When it’s time to redo the loo

Next to the kitchen, arguably the most important room in your home is also the most private and prized: the bath, where nature’s necessities and hygiene are handled in comfort and style. 

Problem is, it’s easy for the lavatory to look and feel antiquated after a few years. That’s why it pays to keep up with the latest bathroom trends and tastes—a goal shared by many homeowners, as evidenced by the finding that 84% of homeowners desire a bathroom remodel due to outdated design, per the results of a recent Fixr.com survey.

Learn more about the latest bathroom renovation trends by reading my newest article for CTW Features, available here.

Here are the vehicles that are cheapest and costliest to insure

Curious to learn which vehicles cost the most and least to insure for 2022? Insure.com has researched data among approximately 3,000 different automobiles, collected insurance quotes from seven major insurance carriers, and averaged the premiums to give you an accurate picture of what you can expect to fork over for car insurance based on particular makes/models.

This year, among the most expensive automobiles to get an insurance premium for are the Maserati Quattroporte, Maserati Quattroporte Modena Q4, and BMW M8 Competition Gran coupe. Meanwhile, the Subaru Forester 2.5I Wilderness, Hyundai Venue SE, and Honda CR-V LX were among the best bargains when it comes to car insurance premiums.

Eager to see the full list? Take a look at the least and most expensive vehicles currently to insure by reading my newest article for Insure.com, available here. 

Want to sell your home during the holidays? Read this first

Eager to sell your home before the end of the year but concerned about lower interest over the holidays? You’re not alone. Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day can be a challenging time to list, market, show and ultimately find a buyer for a home for sale.

But just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean your window of opportunity has slammed shut. By understanding the pros and cons of selling a house during the winter holidays and following some home selling tips, you can increase your odds of unloading that property without undue delay or a big ding to your net proceeds.

My newest article for Bankrate, available here, covers this topic like a blanket of snow.

Cineversary podcast explores why Casablanca gets better as time goes by

Kenneth Turan and David Thomson

For Cineversary podcast episode #53, host Erik Martin revisits one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed films ever made: Casablanca, which celebrates an 80th birthday this month. In this installment, he’s joined by David Thomson, a renowned film critic, cinema historian, and author of Sleeping with Strangers: How the Movies Shaped Desire; as well as Kenneth Turan, film critic for National Public Radio, former film critic for the Los Angeles Times, and author of Not to Be Missed: Fifty-Four Favorites From a Lifetime of Film. Erik and his guests return to Rick’s Café Americain to hear Sam play it again and to examine why Casablanca continues to resonate and how it has transcended time.

To listen to this episode, click here or click the "play" button on the embedded streaming player below. Or, you can stream, download, or subscribe to Cineversary wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, PodBean, RadioPublic, and Overcast.

Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at anchor.fm/cineversary and email show comments or suggestions to cineversegroup@gmail.com.

Is tuition insurance worth it?

Pursuing a college education involves a significant investment. Case in point: The average annual tuition for public in-state four-year universities is $10,740. Public four-year out-of-state university tuition averages $25,760 a year. Private four-year universities charge $38,070 on average, based on College Board data for the 2021-2022 academic year.

But what happens if you send your child to college and they drop out? You might get a refund, but depending on when the withdrawal happens it may not be the full amount paid for tuition, fees, room and board and other expenses. In fact, the entire amount may have to be forfeited. Tuition insurance can help protect against this situation.

Learn more about the pros and cons of tuition insurance by reading my newest story for Forbes Advisor, available here.

Where's the housing market headed in 2023? Let's find out...

We’re rounding the corner on 2022 and quickly heading toward a new year. That makes this a perfect time to prognosticate real estate matters for 2023. With mortgage rates escalating higher, home sales — and, in some areas, home prices — hitting the brakes, and increased uncertainty felt throughout the market, many homeowners, prospective sellers and prospective buyers are nervous about next year.

Eager to learn what the experts predict in 2023 regarding mortgage rates, home prices, buyer competition, housing supply, sales activity and home affordability? Check out my newest article for Bankrate (available here), which forecasts these housing market matters.