Your escape hatch when buying or selling a home

When you’re working on a computer, the undo button is an invaluable tool. So is a contingency clause when you’re looking to buy or sell a home. It provides a way for one or both parties to back out of a real estate contract if certain specified conditions are not met.

Common contingencies in real estate sales include an appraisal contingency, inspection contingency, and a funding contingency. Most contingency clauses are designed to protect the buyer’s interests, although including too many contingencies in a contract could make you appear less appealing to the seller, especially when multiple offers are involved.

It’s important to understand how contingencies work and to collaborate closely with your real estate agent and attorney on which contingencies to include and agree to. Find out what's involved by reading my article on this topic for Bankrate.com, available here.

Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a fun podcast

For Cineversary podcast episode #29, host Erik Martin and “All About All About Eve” author Sam Staggs crash the Sarah Siddons award ceremony to dish delicious details about “All About Eve,” directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, which celebrates a 70th anniversary this year. Erik and Sam explore why this film is worth commemorating all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can learn from the picture today, how it has stood the test of time, and more. 

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 the Cineversary podcast using Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Pocket Casts, PodBean, RadioPublic, and Overcast.

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

Is cancer insurance worth it?

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in America, right behind heart disease. American Cancer Society estimated 40 out of 100 men and 39 out of 100 women in the United States will develop cancer over their lifetime.

Many of us have health insurance coverage to cover the expenses involved with diagnosing and treating cancer. But this existing coverage may not cover enough. You might still have coverage gaps that exhaust your finances. Fortunately, cancer insurance can supplement your major medical health insurance policy.

It's important to understand how cancer insurance works and how to shop for a plan. Many experts also caution that this supplemental insurance may not be necessary. Learn the facts and determine the right strategy for your needs before committing to cancer insurance by reading my latest article or Insurance.com on this topic, available here.

Curbing speech data overreach

Concerned about how Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant are collecting and using your voice data every time you talk to a smart speaker? Troubled by the potential for speech bots and voice-based information companies to exploit your personal information? Alarmed by the rise of deep fakes and the ease with which bad actors can manipulate audio for nefarious reasons?

You’re not alone. People across the globe are becoming increasingly worried about the extent to which our recorded voices and the words we say are captured, mined for marketing purposes, and vulnerable to hackers and criminals. And it’s a big reason why we’ve seen a stronger push in the last few years for laws and guidelines intended to control these practices and decrease these risks.

But are existing and proposed regulations strong and comprehensive enough to deter unethical methods? Will laws designed to regulate speech data be properly enforced, and will companies in violation be held accountable? Has technology reached a point where it’s nearly impossible to reign it in and safeguard consumers?

I attempt to answer these questions and explore these issues in my latest cover story for Speech Technology magazine, available here.