MORTGAGE IQ Rates Continue Dropping, Even with Inflation Up.REACH YOUR GOALS.

USMC, Home For The Brave, Heads To Count.We know..WE’RE ALL BEING JUDGED BY SOMEONE WHO ISN’T EVEN CLOSE TO HAVING THEIR OWN SHIT TOGETHER!’How Badly Life Treated You Last Year….Not Dead Yet, Life, A Work In Progress.A Raising Star Or Two. From The Great Resignation to the Job Hug A few years ago, we witnessed the Great Resignation, when record numbers of people quit their jobs. Next, the Great Reshuffle saw millions of workers find new career opportunities. Now, we have...Job-Hugging? The phrase "job-hugging" describes people who aren't 100% happy with their current jobs but are doing what's needed to stay put. They've realized that it's not nearly as easy to reshuffle to a new one this year due to fewer vacancies. Last month, the economy added just 22,000 jobs, down from 79,000 in July. Uncertainty about the national economy is causing employers to hold back on hiring. There's nothing wrong with job-hugging, especially when a position provides health coverage and a retirement plan. Putting more cash into an emergency savings account—ideally, enough to cover three to six months' worth of living expenses—can also help reduce stress. But what if the Perfect Job becomes available? Changing positions during a slow job market can be a bit scary, even if the risk appears to be worth it. Career coach and podcaster Mandi Woodruff-Santos has her own take: "It's very comfortable to think 'stay put'...but at the same time, what are ya'll hugging? It ain't hugging you back."1

MORTGAGE IQ Rates Continue Dropping, Even with Inflation Up After months of waiting, mortgage rates just went through their biggest weekly drop for 2025. According to Freddie Mac, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the past week slid to 6.35%, down from last week's 6.5%. If you're wondering why interest rates finally began to move lower, here are some reasons why. Last week's jobs report showed that U.S. employers added just 22,000 jobs in August, and a revised report on Tuesday showed that hiring for the last 12 months ending in March was much lower than initially tallied. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yields recently moved lower when new data showed that the labor market is weakening. The Treasury note is the primary benchmark influencing mortgage interest rates. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates next week, even though the most recent consumer price index (CPI) showed that inflation is rising. In the past, rising inflation has resulted in postponement of rate cuts. However, next week's announcement may not affect current mortgage rates, as the expectation of a federal rate cut has already been factored into some mortgage rate offerings.2

FINANCIAL NEWS. An Alternative to Early Retirement: Coasting.  MORTGAGE IQ  Rates Continue Dropping, Even with Inflation Up.REACH YOUR GOALS. Chances are, you've heard of the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) approach to savings. It became popular around 15 years ago, especially with those who didn't want to wait until they were in their mid-60s to retire. While the FIRE strategy focuses on intense monthly saving to retire decades early, some who followed its rules realized that if they saved their target amount sooner before their planned retirement arrived, they could exit the career fast-track. This became known as the Coast FIRE approach. Coasters may or may not continue to add to their retirement funds, since they've already reached their goal. Instead, they find a low-stress job and work to pay monthly bills without touching their still-growing retirement fund. Coast FIRE may offer a more balanced approach, with less extreme sacrifices than what's required for traditional FIRE savings goals. According to the retirement savings experts at Empower, the typical American plans to acquire around $1,148,441 by the time they're in their 60s. Since early retirement is the goal with FIRE, participants take savings to extremes during their 30s and 40s. Some save as much as 50%-75% or more of their earnings, adopt frugal living habits, and participate in smart, aggressive investing. Once they reach their savings targets, FIRE participants typically retire to live off their nest egg indefinitely. However, the FIRE approach isn't ideal for everyone. Some found it so intense as to be stressful. There's another potential risk: the earlier a person retires, the longer their money may need to last. Downshifting to a Coast FIRE strategy may be the answer for these savers. Coasting to full retirement also provides flexibility. Savers have the freedom to work fewer hours, or work in a low-pressure environment, without the pressure to put away large chunks of their take-home pay. Continuing to work may also make it easier to maintain benefits like health insurance, and even open a new, employer-sponsored retirement account. No matter how you've scheduled your retirement, or determined how much you need to save, it's important to review your retirement savings on an annual basis—either on your own, or with the assistance of a professional. If you'd like to learn more about the FIRE approach, you may want to check out the 2018 book Your Money or Your Life or the Mr. Money Mustache blog.3

DID YOU KNOW? HOAs Clash with Water Rationing More homeowners living with the rules set by their homeowners' association (HOA) are finding themselves stuck in an uncomfortable situation: HOA rules versus climate-conscious city and state ordinances. Those familiar with HOAs are aware that homeowners are usually required to keep their front lawns green and attractive. This usually requires regular watering, especially during summer months. However, more counties and states are introducing watering restrictions as climate change continues to bring hotter weather. Last summer, Texas residents were getting brown lawn warnings from their HOA while also receiving reminders from local utility companies not to exceed water limits. Another Florida homeowner ended up spending a week in jail after an HOA lawn violation snowballed into a lawsuit, and an eventual warrant for her arrest. Like many other Southern states, watering restrictions had been in place. REACH YOUR GOALS. Haters, Lovers, Horse And Pony Shows, Men And Mice,Hades and Persephone..Goals? To go broke as slowly as I can….What beef? What do you do when there's nothing left to hold on to?Its about time, its about space, its about being lost in time.