Wehners Wisdom Winter 2013

Karen S. Wehner ♦ Wehner & Associates ♦ 4565 Wilson Street, Minnetonka, MN 55343 ♦ Phone: (952) 937-5072

This Quarter’s Successful Clients, Randy and Lenore Siemsen

Randy and Lenore are a special pair I met 6 years ago, through her brother Paul. These two embody the concept of selfless caring for family and smart decision making! They also are no strangers to the work ethic! Lenore works as a circulation manager for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and Randy works for the State of MN in the Lino Lakes Corrections Facility. The incredible thing about these two is that they embrace the roll of care giving, and lots of it, with such acceptance and love for family. Currently Lenore looks after her brother Paul and his lovely wife Janet (she went into a nursing home at a young age) In addition, Lenore’s mom of two sons, Wayne and Matt, both of whom are just starting out. To top it off, she just became a grandma a couple months ago!! Their priorities are family first, and when anyone needs anything, you can bet it’s taken care of. The really cool thing is that they still plan for their own futures, and continue to build their own careers in preparation for retirement. I don’t think I’ve ever met Lenore where a smile didn’t come with her, and she’s able to keep it all together. Way to set a great example, Lenore! Thanks for the opportunity to serve!

The Rest of the Mortgage Story –from Last Quarter

Well, here we are- I’m following through on my promise to add the last 5 tips for refinancing:

6)  Keep checklist of the things needed by you, and the things the lender is supposed to take care of.

7)  Don’t assume anything. If you loan isn’t moving at a reasonable rate-e.g., within a week after you send in requirements, call and find out about the progress and or cause for delay.

8)  Don’t under any circumstances open a new credit card or revolving loan during the process. New credit accounts and balances mean verification and new qualification, along with the documents.

9)  Be persistent, and be sure to read through the document called the good faith estimate. This legal document will spell out how much the mortgage company will expect to collect in fees and other costs for the loan. In general think in two parts: your origination fee and the paperwork and total fees. This is usually thousands of dollars, so it pays to understand and ask questions if you don’t understand.

10) Details, details, and more details are involved with this major park of your finances- follow through with everything, including setting up your new payments online!

Fiscal Cliff Fears?

Has anyone NOT heard of the fiscal cliff?? My words around this topic are quite simple- Relax!! The balance of power in Washington has shifted somewhat since the reelection of President Obama, and the pressure for the resolution to the fiscal mess has never been greater. As of this writing it’s next to impossible to predict what will happen, but as an investor, I can say that it usually never pays to move long term monies in reaction to events in the short term. Ill love to hear from you to discuss further!

Happy New Year!!

2013 is going to be very active here at Wehner and Associates, and the action will be around bringing you a few great educational events that may help with your monies. Here’s what’s coming- please stay tuned for details and dates.

1)      I’m inviting the folks from Social Security to come speak about how to maximize your benefits.

2)      I’m inviting a health insurance person to come speak about health insurance options, and give advice for shoppers- including information on Medicare and picking the right plan.

3)      I’m inviting a mortgage broker to come speak about mortgages, and expand on the tips I gave.

4)      I’m inviting an estate planning attorney to bring your ideas on putting your affairs in order and tips on keeping them in order.

May all your deepest wishes come true in the New Year, and please note: It’s my true joy to serve- thanks for the opportunity!