By Rodney Anderson

I predicted this on Fox Business Network seven months ago and now it’s coming true:

Higher mortgage rates are about to arrive. It’s a race to save money and and there are ways to help you win. What do you need to do to reach the goal of getting refinanced within our target of 15 days? Take action. Right now.

I called the bottoming out of the housing market and happily, thankfully, hundreds of my clients just like you have taken advantage. Now it’s your turn to take note and consider other experts coming on board with what I’ve been saying. This past week was filled with positive economic data. Consider:

* Housing numbers have improved every single month. … UPDATE: In fact, this just in today, as of Wednesday morning: Existing home sales are surging, right now, up 4.3 percent! Remember, good economic news is bad news for interest rates!

*There are lower unemployment claims.

*There is increased builder confidence.

*New home starts are on the rise.

*Manufacturing reports — including ones from The Philadelphia Fed and Empire State – are showing very encouraging signs.

What does this mean to you today? On Thursday and Friday of last week, we started to see rates climb. They will continue to do so today. So it’s time to take advantage of the historic lows … now! My staff and I at Rodney Anderson are here to help. Call us at 1-800 EXPRESS right now to learn more, to get your rate locked in and to get you that goal of closing your refinance often within only 15 days!

We’re ready to hear from you … now! … so we can both do our parts to help you take advantage of savings that you deserve!

By Rodney Anderson

My Fellow Americans,
One score and 7 years ago, I became involved in the mortgage business. I’ve and my staff have grown that business to the point where I am the No. 1 mortgage lender in the United States largely using the philosophy that I ask not what my clients can do for me, but rather, what I can do for my clients.

I am here today in order to form a more perfect union – a more perfect union between both sides of the political aisle, a more perfect union between various sides of the financial world … and a more perfect union between you and me and between you and your money.

We need to fix the unemployment problem in this country. Unemployment is dropping and that is a start but it is not enough.

We need to fortify the housing market. Owning a home remains a foundation of security for most Americans, and there are too many people in charge who have never been on the front lines of this battle as I have been.

We need to fix the financial education problems in this country. With our phones ringing off the hook with inquiries from you, I am convinced that what we discuss here on the radio every week, what we do on television and on RodneyAnderson.com … is working.

At the same time, we have a notion in this country called “No child left behind.’’ And yet when it comes to financial education, EVERY child is being left behind.

And when those kids grow to be adults, they grow to be FICO’ed … to be victimized by a Credit Cartel in which the powers-that-be play by their own rules. … They grow to deal with banks that are unresponsive to their needs. … They grow to lean on elected leaders only to learn that their elected leaders are in so many cases involved in government service because of how personally profitable is it to be on Capitol Hill.

I believe you are tired of the red tape and the rhetoric. I believe there are solutions in bipartisanship. I believe there are answers in some very simple formulas, like my Medical Debt Responsibility Act, which needs your support – contact your representative! – to pass. And when it passes, it will clear up credit problems, it will improve housing, it will create jobs, it will further educate Americans as to the chicken-in-every-pot options that should be available to all of us.

My office is a living, breathing, working laboratory that is about meeting people like YOU and discovering solutions. I have a slogan in my business. It’s not, “no,’’ but rather, “not yet.’’

That reflects on my belief that America remains a shining city on a hill … but that we need to hurry up and climb that hill. “Not yet’’? OK, but “when’’?

“When’’ is now!

So again, My Fellow Americans … Let’s ask what you can do for your country in ways that also further what we can all ensure jobs, housing and financial security for ourselves and our children.
Thank you and may God bless America.

By Rodney Anderson

Out with the old! In with the new!

That’s my credo for 2012, and I’m already beginning to see many smart consumers using that credo and finding great reasons to obtain a new mortgage in 2012!

Here are the top 6 reasons that people are looking at new mortgages in the new year:

1 – Buying a Home

People are taking advantage of continued low interest rates now that it’s 2012… and being a homeowner is more affordable than ever thanks to these historically low interest rates. In 12 of the 20 major metropolitan cities in the U.S., it’s actually cheaper to own than to rent. There are downturns in some economic areas, but that means opportunity for buyers. Meanwhile, rental rates across the country and across the Metroplex are skyrocketing … which leads me to the No. 2 reason people are buying homes …
2 – Buying homes as investment properties

Now, remember … this isn’t a game. This is a business! It’s important to know that you’ll need a minimum of 20 to 25 percent down, that you’ll need to have to have excellent credit, that you’ll need to have to money in the bank and that you’ll want to have the education to succeed as a real-estate investor. When executed properly, owning rental property can build your financial muscle.
3 – Refinancing to get a better rate

Just when you think rates can’t get any lower, it happens again … and again! Last week, with all the good news on the job numbers, rates should have gone up, yet they actually went down again! I see the economy taking a turn for the better, and at the same time I see refi rates remain attractive. This combination means opportunity for all of us.
4 – Helping family members buy homes

Folks, be very careful here. As I advise in my book “Credit 911,’’ co-signing a loan to help a family member means you are lending them your good credit – you are potentially attaching their bad habits to your name. That’s dangerous. There’s a difference between giving a gift and being on the hook for someone else’s mortgage. Think before you sign, beware, and consider the risks before taking this step.
5 – Refinancing to get cash out

Whether it’s paying off those high interest credit cards, remodeling your home, or sending kids to college, if people have equity in their homes, they are looking for ways to use it, especially at these incredible low rates. A great option to consider if you have good credit and equity in your home!
6 – There is good advice available!

A mortgage is likely the largest financial transaction of your lifetime. It’s no time for guesswork or “Amateur Hour.’’ The very best advice is available to you, and I’m glad to provide it free of charge! Join me at my upcoming CREDIT WORKSHOP on Tuesday, January 17 at the Richardson Civic Center. It’s absolutely free, and full of information that can guide you in the areas of credit, mortgages and money. I’d love you meet you to discuss these issues and much more!

The workshop starts at 7:00pm sharp! I hope to see you there!

By Rodney Anderson
A New Year. A chance to develop new habits and new successes. A chance to take what I call a “Financial Day Off.”

In my column and on my radio show, I’ve started “Financial Day Off’’ that is launching a movement. … and is about to trigger a “Credit 911” seminar in North Texas that you will  hear all about in the coming days. I’ve gotten responses from literally hundreds of you who have taken advantage of my tips, gained yourself money, earned yourself an education … and all it takes is a sliver of your time.

The “Financial Day Off’’ … a few simple steps, right now, that I believe can save you hundreds of dollars a month. …

1 Read and re-evaluate your mortgage. If I told you that on a 30-year loan of $200,000 loan that a simple phone call might save you $100,000, would you make that phone call?
Of course you would. There is no reason to be intimidated by the process. There is no reason to procrastinate. It’s YOUR contract. YOU made it. YOU can change it for your financial benefit!

Do you know what the interest rate is on your home loan? Go find out. Do you know that the company you presently send your mortgage checks to has no exclusivity claims on you? Know it – and benefit from it.

2 Use your phone to call about your phone. Is there an extra line you’re paying for? A certain amount of something-or-other feature that could be free and “unlimited’’? An insurance plan you don’t really need?

I recently made one phone call on my cellphone account and cleared out $98 a month of wasted money. By doing so, I saved myself $1200 dollars a year!

3 Get assurances on your insurance. There is a “comfort level’’ – or, heck, let’s go ahead and say it – a “laziness’’ to the way we make financial arrangements with a service provider that goes unchecked for years and years. that many of us make one time … and then don’t ever bother to review. Instead, we only renew.

Don’t automatically renew. REVIEW!

4 Drive a harder bargain on your auto loan. One friend who followed my “Financial Day Off’’ advice found a way to move from a 13.99-percent rate on his car loan to a 7.99-percent rate. How did he do it? He gave himself exactly nine minutes “off’’ and saved himself bundle.

5 Don’t just watch TV. Watch your TV bill. Do you need this “package’’ and that, this “special’’ and that, this extra outlet and that extra feature? Is there a “cable box’’ that’s sitting out in your garage, unused, that you’re being charged for?

Go check that itemized bill. There’s money in there waiting to be grabbed back by you.
6 Utilize your time on your utility bills. The service providers have plans that can be customized to your needs. Does it take some homework on our parts? Yes; the electric company isn’t going to call YOU to offer you a discount; you have to call them.

There is a movement. The “Financial Day Off’’ is coming. Consider the time we spend concerning ourselves with so many issues from head to toe. We are digging for everything from solutions to hair loss in women to beating each other up over a pair of new Jordan sneakers.

In so many of these pursuits, however worthy you might consider them to be, you SPEND money. With a Financial Day Off, you MAKE money. It’s a  New Year. A chance to develop new habits and new successes. And they New Year needs to start with a single day … a Financial Day Off.

By Rodney Anderson

Bill and his son Brett are long-distance runners and in the best of health. If you knew the younger man, Brett, you would be as shocked as I am to receive relayed news from the family that includes frightening words like “tracheostomy’’ and “nerve regeneration’’ and something called “GBS.’’ If you know the family as I do, though, you are not surprised to hear about “Popcorn Factory treats’’ and “cross-country prayers’’ and “Christmas wishes.’’

Please read part of the letter I recently received from Bill after his son first felt fatigued on a run and then was walking in his backyard in Washington, D.C, before crumpling to the ground and being rushed to the hospital for a spinal tap that revealed his illness:

Dear Friends:

Today marks Day 37 for Brett in the Neuroscience ICU and ends a week with some positive developments.

On Tuesday Brett had a tracheostomy and the breathing tube was removed from his mouth. The ventilator is still in place to assist Brett’s breathing. Tuesday’s procedure reduced the discomfort to Brett from the breathing tube and allowed the high-octane meds to be reduced.

It was terrific to see Brett without the breathing tube and able to more clearly communicate by mouthing words, sentences and paragraphs. Brett would clearly give us a solid “D’’ for our lip-reading skills. … Brett and his wife seem to share more, as only lovers can do.

The plasmapharesis has begun again and there is hope that this round provides the launching pad for more nerve regeneration and progress with the limbs. In fact, Brett has better lateral movement of his arms and he told me yesterday there seemed to be some stirring in his legs. He moves his fingers at will in a limited way.

Each day, as loved ones and caregivers, we learn more and more about GBS. It was just this week that Brett was able to focus on what had attacked him. He knows his condition is not permanent and his health can be restored with hard work. He is committed to that recovery one day at a time.

The next steps in level of care will be determined mainly by Brett’s breathing ability. GBS starts its insidious journey in the lower extremities and moves north. The recovery starts in the upper body and moves south. Therefore, the breathing strength we are witnessing is a good sign.

This week Brett asked me, “Are you running?” We both agreed we would be pounding the pavement together very soon. His fitness and discipline going into this ordeal will be helpful in his recovery.

We can’t thank you enough for your continual flow of e-mails, calls, messages, personal visits and prayers. We have water from Lourdes, Christmas sprigs to brighten our lives, brisket to nourish, sack lunches at the hospital, chocolate for mental acuity, Popcorn Factory goodies, countless offers of “any help you need” and all around love and support.

Prayers are being said across the country and across the world. Daily meditations are dedicated to Brett and healing vibes are landing by the minute on Brett’s doorstep.
Brett has always been an organizer and he’s put us all in touch for the holiday season. You already know what we want for Christmas.

Love, Bill

Folks, I’ve changed the names of my friends in the story but the story is true and it is ongoing. I am involved in it on a number of levels, which include how this story ties into The Medical Debt Responsibility Act. Brett’s illness is not the result of any misdeed on his part, not something he asked for, not something anyone could’ve planned for; it is simply an act of misfortune resulting in a hospital stay and medical care that will cost his family hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are no easy answers here, no quick call to the Canadian pharmacy and no snap of the financial finger and nothing but hard work and planning ahead. Brett’s family will work towards paying those bills but if even the tiniest bill is temporarily missed, disputed or misplaced, that bill becomes attached to the family’s credit for a period of seven years … and that family’s credit can be ruined.

Bill has allowed me to tell his family’s story so I could urge you to learn more about The Medical Debt Responsibility Act, our bill being considered on Capitol Hill right now. Learn, and then act, by contacting your representative so he can do the same.
Bill has also allowed me to tell his family’s story because Brett can use all the daily meditations, prayers and healing vibes we have to offer.

That is part of what we can do to give Bill and Brett’s family what it need for Christmas.

By Rodney Anderson

In the end, at least for a while, the Tom Bradys are going to beat the Tim Tebows.

That’s true in the football business, and it’s true in the mortgage business as well, where too many lenders are committing too many errors – “fumbles and interceptions,’’ if you will – that may cause you to be greatly delayed in your home purchase or even wrongly denied approval on your loan.

The following story occurred just last week in our offices, but it occurs with frequency: A gentleman named Jody heard me visiting on the radio with Russ Martin and called us at 1-800 EXPRESS wondering if it was odd that he’d been waiting 90 days to close with another lender.

Ninety days he’d been stalled on his loan application, apparently due to a paperwork screw-up at one of the big banks.

Jody called an audible. We took his paperwork on December 16.

His transaction will be complete on December 27.

What happened to cause his problems with his previous lender?

One of three things:

1 They’ve fallen into a “too big to fail’’ trap. They don’t know Jody on a personal basis and don’t particularly care about Jody or the fact that he has family reasons why his transaction needed to be complete by the start of the new year.
2 They are “some guy in a cubicle.’’ They are a phone bank, a non-professional, an online advertiser as opposed to a lender that’s been in the business for 27 years, as is the case in our offices.

3 They are not Tom Brady.

The mortgage business features some rookies, some youngsters, some lenders with good intentions … but even with the best intentions, it takes time for the Tim Tebows of any business to become the Tom Bradys of that business.

An example of how a personal relationship and experience in the field helps you: The response when you are turned down for a loan. Too often, that is termed a “failure’’ of sorts, maybe by you and certainly by an inexperienced lender. You need to know: Just because your mortgage application was denied doesn’t always mean you can’t get a mortgage. Across the country, lenders reject about half of the applications they receive to refinance a mortgage. About 30 percent of purchasers who apply for a mortgage are turned down. There are, obviously, guidelines that need to be met.

But there are also guidelines to follow before you take the rejected application as the final word – especially from a lender who might not be at the top of his game.

*The Equal Credit Opportunity Act says the lender must tell you in writing when you’ve been turned down for credit.

*If you don’t understand the reasons given for turning down your application, ask for more information. Don’t be shy about asking; it’s your money!

*If the funds you have are not sufficient, you can try to renegotiate with the seller for the purchase price to lower the loan amount.

*If your loan is turned down because of a poor credit report, check that credit report for errors … and ultimately, take steps to build your credit to a more attractive level.

As I’ve detailed many times (including in my book “Credit 911’’), your credit score is your financial DNA. It is the centerpiece of what you are able to accomplish with your home loan, which is the centerpiece of most of our lives. As you work on that and work through being delayed or denied, consider working with a different lender.

You are not obligated to the lender you started with – certainly not if he’s not answering your phone or delaying your closing for months. Your only obligation is to yourself, to find the best and most experienced lender and to let him help “quarterback’’ you through the lending process.

By Rodney Anderson

This is a story about a Santa and a Senator. About a child on a lap who gets it and about $1.2 billion … and who gets that.
It’s two stories, really. But I’m sure, in the end, you will understand while I’m weaving them together here.

We go to Raleigh, N.C., where seasonal Santas are reporting that more and more of the children on their laps are asking for fewer and fewer gifts for themselves…

“These children understand the conditions around the home when they ask for stuff,” said a 69-year-old Santa from Gastonia. “They understand when there are other children in the family, they need to be cautious or thoughtful of them as well and not ask for 10 to 12 items.”

More testimony from a guy who is the dean of a Santa School in Michigan. (I did not know there was such a thing, but it’s fun to learn that it exists!) “I think it’s becoming more popular not to have that long list,’’ he says. “Families are teaching their children to be as much of a giver as a receiver.”

And maybe there is hope for us yet, because while some children are too young to have true financial responsibility, that doesn’t mean they cannot grasp the essence of being responsible, of not being greedy, and of the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

Ah, but financially speaking, I am betting nobody will have more gifts under this year’s tree than Jon Corzine, the the former Democratic U.S. senator and former governor of New Jersey who used those positions to further his career and up until recently was the CEO of failed investment bank MF Global.

Corzine appeared before Congress late last week — he’d been subpoenaed, so he wasn’t there to spread good tidings — and he admitted (or claimed) that he has no idea where a missing $1.2 billion went.

Corzine didn’t “go Fifth Amendment’’ here. But maybe that would’ve been less maddening. Because he instead, offered an apology – I guess — to MF Global’s investors and employees.

“Their plight weighs on my mind every day – every hour,’’ Corzine said. “And as the chief executive officer of MF Global at the time of its bankruptcy, I apologize to all those affected.’’

But where is the money? Corzine swears he does not know … which makes him less credible and less reliable than even those little children who sit on Santa’s lap. Yet there is something so wrong with this picture, something that I only pray can be repaired by a coming generation, because those children are asking for so little and Corzine took so much and it’s going to be some of the wrong Americans who on Dec. 25 get a lump of coal in their stockings.

By Rodney Anderson

I fly American Airlines. I am a loyal customer and a frequent customer and I have no personal complaints about the airline. But as often as I travel, I find myself striking up conversations with American employees. Pilots, flight attendants, support staff … and when I ask them about their careers, about why they work for AA, I all-too-often receive a disappointing and sad answer.

“Because I’ve only got two years until retirement,’’ they say. Or, “Because I don’t have to do it much longer,’’ they say. “There is light at the end of the tunnel,’’ they say.

The news that DFW-based American is filing for bankruptcy is upsetting in a variety of ways. No, not because it means the business is going to fail or your stock value is going to evaporate or because suddenly somebody is going to forget to bolt the wings onto the planes. And if you understand bankruptcy as I do – I write about it in my book “Credit 911’’ and explain it as a way to “lose the battle but win the war’’ – you understand that it is a move of strategy and not one of desperation.

(Of course, there is enough desperation to charge me $25 for my suitcase!)

Now, AA does seem like yet another of our “Too Big To Fail’’ institutions. That is, a business that conducts itself as if it is so meaningful and important that the world would spin off its axis without it. So it behaves in a fat, lazy and self-satisfied manner. That is certainly the case with another “institution,’’ Bank of America, which on an almost-daily basis is subject to yet another investigation into practices that suggest it doesn’t care much about its customers. (For the latest, check out the possibly illegal foreclosure on the homes of 5,000 U.S. military families.)

But my primary concern with American isn’t at the very top … where, by the way, I am certain there are some responsible and capable executives who recognize the problem I am addressing here. (Even as those higher-ups are stepping down.) No, my primary concern is an army of fine men and women who are working for a company simply so they can hurry up and get out. … Pilots, flight attendants, support staff who are “playing out the string.’’

The filing of bankruptcy is indicative of a big-picture problem, of course. But American Airlines’ real issue isn’t that it’s going to run out of money. It’s that it’s going to run out of people, good people, who joined the company in part because of its healthy culture and now are passing the time at AA because of its unhealthy culture.

“Too Big To Fail’’ threatens to harm American Airlines at the highest levels. But the trickle-down effect involves those pilots, those flight attendants, those support staffers. While the company is busy making changes via bankruptcy, it would be wise to address another change: A change in the corporate culture, a change that would make working at American Airlines more than just a way to “hurry up and leave.’’

By Rodney Anderson
The advertising world has done an inventive thing: They’ve made ‘Black Friday’ a holiday. They’ve made ‘Cyber Monday’ a holiday. Pretty soon, American Greeting will come out with cards. ‘Happy Black Friday!’ ‘Merry Cyber Monday!’

But what if you gave yourself a holiday that didn’t cause you to get trampled, pepper-sprayed, planted in front of the computer for hours or thinner in the wallet? What if you picked some time during this holiday season to reward yourself, your family and your future with a “Financial Day Off’’?

In my column and on my radio show, I’ve started “Financial Day Off’’ that is launching a movement. I’ve gotten responses from literally hundreds of you who have taken advantage of my tips, gained yourself money, earned yourself an education … and all it takes is a fraction of the time it takes to stand in line alongside the tent you erected outside of Best Buy.

The “Financial Day Off’’ movement is so strong, in fact, that there is clamoring for a seminar featuring experts that would guide you, answer your questions and put money back in your pocket. Before we advance to that inevitable point, let’s take a few simple steps, right now, that I believe can save you hundreds of dollars a month. …

1 Read and re-evaluate your mortgage. If I told you that on a 30-year loan of $200,000 loan that a simple phone call might save you $100,000, would you make that phone call?
Of course you would. There is no reason to be intimidated by the process. There is no reason to procrastinate. It’s YOUR contract. YOU made it. YOU can change it for your financial benefit!

Do you know what the interest rate is on your home loan? Go find out. Do you know that the company you presently send your mortgage checks to has no exclusivity claims on you? Know it – and benefit from it.

2 Use your phone to call about your phone. Is there an extra line you’re paying for? A certain amount of something-or-other feature that could be free and “unlimited’’? An insurance plan you don’t really need?

I recently made one phone call on my cellphone account and cleared out $98 a month of wasted money. By doing so, I saved myself $1200 dollars a year!

3 Get assurances on your insurance. There is a “comfort level’’ – or, heck, let’s go ahead and say it – a “laziness’’ to the way we make financial arrangements with a service provider that goes unchecked for years and years. that many of us make one time … and then don’t ever bother to review. Instead, we only renew.

Don’t automatically renew. REVIEW!

4 Drive a harder bargain on your auto loan. One friend who followed my “Financial Day Off’’ advice found a way to move from a 13.99-percent rate on his car loan to a 7.99-percent rate. How did he do it? He gave himself exactly nine minutes “off’’ and saved himself bundle.

5 Don’t just watch TV. Watch your TV bill. Do you need this “package’’ and that, this “special’’ and that, this extra outlet and that extra feature? Is there a “cable box’’ that’s sitting out in your garage, unused, that you’re being charged for?

Go check that itemized bill. There’s money in there waiting to be grabbed back by you.
6 Utilize your time on your utility bills. The service providers have plans that can be customized to your needs. Does it take some homework on our parts? Yes; the electric company isn’t going to call YOU to offer you a discount; you have to call them.

There is a movement. The “Financial Day Off’’ is coming. It’s like “Black Friday’’ and “Cyber Monday’’ in its importance, but it’s unlike those pseudo-holidays in one very important sense:

On those events, you SPEND money. With a Financial Day Off, you MAKE money.