidation options. Like a consolidation loan you’ll only make one simple (usually monthly) payment, but you won’t be borrowing money or paying interest charges, and unlike credit counselling plans you’re not charged added professional or program fees.

Not only that but with a Consumer Proposal the amount of debt you have can be cut and forgiven, and how long your payments last are based on your personal circumstances but will never extend beyond 60 months. For example:

• Your total consolidated debt could be cut by up to 50-80%
• You might propose a one-time lump-sum payment, or make monthly payments for up to 60 months

Doing a Consumer Proposal you’ll get a transparent legal process with built-in consumer safeguards and resources, including:

• Generally the lowest monthly payment of all consolidation options available
• Automatic protection from your creditors (even government creditors like Canada Revenue Agency)
• One-on-one financial counselling with a qualified counsellor

Consumer Warning About Debt Proposals

Advertisements from debt settlement agencies and out of province debt consolidators and poolers can be misleading. It’s important to know that you do not need a referral to work with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee, and only a Licensed Insolvency Trustee can help you do a Consumer Proposal.

The best approach is to connect directly with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee based in and local to your province. In an hour or less we can discuss your situation together, your overall needs and goals and calculate a Consumer Proposal that would be ideal for you.

• There’s no obligation to commit to moving forward working together
• There is no cost to discuss all your options, including but not limited to Consumer Proposals
• Consultations are private and confidential, and may be done in-person or virtually

Over the years Sands & Associates has worked with tens of thousands of people in BC and we are proud to offer debt help with a supportive approach. We welcome you to a non-judgmental space to ask questions, learn about debt options and resources, and take charge of your debt feeling empowered and well-informed.

Learn more about Consumer Proposals, debt consolidation and other options to deal with debt in BC. Sands & Associates’ friendly team have “Debt Smart with Heart” and full services are available in-person or remotely. Book your free confidential debt consultation now.

The post Looking for a Debt Consolidation Loan? Learn Why Borrowing Isn’t Always Best for Consolidating Debt appeared first on Sands & Associates.

Home Equity is an Exempt Asset

Every province in Canada gives people a set of exemption allowances. What this means is that there are laws that protect certain assets (including household furniture, RRSPs and more) in the event you file bankruptcy.

The idea behind exemptions is that each individual is entitled to retain a certain base level of assets in all circumstances, regardless of financial hardship and/or a bankruptcy filing.

If your home is in the Greater Vancouver or Victoria area each person is automatically allowed to keep home equity up to a value of $12,000 (and up to a value of $9,000 elsewhere in the province).

If You Declare Bankruptcy What Happens to Your Home Equity Over the Exemption Allowance?

If the equity in your home is more than the provincial exemption allowance this doesn’t mean you’ll automatically lose your home if you declare bankruptcy.

When the homeowner wants to keep their home, the equity value over and above the protected amount could be dealt with in a few ways, such as:

• Buying-out the equity as part of the bankruptcy (this is sometimes referred to as “repurchasing” home equity, although the homeowner doesn’t actually move out/lose the home);
• Filing a Consumer Proposal instead of a bankruptcy.

If a homeowner doesn’t want to keep their home, they may decide to sell the property through the bankruptcy – the homeowner would still be entitled to receive their exempt equity amount (up to $12,000) from the sale proceeds.

Will my Mortgage be Impacted by Declaring Bankruptcy?

If your mortgage payments are up-to-date and you want to continue with the mortgage in place, your mortgage will not typically be impacted by declaring bankruptcy. In most bankruptcies there are two “types” of debts – unsecured debts (like a credit card or payday loan) and secured debts (like a vehicle loan or mortgage). Whether a debt is unsecured or secured can change how it is dealt with under a bankruptcy:

Unsecured Debts: These types of debts do not hold any assets as collateral, so the creditor does not have any additional ‘power’. Unsecured debts are written-off through a bankruptcy. 

Secured Debts: Creditors (like a mortgage lender) who have a secured debt (like a mortgage) hold an asset as collateral, meaning they have a registered lien or charge on property. In this situation, you have a few choices. You could choose to carry on with the credit arrangements in place (ie. your mortgage); try to negotiate new terms; or choose to walk away from the asset altogether and let the secured creditor have the asset. 

Can I Make a Consumer Proposal if I Have a Mortgage?

Even if you have a mortgage you can be eligible to make a Consumer Proposal. A Consumer Proposal can be used to consolidate debt, cut debt balances and keep assets intact, while avoiding bankruptcy. If you can make some payment towards your debt each month, you may be able to make a legal debt settlement with your creditors using a Consumer Proposal filed by a Licensed Insolvency Trustee.

A Consumer Proposal allows people to retain assets (such as a home), and in addition to consolidating all your debts:

• Interest automatically stops;
• Debts can often be reduced by up to 30-80% of the balance due;
• Consolidate government debt and consumer debt.

Consumer Proposals normally do not include (or affect) an existing mortgage.

Can I Renew my Mortgage During Bankruptcy?

If your current mortgage is in good standing, generally lenders will honour mortgage renewals that come due during the period of your bankruptcy.

What About Foreclosures?

Sometimes the start of a bankruptcy is a good time to evaluate whether you want to continue with an existing mortgage that is falling behind. If you decide that you don’t want to keep the home and decide to let the bank move forward with foreclosure proceedings, any shortfall from the subsequent seizure and sale of your home would be written-off as part of the bankruptcy.

Learn more about how these and other legal debt options work when you have a mortgage. Book your confidential free debt consultation with Sands & Associates today!

The post Can you Keep your House if you File Bankruptcy? appeared first on Sands & Associates.

Watch our clip below and read on for our list of Five Sneaky Credit Killers that can impact you:

Five Sneaky Credit Killers:

We’ve compiled a list of the top five mistakes that can hurt your credit rating.  Many people may not even be aware of the impact of the following on your credit rating:

1. Leaving unpaid cell phone bills / paying your bill late on a regular basis
   • It may be hard to believe, but this is the number one reason why people are denied for mortgage financing!
   • Even though this bill may be one of your smaller expenditures each month, it’s important to make this payment on time.  If you are continually late, cell phone providers will update your credit report to reflect this pattern and may even assign collectors to start calling you and putting further black marks on your credit report.
   • Don’t assume that because the balance is small, the impact will be inconsequential.
2. Carrying too-high balances
   • Credit utilization is a metric that plays a role in your overall credit rating.
   • Lenders generally get nervous if you are constantly bumping up against your credit limit – this indicates a much higher risk than if the balance is paid off regularly or is kept at a relatively low number.
   • The magic number is 50% – aim to keep your credit utilization below 50% of the available limit – i.e. if it’s a $2,000 card, keep the balance below $1,000.
3. Closing old accounts
   • Often when getting their financial house in order, individuals decide to simplify their finances by reducing the number of credit products they use – while the objective is laudable (who doesn’t want a more financially simple life), the impact can be negative!
   • When you close a credit account, you lose ALL OF THE CREDIT HISTORY associated with that account.  If it’s an account you’ve used for several years, and never been delinquent on, you might be hurting yourself by closing that account and starting to use a new credit product with which you have no history.
   • When looking for mortgages, sometimes people go around and close credit products, thinking that this makes them more attractive to a lender.  The outcome may be the opposite!  The lender may now not have enough credit history on which to make a lending decision.
   • Be careful when you close accounts and ensure you still have existing ‘legacy’ accounts that show your good behavior in the past.
4. Co-signing debts
   • When you co-sign a debt, you are agreeing to be responsible for 100% of the debt in the event the other person does not pay – it’s not a 50/50 responsibility as people may assume.
   • Keep in mind that, even if you’re never required to make a payment on the co-signed debt, a series of late payments or defaults by the other party can have an impact on your credit rating.  Regardless of whether you are the one missing the payments, your credit report will show the delinquency.
   • Co-signing debts also puts relationships at risk – the intention to repay may be there, but not the ability and this can lead to difficulty in relationship.
   • Don’t let anyone hurt your credit – life happens and even with the best of intentions to repay on behalf of the original debt holder, repayment just may not be possible.
5. Applying for more credit
   • When you are seeking out new credit and give permission for a credit check, this is generally noted in your credit report – the more often you seek out new credit, the greater the negative impact on your score.
   • Creditors get nervous that making several credit applications in a short period of time shows some desperation, and therefore increases their risk.
   • A better option – if you’re shopping for financing (for a car, or mortgage, for example) is to get a copy of your credit report yourself (this is free to do) and bring that report with you when you are meeting with the banks.  Your report should have enough for them to quote you generally – and then you can give consent only to whomever you chose to do business with in the end.

Don’t panic if you’ve made some of these common mistakes in the past.  It’s important to remember that credit ratings change over time and a great credit rating can be built in as little as two to three years.  Even filing for bankruptcy, or a Consumer Proposal will not be reflected on your credit history permanently!

Sands & Associates is a multi-year Consumer Choice Award winning firm of Licensed Insolvency Trustees, with office locations throughout British Columbia.  We understand that making the first phone call asking for help with debt can be difficult.  At Sands & Associates we pride ourselves on our caring, empathetic approach to providing debt management solutions.

Debts impacting your credit rating, or life in general?  Book a free, confidential consultation with one of our licensed professionals to learn how we can help you get out of debt today.

The post Global News – Money Matters: Five Sneaky Credit Killers appeared first on Sands & Associates.

Your owning costs are much higher than renting.  Compare your housing expenses, factoring in all the costs (strata fees, extra insurance, repairs etc), then have a browse through rental listings to find something similar and see how your costs stack up.  Unless you have a special housing need that warrants the increased cost, chances are money could be saved by renting.

Most of your income is spent on housing.  Take a look at your monthly take-home income and your budget.  If you can see that the lion’s share is going towards housing, leaving you very little for day-to-day expenses, debt servicing and savings, the situation isn’t likely to be manageable in the long-term.  Unanticipated financial challenges DO arise and if your budget is stretched to its maximum it doesn’t give enough room to deal with them.

You’ve borrowed against most of the equity.  If there are multiple mortgages held against your property and the equity you hold is very little, it may be an indication that something else needs your financial attention.  Continually putting other accounts into the red to service charges against your property could escalate into a much bigger problem.

If you feel you can’t manage both your debts and your home it may be a good idea to chat with a realtor (and your bank) to see if you’re able to sell the property.  Any profit from the sale may be used towards reestablishing yourself into something more affordable, and with any luck the balance used to pay down the debts.

Once your housing costs have become more manageable, focus on the remaining debt.  Unfortunately, selling may not have solved the entire problem.  If the amount of your debt is still overwhelming, or the sale has resulted in a shortfall, seek assistance from a licensed Trustee regarding how to restructure your debts.

To meet with a local, licensed trustee in one of our local BC offices, please contact us for a free, confidential debt consultation.

The post Warning Signs: Home Ownership Costs appeared first on Sands & Associates.